Paoay Sand Dunes And The Forgotten Empires That Time Erases

One day, I will die, and strangely that thought has made life feel lighter. Since graduating college, I had been stuck in the rat race, chasing milestones and moments I thought would define me. But when I realized none of it would matter in a hundred years, something changed. Suddenly, the pressure to constantly achieve loosened its grip. And that shift is what drives me to explore places like the Paoay Sand Dunes.

At the Paoay Sand Dunes, that realization takes shape in front of you. The wind pushes back. The sand gives way. You climb, slide, laugh, and try again. Nothing cooperates.

Your tracks vanish almost as soon as they’re made. The landscape refuses to remember you, and oddly, that feels like a gift. Here, there’s no pressure to leave proof or need to make the moment impressive.

So what happens when you let go completely? And what else did the dunes teach me that day?

A Day at the Paoay Sand Dunes

The Journey North

I woke up around six in the morning to light filtering through the van’s windows.

We had been driving for hours from Manila, and my body was a little stiff, still half-asleep. 

It wasn’t a five-star accommodation by any stretch, but the ride gave me the best sleep I’d had all week.

Lately, I had been thinking so much about the earthquakes, typhoons, and even my professional life. And sleep? Well, it had been a luxury in my hectic lifestyle lately. 

I looked outside and noticed the quiet rural landscape passing by. Green fields. Open roads. Fewer signs of urgency.

I opened Google Maps and saw that we were already close to Ilocos Norte.

Moments later, we stopped briefly at the old yet beautiful welcome arch of Ilocos Norte. 

We snapped a few photos, climbed back into the van, and continued north.

There were seven of us in total, strangers bound by the same itinerary, the same restless curiosity that pulls people toward places like this.

Breakfast was at a tiny restaurant in town. It was a classic Filipino breakfast, and it wasn’t anything remarkable, but enough to fuel us for a day of adventure.

It was there, over coffee and rice, that Aldrin, our guide and driver mentioned the heat. 

He said that it was better to start early at the Paoay Sand Dunes because the heat might be unbearable by noon.

We trusted his word.

Some people might prefer a different route, like traveling from Vigan to Paoay Sand Dunes. 

I even thought we’d travel from Laoag to Paoay Sand Dunes

But we were content letting our guide handle the itinerary. 

He had been doing this for years and knew the area far better than any of us.

And besides, I’m not a control freak.

Travel has taught me control is an illusion and the best way to experience life fully is to let go, and go with the flow. 

And so, we then made final preparations, and took a short drive toward the jump-off point of the Paoay Sand Dunes adventures in Suba..

The jump off point of the Paoay Sand Dunes

The moment we arrived, I was surprised by the silence.

I expected it to be a little touristy and crowded, like the jump-off point in Mount Pinatubo.

Of course, there were vendors offering souvenirs, services and snacks, but it wasn’t crowded or busy. 

It felt paused. Unrushed.

Standing there, I realized how rare it is to be somewhere that doesn’t demand excitement. Somewhere that doesn’t insist on being memorable.

Then the crowds began to arrive. So, before the place turned into a frenzy, we hopped onto a 4×4 and drove toward the dunes.

We left the jump-off point and followed a paved road.

At first, everything felt ordinary. 

The ride was smooth and the road was well-kept. 

On both sides were fields, greenery, and scattered houses.

There was no sign of anything wild or an otherworldly landscape. 

It felt easy. Almost too easy.

If we didn’t know where we were going, we’d think it was just another inner provincial road.

I remember thinking the ride would be a breeze. And that was the last moment the journey felt predictable.

The insanely fun ride at the Paoay Sand Dunes 

We soon arrived at the Paoay Sand Dunes, and I was instantly amazed by its surreal beauty.

It wasn’t massive or magical in the usual sense. But it was rare. This kind of landscape doesn’t show up often in the Philippines.

I’ve been all over the Philippines, and I’ve seen its most spectacular wonders, from the mossy forest of Mount Purgatory to the crying mountains in Kibungan. 

But a desert-like stretch of sand, something closer to the Sahara than the tropics, is not something you expect to find here.

