Making Baler travel plans? Not gonna lie, I’m excited for you!
Baler is dubbed the ‘birthplace of surfing in the Philippines.’ While La Union has become just as popular, the town in Aurora continues to attract many visitors — and for good reason.
My husband and I love beaches and just nature in general, and Baler has an abundance of nature’s gifts. It’s one of the most beautiful (if not the top) places we’ve been to together. The entire town is scenic. Everywhere we looked left us in awe. The place is quite clean too (save for this one resort near the Diguisit Rock Formation that doesn’t manage its waste properly; it burns its waste near the beach!).
We had a great wedding anniversary trip and are already looking forward to the next time we visit (hopefully soon)!
If you’ve been meaning to fulfill your Baler travel plans for this year, here’s everything you need to know before heading to the surf town.
Is it okay to travel to Baler now?
Yes, it is! The entire province of Aurora has now been placed under Alert Level 1 so everywhere’s open for tourists, so long as they have the requirements ready.
Baler travel requirements for tourists 2022
Here’s what the town’s tourism office says are needed in order to enter Baler.
For tourists from areas under Alert Levels 1 and 2
- Approved SPass (more on this later)
- Card or certificate indicating fully vaccinated status
- Valid ID
- Booking confirmation from a Department of Tourism (DOT)-accredited accommodation
For tourists from areas under Alert Level 3
- Approved SPass
- Negative antigen result
- Card or certificate indicating fully vaccinated status
- Valid ID
- Booking confirmation from a DOT-accredited accommodation
For kids under 12 years old
- Approved SPass
- Medical certificate
- Valid ID/Birth Certificate
- Booking confirmation
How to get an SPass
You can get an S-Pass through the S-Pass website. They’ll ask you to upload digital copies of some requirements. As of writing, though, the page for Baler is blank. You may also try reaching out to the municipal tourism office through these channels:
- Email: tourism_baler@yahoo.com or tourismbaleraurora@gmail.com
- Phone: (042) 7249638 or 0907 085 7947
Our experience
We went there in early April. We had our Baler travel requirements ready — the ones for those coming from areas under Alert Levels 1 and 2, except the S-Pass. We also heard that the town requires an environmental fee of P100 when you enter the town, so we had that ready too. To our surprise, though, there were no checkpoints (which was unlike our experiences in La Union and Lobo). They also don’t do contact tracing in establishments anymore.
We still, however, observed safety protocols. We kept our masks on most of the time (even though many locals don’t mask up anymore). We also made sure we kept a good distance from other people. We were in the pink of health when we arrived there.
In hindsight, we could’ve reached out to the municipal tourism office. So if you’re still in the midst of finalizing your Baler travel plans, we suggest that you do so.
