Puerto Princesa
Palawan's capital and gateway, home to the Puerto Princesa Underground River, one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature, plus Honda Bay island hopping and mangrove fireflies.
Puerto Princesa lies on the east coast of central Palawan Island in the Philippines. It is the capital of Palawan Province and the island's air gateway. Covering about 2,400 sq km, it is one of the largest cities in the Philippines by area and is known for being clean and eco-conscious. In the north, at Sabang, the Puerto Princesa Underground River is a World Heritage Site and one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. North of the city, Honda Bay has many small white-sand islands, and on the outskirts you'll find the firefly mangroves, a crocodile conservation center and the open-air Iwahig prison farm.
Areas to explore: ① Half-day city tour: the Cathedral, the Plaza Cuartel WWII site, Palawan Museum, Baker's Hill, Mitra's Ranch, the Crocodile Farm and Butterfly Garden; ② Honda Bay island-hopping day trip; ③ The north route to Sabang: the underground river, mangrove paddling, ziplining and Ugong Rock on the way. We recommend staying a night in Sabang; ④ Nagtabon Beach on the west coast and Estrella Falls to the south.
The best season is the dry season from November to May, with March–May the hottest and sunniest. From June to October the southwest monsoon brings rain, and underground river and island-hopping boats may be suspended due to rough seas. Getting there: flights from Manila or Cebu take about 1–1.5 hours. In town, tricycles are the main transport; for distant sites, a tour or chartered vehicle is recommended. El Nido is about 5–6 hours by road to the north (see the El Nido destination). The underground river has a daily visitor cap, so permits must be arranged through a travel agency 1–3 days ahead. Recommended stay: 3–4 days.
Top sights
- Puerto Princesa Underground River – An 8.2 km underground river that flows straight into the sea. Take a boat into a 1.5 km limestone cave to see stalactites and bats. Named a…
- Honda Bay Island Hopping – A shallow bay just north of Puerto Princesa, where a one-day island-hopping tour links Luli Island, Starfish Island, and coral reef snorkel…
- Iwahig Firefly Watching – Glide through the mangrove channels of the Iwahig River at night in a small rowboat, where thousands of fireflies blink in unison across th…
- Luli Island – A famous islet in Honda Bay, named after ‘Lulubog-Lilitaw’ (sinking and resurfacing), as its sandbar disappears at high tide and reappears…
- Cowrie Island – The best-equipped island in Honda Bay, with coconut palms, white sand, a restaurant and a bar, often used as the lunch stop on island-hoppi…
- Starfish Island – A small island whose shallows are scattered with red and orange starfish, where you can snorkel from the shore, a standard stop on Honda Ba…
- Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center – Commonly known as the ‘crocodile farm,’ it breeds saltwater and Philippine crocodiles and also cares for endangered local animals such as P…
- Nagtabon Beach – A crescent-shaped white-sand beach on the west coast, far from the crowds, with clear water and a sunset view over the South China Sea.
- Baker's Hill – A hillside bakery turned theme garden, famous for hopia and cartoon sculptures, and a must-visit stop on any city tour.
- Mitra's Ranch – The hilltop ranch of the family of the late Palawan politician Mitra, with a vast lawn for horse riding and views over Honda Bay and the ci…
- Immaculate Conception Cathedral – A Gothic Revival cathedral in pale blue facing the bay in central Puerto Princesa, and a landmark of the city.
- Plaza Cuartel – The site of a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp in World War II, where 139 American POWs were killed in 1944, now a waterfront memorial park.
- Palawan Museum – Housed in an old town hall beside Mendoza Park, displaying Palawan indigenous culture, Tabon Cave archaeology and colonial history.
- Puerto Princesa City Baywalk – A city waterfront park along the bay, with barbecue stalls and a night market in the evening, a favourite with locals for strolling and wat…
- Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm – A rare open prison in Asia where inmates farm in colourful uniforms, and visitors can tour the site and buy handmade crafts.
- Palawan Butterfly Eco-Garden and Tribal Village – A small butterfly garden on the city outskirts where you can watch Palawan butterflies emerge from their chrysalises and learn about the is…
- Ugong Rock – A 23-metre limestone pillar rising from the rice paddies, where you can climb through caves to the top and then zip-line back down.
- Sabang Beach – A long sandy beach at the gateway to the underground river national park, backed by rainforest, ideal for an overnight stay after the cave…
- Sabang Mangrove Paddle Boat Tour – Community boatmen paddle small boats deep into the Sabang River mangroves, where you may see mangrove snakes, kingfishers and monitor lizar…
- Sabang X-Zipline – An 800-metre zip line that runs from the Sabang hillside straight across the bay, with an optional superman-style prone position for flying…
- Estrella Falls – A multi-tiered forest waterfall in Narra in the south, with deep turquoise pools for swimming and jumping, the centrepiece of a day trip so…
- KaLui Restaurant – Puerto Princesa’s best-known seafood restaurant, decorated with bamboo and indigenous-style art, where you go barefoot and set menus featur…
Where to eat
- KaLui Restaurant – Puerto Princesa's best-known local-style seafood restaurant, where guests take off their shoes at the door and which ha…
- Kinabuch's Grill Bar – Puerto Princesa's liveliest open-air grill bar, and the place to try tamilok, a mangrove shipworm from Palawan.
- Bona's Chaolong – The signature shop for Puerto Princesa's chaolong, a Vietnamese-Filipino fusion beef rice noodle soup that traces its r…
- Badjao Seafront Restaurant – A seafood restaurant built on stilts above the mangroves, with the best sunset view over the bay in the evening.
- Haim Chicken – A family-run grilled chicken restaurant founded in 1999, where its own Haim-sauce chicken is the flavor locals grew up…
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…