Aparri

Aparri is a town in northern Cagayan. It lies at the mouth of the Cagayan River which drains into the Babuyan Channel. This article covers only the mainland portion; Fuga Island, while administratively part of the town, is considered its own destination.

Aparri had been an important trading post for its location north of Luzon. It was also the first area in Cagayan Valley that was conquered by the Spanish in 1581 following a battle with Japanese pirates. While its port remained operational as a critical link to Calayan despite being largely destroyed by frequent typhoons, the town is still a major commercial center for northern Cagayan as it houses large tobacco plantations that account for much of its local income.

It is home to about 68,000 people (census, 1 July 2024) . The original inhabitants of Aparri are the Ibanag, an ethnic group which have inhabited the area long before the Spaniards arrived. Ilocanos and Filipino Chinese also have settled here since colonial times.

Aparri is bisected by the Cagayan River into western and eastern halves. Town proper is at the eastern side, while the western barangays are more rural in character.

Aparri has a monsoon-influenced climate, with a short dry season between February and April, and rain for the rest of the year.

The town is at the typhoon belt, and is also an important location for typhoon tracking by the national weather agency, PAGASA, which has a meteorological station at the port.

• Dalin Bus Line. Three daily trips leave from Baguio via Tuguegarao. Terminal near CityMall. (updated Oct 2019)
• Victory Liner. One daily trip departs from Sampaloc, Manila at 3:30PM. Terminal near Shell. (updated Oct 2019)

The Cagayan Valley Road (Route 101) terminates here. It spurs off AH26 at Magapit, at the municipality of Lal-lo

The nearest airport is in Lal-lo (LLC ^IATA) or Tuguegarao (TUG ^IATA).

Passenger vans operate from Tuguegarao. Western Aparri is served by vans going to Ballesteros and other towns of northwestern Cagayan.

Tricycles are the main form of public transportation around town.

• 18.297481121.657331 Camalaniugan Bridge. Opened in 2025, the bridge connects western and eastern Aparri, avoiding a previously lengthy detour over the Magapit Bridge in Lal-lo and shorter but risky boat journeys over the Cagayan River.  (updated Jan 2026)

• 18.35956121.630051 Aparri Marker, Loriga Gallarza Street, Punta (at the port). Open 24 hours. A Hollywood-like signage facing the mouth of the mighty Cagayan River. Free.  (updated Sep 2026)
• 18.357848121.6383922 Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary (Aparri Church), Magsaysay Street, San Antonio, parokiasantelmo@gmail.com. Aparri's main Roman Catholic church, rebuilt following American bombing in World War II  (updated Jul 2026)
• 18.346884121.6435193 Cagayan Ecclesiastical Museum, Cagayan Valley Road, Macanaya. A museum featuring colonial-era Roman Catholic artefacts inside the Lyceum of Aparri campus.  (updated Sep 2026)

The town has some stretches of beach, largely unvisited by non-residents and grayish-colored, but the waves are good for surfing.

• 18.361679121.6303711 Punta Beach, Punta (beside the port). The main beach in downtown Aparri.  (updated Sep 2026)
• 18.338247121.7012882 Ammaleran Beach, Dodan. A longer stretch of beach heading east towards the town of Buguey.  (updated Sep 2026)

• 18.35256121.640861 CityMall Aparri, Cagayan Valley Road, Macanaya. 9AM–9PM.  (updated Sep 2026)
• 18.35385121.64252 Novo Mall-Aparri, De Rivera Street, Centro 14 (across from the public market). Has a Savemore and a Novo department store.  (updated Sep 2026)
• 18.35472121.641543 Aparri Public Market, Rizal Street, Centro 15. 7AM–7PM.  (updated Sep 2026)

• 18.343776121.6449171 Chelsea's Diner, Maharlika Highway, ☏ +63 956 867 6574, chelseasdiner@gmail.com. 10AM-9:30PM Mon-Thu, 10:30AM-11PM Fri-Sat, 10AM-9PM Sun.  (updated Aug 2026)

• Hotel Aparri, National Highway, Minanga.  (updated Oct 2019)
• Ryan Hotel, Rizal Avenue.  (updated Oct 2019)
• Versoza Hotel, Magsaysay Boulevard.  (updated Oct 2019)
• 18.344234121.6445591 RedDoorz @ Hotel Dian, Cagayan Valley Road, Macanaya, ☏ +63 917 107 1255, toll-free: +63 78 377 2974, hoteldian@yahoo.com.  (updated Sep 2026)
• 18.35259121.642492 Meaco Royal Hotel Aparri, Cagayan Valley Road, Centro 14 (beside Novo Mall), meacohotels2020@gmail.com.  (updated Sep 2026)

There is a Philippine Coast Guard station in Aparri.

The town's postal code is 3515.

• Calayan — An island that is home to some endemic species such as the Calayan rail

END ←	N  S	→ Camalaniugan → Tuguegarao via Lal-lo
Laoag ← Ballesteros ←	W  S	→ Allacapan → Tuguegarao via Lal-lo