San Juan Surf Town

San Juan in La Union - Elyu, in the shorthand everyone uses - sits on the northwest coast about four hours from Manila, and it became the country's most accessible surf town for exactly that reason: it is the only decent break within a day's drive of the capital. Urbiztondo beach is the centre, a grey-sand strip with a reef and beach break offshore, lined with hostels, surf schools, cafés and bars that have multiplied since the mid-2010s. The amihan season from October to March brings the swell that experienced surfers come for; the rest of the year the waves are smaller and it is a learners' beach, with instructors renting boards by the hour on the sand. Alongside the surfing the town has developed a weekend scene of its own - coffee, craft beer, art spaces - and a certain amount of grumbling from those who remember it before. Inland are the Tangadan Falls and the Ma-Cho Temple.

What you actually see

• Urbiztondo beach - the grey-sand strip and its break.
• The surf schools - instructors and board rentals on the sand.
• The town strip - hostels, cafés and bars along the road.
• The amihan swell - the season that draws experienced surfers.

When to go

October to March for real waves; April to September for gentle learning conditions. Weekends bring Manila in numbers - weekdays are calmer and cheaper.

Honest expectations

It is crowded at weekends and in swell season, both in the water and on the beach. The sand is grey, not white. Accommodation books out and prices rise on holiday weekends.

Nearby

Tangadan Falls is inland at San Gabriel; the Ma-Cho Temple and San Fernando are fifteen minutes south.