San Juan

Region I · La Union

San Juan in La Union is where Manila surfers come on long weekends — a reliable reef break in front of town, surf lessons from P600/hour, and a beach road of cafes and guesthouses that's grown into a proper little scene. It's not tropical-postcard Philippines (the sand is grey, not white), but it's authentic and fun: local beer, grilled fish, hammock afternoons. A 4-5 hour drive north of Manila, or 1.5 hours from Baguio. Best surf: October–March (southwest monsoon swells). A good warm-up destina