Beaches and areas in El Nido where it is better to stay

We visited all, or almost all, the beaches of El Nido and the surrounding area, took a lot of photos, and we tell you in detail and honestly about them in our beach review. You will find out which beaches are in El Nido, where they are and how to get to them, where you can swim in El Nido, and which beaches are not suitable for this, and many more useful and reliable information. Well, if you still have any questions or just want to talk about holidays in the Philippines, join 💬 to our useful chat about the Philippines here.

This article has been translated from Russian language using an artificial intelligence-based translation algorithm. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the quality of the translation. You can read the original of this article in Russian here, and ask questions on the topic of our travel forum in English here.

Although El Nido is best known for boat tours of the islands with gorgeous beaches and lagoons, and actually for the sake of these tours most travelers come here, in fact there is quite a good beach holiday. However, in the center of El Nido there are no beaches suitable for swimming and relaxing on the shore. But there are several magnificent and very beautiful beaches near the city, where you can get out during the day from the center by taxi or rented motorbike. And tourist areas have formed on some of these beaches, so if you wish, you can stay in a hotel right there.

In general, in order for your holiday in El Nido to be a success and meet your expectations, you simply need to choose the right place to stay. Read our review of the beaches and areas of El Nido, and everything will be clear:

График приливов и отливов в Эль-Нидо на о. Палаван

График приливов и отливов в Эль-Нидо на о. Палаван подробно ⧉

The city beach of El Nido (El Nido Beach)

El Nido Beach

El Nido Beach is located in the very center of the resort, stretches along the central part of the city for almost a kilometer (El Nido beach on the map). Although it is a beach, it is not really a beach. There is practically no swimming here, you can only sit on the beach to sunbathe, or go in to wet your feet a little. There are boats on the shore, the coastal strip is also dotted with boats, there is a large marina on the left side of the beach, from where hundreds of boats go on island tours. But in the evening there are many cafes and restaurants, including seafood, and in general the whole evening party in El Nido takes place right here.

El Nido Beach
El Nido Beach
Central street of El Nido
Everything that happens in the evening in Elnido happens in the center

There is also a conditional party on the beach

Corong Beach

Corong Beach in El Nido

Look no further than the beach – another urban conditional beach. It is not in the center of El Nido, and a kilometer along the main road (The Palawan beach on the map). Here, too, there are hotels and infrastructure, but much weaker than in the center, and there is no such party and fun in the evenings. And by the way, the most inexpensive options for guest houses in El Nido can be found here. If you stop here, you can even walk along the road to the center.

But swimming at Korong Beach will not work at all. Firstly, the whole coast is crowded with boats, and secondly, it is very shallow here, at low tide the water goes hundreds of meters. But in the evening, cafes also work along the coast and it's nice to walk along the beach along the water's edge, but only at high tide. And then there are "witty" sunsets.

There are quite a lot of boats here

It's very shallow at low tide

But the sunsets here are amazing

Las Cabanas Beach

Las Cabanas in El Nido

This beach Las Cabanas Beach is also also called Marimegmeg Beach (Marimegmeg Beach) and Vanilla Beach (Vanilla Beach). In fact, all three beaches are located on the same coast in the same bay, four and a little kilometers from the center of El Nido (Las Cabanas on the map). In our opinion, this beach and the area is the coolest place if you are going to El Nido to relax on the beaches and at the same time "hang out" in the center and swim on island tours. It has its own tourist area with infrastructure and even the only McDonald's in El Nido is located here, but if you want to be in the center of events and fun, it's easy to get from here to the center by tricycle or rented motorbike. Well, the most important thing is that you don't need to go anywhere or go to relax on the beach.

Las Cabanas beach is not very large, its length is about 500 meters. Everywhere on the shore there is clean fine sand, the beach is cleaned, there is a rental of kayaks and sap surfers, cafes work. The cool thing here is that there are several hotels along the coast on the first line. It's also cool that you can walk along the shallows at low water to the neighboring island. Perhaps there is only one minus – at low tide the water goes out, it is impossible to swim.

