La Paz Sand Dunes

La Paz Sand Dunes is a 85-square-kilometer coastal desert in Barangay La Paz, Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, Philippines. Part of the larger Ilocos Norte Sand Dunes system stretching from the South China Sea coast inland, it features rolling sandy hills reaching up to 30 meters high. Notable for its desert-like landscape in a tropical country, it has served as a filming location since the 1960s and is now a major ecotourism attraction offering 4x4 rides and sandboarding.

Visitors can expect a vast desert-like landscape of rolling sand hills along the South China Sea coast, with light brown dunes, sparse vegetation and wide open views. Access inside the dunes is only by accredited 4x4 vehicles driven by local guides. Areas to explore include dune ridges, slopes used for sandboarding, and viewpoints for photography and sunset viewing. The site has a jump-off area with parking and tour registration, but no permanent structures on the dunes themselves.

The dunes are part of the Ilocos Norte Sand Dunes formed over thousands of years by windblown sand from the South China Sea. The La Paz section has been used as a filming location since the 1960s for Philippine and international films, which established its early fame before its development as a regulated ecotourism site managed with local community operators.

The dunes are a distinctive natural landmark of Ilocos Norte and a symbol of the province's coastal desert landscape in a tropical archipelago. Promoted by the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte as a key ecotourism attraction, the site supports livelihoods for residents of Barangay La Paz who serve as accredited guides and drivers.