Classic Ivatan Houses You Must Visit in Batanes, Philippines

The Ivatan houses are not the typical houses you can find in the Philippines. The Ivatan people, an ethnolinguistic group of the Batanes province in the northernmost part of the country, built the now-famous stone houses for a very good reason: to protect them against the harsh environmental conditions.

House of Dakay | Image credit: wanderlasss

Batanes is surrounded by major bodies of water including the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean, hence it doesn’t have a very stable climate. The Ivatan houses are made of metre-thick limestone and coral walls as well as cogon grass roofs, and they are sturdy enough to withstand strong winds.

House of Dakay | Image credit: wanderlasss

The oldest surviving Ivatan house you need to visit is the “House of Dakay” (pictured above) which was built in 1887. It is now maintained by Lola Ida, one of the oldest women living on the island. This well-preserved cultural attraction is another great addition to the many reasons why you need to visit the Philippines.

Head down to Batanes to see these iconic houses before they’re gone.