The Batanes island group is the smallest province in the Philippines in terms of population and

land area. The capital of Batanes, Basco is 280 kilometers north of Apari, Cagayan (the tip of main

island of Luzon) while it is only 190 kilometers south of Taiwan. Batanes lies in the vast waters of the

Pacific ocean where the Pacific meets China sea. An area that for generations is almost isolated from

the rest of the Philippines. Batanes consist of 10 tiny islands and islets namely: Batan, Sabtang, Itbayat,

Mavudis, Siayan, Diogo, North Island and Y’ami. Only the first three islands are inhabited.

The wind swept islands of Batanes are beautiful and enchanting and they are like no other

in the Philippines. Since Batanes is separated from the country by miles of rough waters, the

Ivatans (the name of the people of Batanes) have developed a different culture. Ivatans are honest,

gentle and polite but brave and robust. They are proud of their heritage and their land.

The landscape of Batanes is also distinct from other Philippine provinces – steep cliffs, rolling hills,

deep canyons and boulder-lined shores – not unlike New Zealand in some way. But the most noticeable

of all features of Batanes is the architecture of the houses – stone walled and thick thatched roofs to

withstand the battering of typhoons.

The weather of Batanes is cool and windy. And it rains any month of the year. It has an almost

temperate temperature from December to February where temperatures dip as low as 7 degrees

centigrade. Although Batanes lies along the typhoon belt and gets hit by strong typhoons, it get it’s

fare share just like other provinces on the north. But in spite of the reputation of Batanes as a backward

region, it now has modern conveniences like mobile phones (cell sites by

Smart & Globe Telecoms), electricity and cable television but hardly any vehicles.

There are a lot of things to do and see in Batanes, swim on the many beaches, see the fishing

villages, the churches and lighthouses, island hop, but best of all, it is a beautiful place to reflect and

admire nature.

A trip to Batanes bestows one a feeling timelessness…an experience that will linger long

after arriving back home. It makes one appreciate the simple things in life, but in a deeper sense.

But be forewarned though, once you’ve experienced Batanes, it will haunt you to come back.

These are the houses in Batanes. Batanes is northernmost island in the Philippines. The houses here are

 built so strong that even hard typhoon could not even break this houses made of stones.

The people who lived here were the Ivatans.

An elderly Ivatan wearing a vakul

Vakul-headdress against sun and rain

Old stone house in Batanes

The church

The Batanes Airport was constructed like a traditional Ivatan stone house.