Santa Maria is the church that makes you earn the view. It stands on a hill above the town of the same name in Ilocos Sur, and reaching it means climbing an imposing stone staircase of about eighty steps, flanked by walls, which opens onto a broad, open terrace. The church was built in the eighteenth century by Augustinian friars, and it looks more like a fortress than a house of prayer, with a long, plain, buttressed brick facade and a separate bell tower standing on the hill's edge. Walls surround the whole complex, because during the colonial period a church could also be a refuge and a stronghold. It is one of the four Philippine churches in the UNESCO group of Baroque Churches.
The hilltop location gives it a feeling of watchfulness. From the terrace you can see the river valley and the line of the Cordillera in the east, and the town spread beneath. In the cool of the early morning, with doves on the walls and light across the bricks, the place is quiet. The interior is simple and dim, with a carved wooden altar and old, worn floors. A small convent next door holds a museum.
The ride here makes a fine day. Highway roads in Ilocos Sur, particularly the coastal national road between Vigan and Candon, are straight and flat for long stretches, with rice fields, tobacco and fishing villages to the sides. Farm vehicles, tricycles and buses share the road, so expect abrupt turns. Hot weather is the norm, and from July to October the rains and typhoons can be heavy. From December to February, the air is gentler.
Vigan, the old Spanish town to the north, is the main stop. It preserves a grid of cobbled streets and old houses with heavy shutters and tiled roofs, built by Chinese and Filipino merchants, and horse-drawn carriages called kalesa take visitors along Calle Crisologo. The town is famous for its longganisa, a garlicky local sausage, and its empanada. Fuel is easy to find in Vigan and along the highway, and Santa Maria has a few shops and eating places.
Cover your shoulders and knees inside the church, and come outside Sunday service hours.