Basco Lighthouse

The lighthouse on the Naidi Hills is not old - it was built in 2003, one of three put up in Batanes to serve navigation and, frankly, to give visitors somewhere to stand - but the setting does the work. It occupies a grass headland immediately above Basco with the sea on two sides, the cone of Mount Iraya behind, and the rolling green that makes Batanes look more like the North Atlantic than the tropics. A gallery near the top is open for the view, and a stone building at the base has been used as a café. The hills around it carry the remains of American-era telegraph installations destroyed in the Second World War, and the sunset from the point is the reason most people walk up in the late afternoon. It is fifteen minutes on foot from the town centre, which makes it the easiest sight on the island and usually the first one people see.

What you actually see

• The stone tower - the 2003 lighthouse on the headland.
• The Iraya backdrop - the volcano behind Basco.
• The Naidi grassland - green hills running to the cliffs.
• The wartime ruins - remains of the old telegraph station.

When to go

March to June for the calmest, clearest weather. Late afternoon for sunset, which is when the headland fills with the day's visitors.

Honest expectations

The lighthouse is modern, not historic. Access to the gallery is not guaranteed. The headland is fully exposed - Batanes wind is constant and can be strong enough to make the walk unpleasant.

Nearby

Basco town, Vayang Rolling Hills and Mount Iraya are all close; Mahatao and the Tayid lighthouse are down the east coast.