With its barren landscape, the Paoay Sand Dunes felt like a chapter from The Little Prince.

At first, I thought the ride would be easy.

The sun was out, the road was smooth, and the land ahead looked flat and harmless.

I’d experienced the heart-pumping 4×4 ride in Mount Pinatubo and thought that it was rougher and more thrilling.

But just when I was about to feel comfortable, something happened.

The 4×4 climbed a steep slope, then dropped us into a heart-pumping downhill ride.

I held on to the metal bar like my life depended on it. Someone laughed. Someone cursed.

The sand rushed past us in a blur. Whatever sense of ease I had vanished in seconds.

Sh*t!

I didn’t expect it to be this insane.

I thought it would be a lighthearted sightseeing experience.

Yes, it was short. But it forced me to shift gears, from chill to alert.

And that brief sequence was enough to remind me of the illusion of control.

The thing is, we all think we are all in control of our life and path. 

We make plans. We map things out. We convince ourselves that if we move carefully enough, nothing will catch us off guard.

When we were young, we thought that if we studied hard and finished a degree, we’d be rewarded with an easy and beautiful life. We thought we could build an empire if we just keep working hard.

But life sometimes f*cks you up, and tilts your ground without warning. 

All it takes is one wrong turn, one delay, one moment you never planned for. And suddenly, you find your empire crumbling, wondering when the road stopped being smooth.

Things are going to change, and you have to deal with it.

But the good news is, you don’t have to have everything figured out to keep going.

All you have to do is show up and make the best of each situation. And sometimes, adjusting your grip is just enough.

And that was what happened on our 4×4 ride at the Paoay Sand Dunes. 

After the crazy downhill drop, the path leveled out and became flat and smooth.

We took a short break to snap photos and admire the views of the West Philippine Sea.

So yes, we survived the first part of our adventure at the Paoay Sand Dunes.

Barely.

The next phase of our journey  

I didn’t know what would happen next on our trip to the Paoay Sand Dunes.

Heck, I didn’t even know which attractions were included in our Ilocos tour.

All I knew was there would be stops in Calle Crisologo and Bangui Windmills.

I usually don’t do extensive research before I travel.

I don’t make elaborate plans, prepare Influencer-like outfits or even rehearse my poses.

 Because if I do those things and things don’t go my way, I will often lead to disappointments. 

I’ve learned that expectations have weight.

The lighter I pack them, the easier the trip feels.

So I show up with curiosity instead of a checklist.

And besides, I love surprises and hate spoilers. 

That’s why I just let the place reveal itself, one moment at a time.

Led by our guides, we then made our way to the next section of our trip at the Paoay Sand Dunes.

And guess what?

The ride was just as insane as the first one.

It came with a couple of steep, heart-pumping drops.

It was a roller coaster, minus the rules, safety bars, and the reassurance.

Soon, we arrived at an area filled with ATVs, sandboards, and small shacks selling refreshments and souvenirs.

Sandboarding in Paoay

My heart raced the moment I saw the steep slope for sandboarding at the Paoay Sand Dunes.

I’d always dreamed of doing it, and standing there, staring at that wall of sand, only made me want it more.

So, without hesitation, I went first, and had a blast 

The guide pushed off and I felt the board slide beneath me almost instantly. 

The sand wasn’t soft the way I imagined. 

It was fast, loose, and a little unpredictable. 

The wind rushed past my ears as the slope pulled me down, and before I could overthink anything, I was already smiling.

Halfway through, the board wobbled, and for a split second, I thought I’d wipe out. 

But it didn’t happen. 

I steadied myself, leaned in, and let the sand carry me the rest of the way.

When I reached the bottom, I was grinning, covered in sand and a little breathless. 

It wasn’t graceful or impressive. But it was fun in the purest way.

I stood up, ready to go again, already knowing this wouldn’t be my last run.

As I climbed up the dunes, I realized something simple. 

The sand never holds its shape. 

Every step sinks, every mark fades, and every path disappears almost as soon as it’s made.

And I guess that’s why it works.

The dunes don’t reward control or precision. 

They respond to balance, trust, and the willingness to let momentum carry you. 

