Bacarra is the third oldest town of ilocos Norte, having been founded as a mission by the Agustinians in 1590.

As can be expected, the town of Bacarra sits by the river (in this case with the same name as the municipality it borders) and the area where the main plaza is located is a peninsula of sorts which jots out into the riverbed.

Bacarra is one of those exceptional towns which has kept its layout unaltered and maintained most of its colonial buildings intact. The architectural gems of Bacarra include the church complex (often referred to by locals as the "acrobatic bell tower", which has long since lost its topmost level to an earthquake), the municipio (with its strange façade design, also a victim of earthquakes) and the old school building (a Gabaldon-type schoolhouse and its many houses scattered around an irregular grid plan).