Baluarte Watch Tower — La Union

Baluarte is a 400-year old watchtower along Luna's pebble-covered seashore that faces the West Philippine Sea. The Spanish colonizers built the tower to keep watch of the olden times' impending pirate attacks, other foreign invaders, and any other dangers from the sea. Originally made of adobe and coral blocks, the restored Baluarte of today is a fusion of the old and new—half of the original adobe structure, which is darker, is wedded to a new section made of lighter red bricks. While this odd-yet-charming difference in shade cannot be seen at first glimpse, entering Baluarte makes it evident. Long before it became an Insta-worthy site as it is now, the Baluarte has failed the test of time. Coastal erosion, brought about by human activities like pebble picking, and a storm in 1996 wreaked havoc on the structure, splitting the tower vertically from the middle; the other half was tilting toward the shore as if with just one more hit, it would collapse right away. #lunawatchtower Famous tourist spot in La Union and the most famous among the six watchtowers. Half of the watchtower had collapsed after it was toppled by big waves and strong winds brought about by typhoon Lando in 2015. It was restored by the LGU in 2017. The Luna Watchtower is on the Luna Pebble Beach and is a good place to catch the sunset. #jmeshadiary #jmeshatravels #travelgoals #wheninlaunion