Cagayan Valley · Philippines
Ilagan travel guide
Ilagan is a city in Cagayan Valley, Philippines, home to about 164,000 people.
- Nearest airport
- CYZ28 km · Cauayan Airport
- Currency
- PHPPhilippine peso
- Time zone
- Asia/Manila
- Language
- English, Filipino, Taglish
About
About Ilagan
The site of a Spanish-era settlement that disappeared following a revolt by the natives in 1621, it was reestablished in 1678. It used to be the northernmost town of Nueva Vizcaya from 1839 until 1856, when it found itself in the middle of the newly-created province of Isabela and became its capital. In 1998, a referendum to convert Ilagan into a city failed. A second attempt in 2012 was successful. With a land area of about 117 ha, Ilagan is the fourth largest city in the Philippines by land area.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Ilagan
See
- Bonifacio Park
- Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines Ilagan plant
- Giant rocking chair
- Ilagan Japanese Tunnel
- Saint Ferdinand Parish Church
- Queen Isabela Park
- Isabela Provincial Capitol
- Ilagan City Welcome Monument
- Isabela Museum and Library
Do
- Ilagan Sanctuary
- Ilagan Sports Complex
- Isabela Sports Complex
- Capital Arena
- Aggaw na Ilagan
- Bambanti Festival
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Ilagan
Ilagan has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. May is the warmest month, with average highs of 35 °C; October is the wettest, with about 327 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Ilagan: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Cauayan Airport (CYZ), about 28 km from the city centre in a straight line; Tuguegarao Airport (TUG, 57 km) is also within reach.
Getting in
Ilagan is 395 km from Manila, and 67 km from Tuguegarao. The main highway is Cagayan Valley Road (Maharlika Highway/Pan-Philippine Highway/Route 1/AH26), which bypasses the old city proper, but passes through the main commercial district at Baligatan and in front of the provincial capitol complex in Alibagu. A jeepney service connects downtown Ilagan with Cauayan, Roxas and Guibang in Gamu, passing through Baligatan and Alibagu. The barangays along Maharlika Highway are served by passenger vans plying the Tuguegarao-Santiago City route.
Getting around
Tricycles are available at most parts of the city, but given Ilagan’s extensive land area, a car would be more convenient.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
CYZ · Cauayan Airport
TUG · Tuguegarao Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Ilagan
Stay safe
The lowland areas along the Cagayan, Abuan and Pinacanauan Rivers are highly vulnerable to flooding during the rainy season, with the national highway being inundated on several occasions.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Ilagan: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Ilagan?
Ilagan has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. May is the warmest month, with average highs of 35 °C; October is the wettest, with about 327 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Ilagan?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Cauayan Airport (CYZ), about 28 km from the city centre in a straight line; Tuguegarao Airport (TUG, 57 km) is also within reach.
What currency is used in Ilagan?
Philippine peso (PHP).
Nearby
Destinations near Ilagan
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.