El Nido, Palawan

Why El Nido, Palawan works

El Nido sits at the northern tip of Palawan, an island widely regarded as the Philippines' most beautiful, and the Bacuit Archipelago just offshore delivers on that reputation with a scattering of limestone karst islands rising from clear turquoise water in a landscape often compared to Ha Long Bay or Krabi. Island-hopping tours, run aboard traditional outrigger bangka boats and typically organised into four standardised routes (A, B, C, and D), remain the primary way to see the archipelago's highlights, including the Big and Small Lagoons — enclosed lagoons reached by swimming or kayaking through narrow gaps in the surrounding cliffs into startlingly still, clear water. Secret Beach, accessible only by swimming through a small crevice in a rock wall, opens into a hidden cove entirely enclosed by cliffs, one of the archipelago's most memorable reveals. Shimizu Island and the Seven Commandos Beach offer more straightforward stops for swimming and lunch on soft white sand backed by dense jungle. El Nido town itself remains relatively low-key despite the area's popularity, a compact grid of guesthouses, dive shops, and beachfront restaurants along Corong-Corong and the main town beach. Further exploration south leads toward the more remote Linapacan Islands, an increasingly popular multi-day extension for travellers seeking an even quieter version of Palawan's limestone-and-lagoon scenery.

Trip Snapshot

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