Santa Maria Church
A hilltop church in Ilocos Sur, completed in 1810 and reached by a wide stone staircase of 85 steps. Thick brick walls and massive buttresses give it the look of a fortress, and it was used as a lookout in times of attack. It is part of the Baroque Churches UNESCO listing.
- Where
- Santa Maria, Ilocos, Philippines
- Grade
- UNESCO heritage
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site, plus 8 for its grade
- Coordinates
- 17.3664, 120.4831
Get the Santa Maria Church stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Santa Maria Church. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Ilocos volume with your photos and a note.
Near Santa Maria Church
Bantay Church 26 km
The Parish of Saint Augustine of Hippo in Bantay, Ilocos Sur, also called the Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Charity. A Roman Catholic church of the Spanish period, it has a separate bell tower on a hill that served as a watchtower.
Paoay Church 77 km
Saint Augustine Parish Church in Ilocos Norte, finished in 1710 and built of coral stone and brick. Huge buttresses along its sides, partly Gothic and partly Asian in style, helped it withstand earthquakes. It is one of the four churches in the Baroque Churches UNESCO listing.
Banaue Rice Terraces 84 km
Terraces carved into the mountains of Ifugao by the Ifugao people, by tradition some 2,000 years ago, and still farmed by hand. They climb the slopes in steps fed by channels from the forest above. They are part of the UNESCO listed Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras.
Mount Pulag 97 km
The highest peak on Luzon, at 2,928 metres, on the border of Benguet, Ifugao and Nueva Vizcaya. Hikers start before dawn to reach the summit for sunrise above a sea of clouds. The upper slopes are mossy forest and open grassland.
Mines View Park 106 km
An overlook park on a promontory about 4 kilometres from downtown Baguio, in the Cordillera mountains. It looks over the mining town of Itogon and the abandoned gold and copper mines, and a row of souvenir stalls lines the walk to the viewpoint.
Baguio Botanical Garden 107 km
A botanical garden on Leonard Wood Road in Baguio, between Wright Park and Teachers Camp. It was formerly called Imelda Park, and it is known for its pine shaded paths and Igorot style huts.
Baguio Cathedral 107 km
Our Lady of the Atonement Cathedral, a pink stone church with twin spires on a hill in the centre of Baguio. It was finished in 1936 and sheltered many people during the Second World War. Visitors climb a wide flight of steps to reach it.
Cape Bojeador Lighthouse 128 km
A lighthouse of the Spanish colonial period in Burgos, Ilocos Norte, first lit on 30 March 1892. It stands high on a hill above the northwest tip of Luzon and is also known as Burgos Lighthouse.
More UNESCO World Heritage sites in Ilocos
Questions
Where is Santa Maria Church?
Santa Maria Church is in Santa Maria, Ilocos, Philippines. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Bantay Church (26 km), Paoay Church (77 km), Banaue Rice Terraces (84 km).
How do I get the Santa Maria Church stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Santa Maria Church and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Ilocos volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Santa Maria Church before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Ilocos volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
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