Las Cabanas Beach

Sapserfs on Las Cabanas

The Las Cabanas area itself is very decent and clean

Lio Beach

Lio Beach in El Nido

This is another beach and the area of El Nido, great for a beach holiday. True, it is already far from the center, 7 kilometers here (Lio beach on the map). You can come here for a rest from the center during the day, or you can stay right here for the whole rest. Entrance to the beach and travel to the area is free, parking is also free. Almost the entire area along the beach is occupied by hotel areas, you can get to the shore only from the free parking of motorbikes, signs lead to it.

This area is considered more fashionable and expensive than Las Cabanas, and of course much more suitable for a beach holiday than the center of El Nido. But you need to understand that this is an area with its own characteristics, something like a "tourist reservation". I.e. the whole area shares several hotels with the territory, and apart from them there is almost nothing here. If you stay here in a hotel and want to take a walk or have a cheap meal, you will have to go to the center by taxi or tricycle, because there is almost nothing outside the hotels. By the way, El Nido Airport is located in this area.

Well, now let's talk about the beach itself. It's cool, sandy and very long. Only its main part is two kilometers, and you can go even further beyond the cape, and there will be another beach. There is a lot of greenery on the shore, there is shade, beautiful palm trees. Sun beds and umbrellas are available only at hotels, there is a cafe at the exit to the beach from the parking lot. There is nothing else on Leo Beach.

But there is one huge disadvantage that we have encountered here – these are sand flies, or in our opinion - midges. These are very biting bloodsuckers, they leave rashes and blisters, everything itches. Repellents have almost no effect on them. Of all the beaches of El Nido, which we toured, we met these creatures only here. Perhaps the reason is that the territory here was not processed in time and because there are a lot of streams and standing water in the forest along the beach, so it is not necessary that you will also encounter them in such large numbers as we do, but keep in mind...

Lio Beach

Recreation area near cafe uprakovka

The area itself is very decent and clean

Nakpan Beach (Nacpan Beach)

Nakpan Beach in El Nido

Nakpan Beach is another beautiful sparsely populated beach and a small quiet area where you can not only come for a day, but also stay for a few days in one of the hotels and guest houses on the first line. Located 20 kilometers from the center of El Nido (It is located on the map). You can get here by tricycle or rented transport. Blogs say that this is a paid beach. Indeed, 50 pesos is charged for parking at the main exit to the beach. But to be honest, we parked in the village a little further from the shore and went to the beach for free. In general, there are several exits / exits to the beach, and you can drive in other places besides the main exit, where homemade signs lead. True, there are many places where the road has been blocked with fences, you still have to look for a place to drive.

Nakpan district or village is a very peaceful place. If we compare it with the center of El Nido, then this is a village by village, there is nothing to do except relax on the beach at all. During the day, all vacationers in Nakpan lie down on the beaches, and in the evening everyone flocks to the cafe to drink beer and cocktails. There are several cafes on the beach and in the village, there is a motorcycle rental.

The beach itself is gorgeous here. Its width is even 50 meters at high tide, and even wider at low tide, while you can swim at low tide. And all this on three kilometers of sandy beach. We didn't find any entertainment here. Deck chairs are rented for a crazy 500 pesos (approximately 9.03 rub.)!!!, but some cafes give them for free if they have something to order.

Nakpan Beach in El Nido

Duli Beach

Dooley Beach

Duli or Dali Beach is one of the farthest beaches in the El Nido area, located far away almost on the server of the island of Palawan (Duli beach on the map). You can get here only by arednovannoe transport or taxi / tricycle. Go from the center of El Nido 25 kilometers, the last 4 of them on a dirt road, and at the very end in front of the beach will have to overcome a steep climb. In principle, in good weather, you can safely ride a motorcycle or any car. At the entrance to the beach there is free Parking next to the cafe.

Dooley Beach itself is gorgeous. There are very few people here, the water is clean, the sand is shallow. Nearby, in a palm grove, you can pick up fresh coconuts for free. If you don't know how to open them yourself, ask the local guys at the cafe, they will help.

The length of the Dooley is more than one and a half kilometers, so you can safely find a secluded place. True, there is very little shade here, there is almost no hiding in the heat of the day. Just next to the main entrance to the beach near the cafe there are a few trees and umbrellas made of palm leaves. From the infrastructure there is a small cafe with drinks and local fast food, surfboards and training are offered for rent there.

