Palawan Philippines

Palawan: Two Very Different Islands

Palawan is a province of the Philippines covering a long main island and several hundred smaller ones. Visitors have to choose between the two main destinations, and they are significantly different: El Nido in the north is the limestone karst lagoon experience; Coron in the northeast is the World War Two wreck diving experience. Both have excellent island hopping, but the character of each is distinct. Treating them as interchangeable is a mistake.

The dry season is November through May. The southwest monsoon (habagat) runs June through October with heavy rain and conditions that make sea travel genuinely uncomfortable. Plan around this.

Getting There

The main entry point is Puerto Princesa, the provincial capital, with frequent Manila connections (1 hour, PHP 1,500-3,500 each way). El Nido and Coron both have small direct airports from Manila (1-1.5 hours, more expensive than Puerto Princesa). The Puerto Princesa to El Nido van takes 6 hours on mountain roads; Puerto Princesa to Coron is not practical by land (different island). Many visitors do a one-way trip: fly into El Nido, take the fast boat to Coron (4-5 hours, around PHP 2,500, weather-dependent), and fly back to Manila from Coron’s Busuanga Airport.

El Nido

El Nido town is a beach strip on the northeast coast of the main Palawan island, with the Bacuit Archipelago immediately offshore: 45 limestone karst islands formed into dramatic vertical columns and overhangs, with hidden lagoons enclosed within them.

Island hopping tours are the standard activity, running four official circuits (A, B, C, D). Tour A is the most popular: Big Lagoon, Small Lagoon, Secret Lagoon, Shimizu Island. The Big and Small Lagoons are accessed by kayak or swimming through a narrow gap in the cliff face; inside, the water is calm, shallow, and turquoise. Tour C covers Secret Beach (accessed by swimming under a cliff) and Cathedral Cave. Prices: PHP 1,200-1,500 per person including lunch and snorkelling gear.

Book through local operators in El Nido town the day before rather than pre-booking from Manila; prices are lower and the official tour centre ensures licensed guides. Early morning departures avoid mid-day congestion in the main lagoons.

Nacpan Beach, 17 kilometres north of El Nido town, is a 4-kilometre beach with gentler waves and fewer visitors than the island-hopping sites. Rent a motorcycle in town (PHP 300-400 for a day) to get there.

Coron

Coron is on Busuanga island. The town is a working fishing settlement serving the dive industry, less polished than El Nido.

The Japanese wrecks: In September 1944, US Navy aircraft sank 24 Japanese supply ships sheltering in Coron Bay. The wrecks lie at 10-40 metres depth and have been colonised by coral and fish. This is one of the best wreck diving sites in Asia. The Okikawa Maru (168 metres, accessible to recreational divers at 20 metres) and the Akitsushima (a seaplane tender with its original crane intact) are the signature dives. PADI certification is required. Dive shops in Coron offer guided dives from around PHP 1,500-2,500.

Kayangan Lake, accessible on island hopping tours, sits in a caldera surrounded by limestone cliffs with 20-metre visibility in its clear fresh water. The surrounding Coron islands have excellent snorkelling at Siete Pecados marine sanctuary.

Eating

In El Nido, Altrove on the beachfront strip is consistently recommended for Italian food with fresh local seafood, PHP 300-500 per dish. In Coron, Sea Horse Restaurant near the public market does grilled seafood at non-resort prices, PHP 200-350.

Tamilok (woodworm) served in several Coron restaurants is a local delicacy: the texture is closer to oyster than worm, the flavour is mild, and it is worth trying once.

Practical Notes

Reef-safe sunscreen or rash guards are the correct approach in these waters; standard sunscreen chemicals damage the coral that makes these places worth visiting.

Cash is necessary for tours, local restaurants, and transport. ATMs exist in both El Nido and Coron but can be unreliable during busy periods; carry sufficient cash from Puerto Princesa or Manila.

Entry fees for national park sites (Bacuit Bay islands) are around PHP 200-400 per person, collected at the town pier before departure.