El Nido

A karst archipelago in Bacuit Bay: kayaking in the Big and Small Lagoons, four island-hopping tours and Nacpan Beach make it one of the Philippines' most beautiful island destinations.

El Nido sits at the northern tip of Palawan in the Philippines, facing Bacuit Bay. More than forty dark limestone islands rise straight out of the bay, with dense concentrations of lagoons, secret beaches and coral reefs, making it one of the Philippines' most iconic island destinations; the entire bay is a protected marine reserve.

Season: November to May is the dry season, with March–May offering the calmest seas and clearest water; June–October is the southwest monsoon season with heavy rain, and open-sea island-hopping tours (especially Tour C) are often cancelled because of wind and waves.

Activities: the core activity is island hopping. The official routes are divided into four tours: A (Big and Small Lagoons, Secret Lagoon, Shimizu Island, Seven Commando Beach), B (Snake Island, Cathedral Cave, Entalula Island), C (Secret Beach, Matinloc Shrine, Helicopter Island, Star Beach) and D (Cadlao Lagoon, Paradise Beach). Each takes about one day and costs roughly ₱1,200–1,600 per person, plus an Eco-Tourism Development Fee (ETDF, about ₱400, valid for 10 days); the Big and Small Lagoons have visitor limits and must be reserved in advance. On land, you can climb Taraw Cliff for sunrise, watch the sunset at Las Cabañas Beach, and rent a motorbike to head north to Nacpan's twin beaches, Duli Beach and jungle waterfalls.

Getting there: Lio Airport has small-plane flights from Manila and Cebu; more people take a van or bus from Puerto Princesa, about 5–6 hours. The town is walkable, and for farther trips you rely on tricycles and motorbikes. Allow 4–5 days: 2–3 days of island hopping plus 1–2 days on land. ATMs in town often run out of cash and power cuts happen occasionally, so bring plenty of pesos; please use reef-safe sunscreen and take your trash with you.

Top sights

• El Nido Big & Small Lagoon – Two emerald lagoons enclosed by limestone cliffs on Miniloc Island. Paddle through a narrow gap into waters as still as a mirror. This is t…
• Nacpan Beach – A 4 km golden beach 45 minutes' drive north of El Nido town. Together with neighboring Calitang Beach it forms the 'Twin Beaches' scene. It…
• Secret Lagoon (Miniloc) – A small lagoon hidden behind the cliffs on Miniloc Island, reached by squeezing through a small opening in a rock cave. A must-see on Islan…
• Hidden Beach (Matinloc) – The signature stop on Island Hopping Tour C. A closed-off white sand beach that you reach by swimming or climbing through gaps in the limes…
• Las Cabanas Beach (Marimegmeg) – El Nido's most famous sunset beach, lined with beach bars. You can also ride a zip line from the beach across the water to a small island.
• Seven Commandos Beach – A white-sand beach across from El Nido town, reachable only by boat, with palm trees, a beach bar and near-shore snorkeling. It takes its n…
• Taraw Cliff – A jagged limestone peak about 230 meters high behind El Nido town, climbed by a cable via ferrata route or a canopy walk. From the top you…
• Shimizu Island – The lunch stop on Island Hopping Tour A, with small white-sand bays beneath limestone cliffs and coral reefs, where snorkeling reveals scho…
• Matinloc Shrine – A deserted Catholic shrine to Our Lady on Matinloc Island. Climbing the rocky top behind it offers views over the open sea beyond Bacuit Ba…
• Helicopter Island (Dilumacad) – A limestone island shaped like a helicopter, with a long white-sand beach and shallow water for snorkeling. A common stop on Island Hopping…
• Star Beach (Tapiutan Island) – A small white-sand cove on Tapiutan Island with abundant coral near shore, a snorkeling and lunch stop on Island Hopping Tour C.
• Snake Island (Vigan Island) – At low tide a winding white-sand bar emerges that looks like a snake. The view from the hilltop lookout is the most spectacular, and it is…
• Cathedral Cave (Pinagbuyutan) – A giant sea cave in the limestone cliffs of Pinagbuyutan Island, with a towering vaulted ceiling like a church dome. A highlight of Island…
• Entalula Island – A limestone island southwest of Bacuit Bay, with a stretch of white sand and clear shallow water beneath steep cliffs, ideal for lunch and…
• Cadlao Island & Cadlao Lagoon – The largest island off the town, Cadlao Island embraces a bright green shallow lagoon and is the main highlight of Island Hopping Tour D.
• Paradise Beach (Cadlao) – A white-sand beach on the southeast side of Cadlao Island, framed by coconut palms and gentle shallows, a standard stop on Island Hopping T…
• Corong Corong Beach – A bayside accommodation area just south of town, facing the islands for sunsets. It is quieter than the town center, and many island boats…
• Nagkalit-kalit Falls – A waterfall in the jungle northeast of town, reachable by a roughly 40-minute hike with river crossings. The pool beneath the falls is good…
• Duli Beach – A remote, long curved beach north of Nacpan, one of El Nido's few surf spots, with few people and wild scenery.
• Lio Beach – A long white-sand beach in a planned development beside the airport, with restaurants, shops and craft markets, suited to a relaxed half da…
• Ille Cave – A limestone cave archaeological site in New Ibajay town, where human remains and burial sites more than 10,000 years old have been unearthe…

Where to eat

• Altrove Trattoria – An established Italian restaurant in El Nido town, long praised for its wood-fired brick-oven thin-crust pizzas and han…
• Piece of Sky Rooftop – Rooftop restaurant bar on the sixth floor of H Hotel overlooking El Nido bay, ranking near the top of El Nido restauran…
• Big Bad Thai – Popular Thai restaurant on the main street, with second- and third-floor terraces overlooking the street and bay. The T…
• Angel Wish Seafood – Affordable beachfront seafood eatery in town. Pick your fresh fish from the ice display out front and have it cooked to…
• El Nido Boutique Art Café – One of the town's oldest restaurants, combining a café, tour booking desk and craft shop, serving meals all day.

Itineraries

• Palawan North-South Traverse – Head north from Puerto Princesa through the Underground River, Port Barton, and El Nido to Coron, covering the entire P…
• El Nido & Coron Island Hopping – Focus on the two major islands of northern Palawan, featuring El Nido's lagoons and Coron's lakes and shipwrecks.
• Philippines Island Highlights Loop – Starting from Manila, this two-week first-timer's route connects Coron, El Nido, Bohol, and South Cebu.