The moment you fight them, you slow down. 

The moment you relax, they cooperate.

Standing there, covered in sand, I thought about how much energy we spend trying to keep life neat, perfect and predictable. 

And how often we mistake control for safety.

Then, as I looked at the lonely, desert-like stretch, something hit me.

Why are we so obsessed with control, safety, and comfort?

Why do we pressure ourselves to get everything right when one day it will all end?

And why do we keep chasing milestones, building reputations and empires, when people will eventually forget us?

No matter how much we achieve, it won’t matter in the end.

Time erases everything.

And I’m not just talking about our current lifetime on earth. 

On a much larger picture, in about 5 billion years, the Sun, the star of our system, will reach the end of its current lifecycle. 

And when that time comes, everything the humans have done and achieved on earth will be forever gone.

And knowing that didn’t make me feel so small.

It made me feel calm.

If even the Sun won’t last forever, then why am I so anxious about getting everything right? 

Why do I carry the weight of expectations as if they’re permanent, as if they’ll follow me beyond this lifetime?

They won’t.

The deadlines. The titles. The version of success I was told to chase. 

None of it survives time. And once you really sit with that truth, your perspective on life will change.

Exploring the other Paoay Sand dunes activities

As promised, I took another sandboarding run on the slopes of the Paoay Sand Dunes.

This time, I was better at maneuvering the board and trusting the ride.

After that, one of the guides offered me an ATV ride.

It was tempting.

But we skipped it this time because of time constraints. 

I knew that once we started, we could easily spend hours riding through the barren landscape. 

And honestly, it wasn’t cheap either.

On the bright side, some of us still got photos riding the ATVs, which felt like a fair compromise.

From there, we climbed back up to buy souvenirs and grab some refreshments.

The prices were higher than average, but I always buy from these people to support them.

With the country’s tourism slowly dying, these people need our help.

With plenty more stops ahead on our tour, we decided to leave the area early and hopped back onto the 4×4.

Moments after we left the shacks, the ground disappeared beneath us.

The 4×4 plunged into another roller-coaster drop, reminding us that the dunes weren’t done yet.

The vehicle rattled as we plunged down the slope, sand spraying behind us in one sharp drop.

My stomach lifted, then settled. 

Screams turned into laughter almost immediately. 

Whatever tension I was holding onto slipped away with the sand beneath us.

I held on, no longer trying to brace myself, just letting the motion happen. 

The drop ended as quickly as it began, leaving behind that strange mix of relief and adrenaline.

As the 4×4 slowed, I exhaled without realizing I’d been holding my breath. 

The dunes stretched out again, quiet and endless, as if nothing had happened at all.

Originally, I thought the Paoay Sand Dunes was small.

But when I looked back, I realized it was vast.

And before we ended our adventure, the Paoay Sand Dunes gave me one more lesson.

The Paoay Sand Dunes made me realize that life is chaotic, fragile, absurd, and temporary. 

That’s exactly why I have to take life less seriously and live it more fully.

And that’s why moments, people, conversations, and simple joys matter so much to me now.

What are the Paoay Sand Dunes known for?

Paoay Sand Dunes are best known for their thrilling 4×4 rides, sandboarding, and desert-like landscape, a rare sight in the Philippines. Stretching along the coast of Ilocos Norte, the dunes offer steep drops and wide, open sand hills that make off-road rides feel like a natural roller coaster. Visitors also come for sandboarding, ATV rides, and the sweeping views of the West Philippine Sea.

How much is the sand dunes in Ilocos?

A visit to the Paoay Sand Dunes typically costs ₱2,500 to ₱3,500 per 4×4 vehicle, which is usually good for 4 to 5 people and often already includes sandboarding. If you’re joining solo, some operators offer per-person rates of around ₱500. ATV rides are optional and usually cost extra, ranging from ₱1,000 to ₱2,000 depending on the duration.

How to get to the Paoay Sand Dunes?

The easiest and most convenient way to get to the Paoay Sand Dunes is to join an organized tour. Not only is it comfortable, it’s surprisingly easy on the wallet as well. If you prefer to take this tour, I recommend Vanlakwatsero.