An Hour of Solitude – Suso Beach, Ilocos Sur
Suso Beach, is definitely one of the (wholesome) places in Ilocos Sur that you shouldn’t miss.
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This is located in Barangay Suso in the town of Sta. Maria which is known for the World Heritage Site, Santa Maria Church or the Our Lady of Assumption Church.
Solitude
After spending some time at the Santa Maria Church, I hailed a tricycle to take me back to the main highway but this time I asked the driver to drop me off at Suso Beach. Yes, the beach is just along the Maharlika Highway and is a good stopover if you are heading to Vigan City or Laoag City.
This is the first beach that you will be seeing once you enter the province of Ilocos Sur and is just along the left side of the road. You will be welcomed by the wide cream colored sands being hugged by the relentless waves.
What’s good with the place is that it is accessible and you don’t have to travel off the main road to reach it. There’s not much of the establishments around that keeps it in its almost raw state.
Along the beach line, there are several cottages that you can rent for an affordable price and there’s also a shower room built nearby.
I rested for a while under the shade of a nearby umbrella tree. Also, I did not bother swimming since I still have another place to go to in Narvacan. The calmness of the place, the relaxing lull of the ocean waves is more than enough.
Watch the sunset, stay at nearby resorts, swim until your skin gets a (burned) tan. Grill and dine in one of its cottages or simply eat Halo-halo along the highway (just like what I did) and spend some time to just doze off.
Again, there’s nothing malicious with the name and it’s not a nude beach, but the beach is bare and free for all. The next time you’re going to visit Ilocos Sur, make sure to stop over the Suso Beach in Santa Maria.
Continue reading: Paragliding at NOAH
How To Get There
- From Manila, take a bus bound for Vigan, Laoag or Pagudpud. Dominion, Farinas, Partas and RCJ bus plies this routes, hop off at Suso Beach in Sta. Maria, Ilocos Sur crossing. Fare is around 450php-500php, travel time is 6-7 hours.
- If coming from Vigan, take any provincial bus bound for Candon, La Union or Manila and drop off at Suso Beach, Sta. Maria, fare is around 60-70php per trip, travel time is 30-45 minutes.
- If coming from La Union, take any provincial bus bound for Vigan City or Laoag. Fare starts more or less at 180php from Sto. Tomas or Agoo, and 100php from San Fernando City or San Juan. Travel time is 3-4 hours.
Where To Stay
- Suso Beach Mini Eco-Resort – Brgy. Suso, Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur (0916-742-5008)
- Other Nearby Resorts:
- Villa Gloria Beach Resort and Hotel – Bulanos, Narvacan, Ilocos Sur (09277132018)
- Estrella Del Mar Resort – Vical, Santa Lucia, Ilocos Sur (0920 961 4462)
- Vitalis White Sands – Cobra Wado, Calangute, Bardez
2707 Santiago, Ilocos Sur / (02) 489 4508
Updated as of April 22, 2018