Shadows on the Dooley a little

But more than enough space

And there are free coconuts

Mariposa Beach

Mariposa Beach is a completely wild and very remote beach, almost 30 kilometers from El Nido to here (Mariposa on the map), of which the last 6 kilometers are very dusty and impassable for ordinary cars primer. Even on a motorbike it's not so easy to get here, if you have little experience, we wouldn't advise you to go.

Mariposa Beach is so wild that there is not even a road to the shore, and rare passages through bushes and forest are closed with a wire fence. But if you really want to, you can get on it. The transport will have to be left on the road and squeeze through the holes in the fence, and then to the shore along the path in just a couple of minutes. As a result, you will get to 1 kilometer of the most beautiful sandy beach, where there will be no one else but you. And by the way, there are also a lot of free coconuts here.

Dagmay Beach

Dagmai Beach

Next after Dooley beach and Mariposa there is another very beautiful and clean Dagmai beach. It is 30 kilometers from the center of El Nido, and more than 7 kilometers along a dusty primer (Dagmai on the map). Moreover, the last kilometer will be a real test for both the driver and the equipment. We wouldn't have gone here by car for sure, and it was very difficult to go by motorbike because of the very steep ascents and descents. In several places, I even had to disembark a passenger. The problem is also that dust and small stones on the road create a slippery surface like ice, so it's very easy to lose control on the descent. Be very careful, and do not drive here at night!!!

So, Dagmai beach is located in a small sparsely populated village. Despite this, it is almost wild, tourists get here very rarely (and not surprisingly with such a road). When we were here, we saw traces of an "abandoned civilization": the closed guest house Verde Safari, a cafe on the beach, even a couple of abandoned deck chairs and umbrellas. Apparently, someone wanted to develop Dagnamai Beach, but it didn't work out and everything was abandoned. But after that there were free sun loungers and shade. Surprisingly, in the village near the beach, you can even rent accommodation in the houses of local residents, although you can't book it in advance, just come and rent on the spot.

Dagmai beach itself is magnificent, wide, almost a kilometer long. There are several boats in the water near the shore, but there are almost none here compared to the next even more distant Diapela Beach. In general, he is awesome cool, come here and enjoy. And, of course, there are also a lot of free coconuts here.

Holiday houses are abandoned near the beach

There were deck chairs and even a volleyball net

And again, free coconuts

Diapela Beach

Diapela Beach is generally the farthest and northernmost beach of Palawan, where you can get to (Diapela on the map). There are a couple more beaches beyond it, where trails already lead, but we didn't get there. The Diapel from El Nido is 35 kilometers away, and almost 15 kilometers along the most terrible dirt road, along which you need to go to Damai Beach, but even further here. In general, if you get to Damai, you can come here, just go on and there will be a few more descents and ascents. Given such a bad road, from El Nido it will take one and a half to two hours in one direction.

Diapela Beach is located in a bay next to a fairly large and populated fishing village. There are almost no tourists here, so you will find yourself alone on the beach, well, except that sometimes local fishermen or children appear. But still, to be honest, the beauty and purity of Diapela seemed to us less attractive than Dagamai, and the whole problem is just in the boats. There are a lot of fishing boats here, and next to them the accompanying garbage. To find a more or less clean place, you need to go to the left edge of the beach away from the village. Here you can also swim with a mask near the stones, because the water, despite the garbage on the shore, is very transparent.

Where to book hotels in El Nido

Hotel in El Nido, Palawan Island, Philippines

Hotel on the first line in El Nido

El Nido is the most expensive resort in Palawan. If you need to find a profitable and inexpensive accommodation, it is better to book it in advance for a week or two, especially if you are coming here during the high season from January to May.

As for the question of in which area or on which beach it is better to settle in El Nido, the correct answer to it depends on how long and for what you are coming here:

If your goal is just to come here for a couple of days to go boating on the islands, then it is best to choose accommodation in the very center of the resort closer to the marina and the city beach of El Nido (El Nido Beach). Then you can walk to the place of departure of excursion boats, and in the evening you can walk around this party area and have fun.
If you are going here for a long time, including for the sake of relaxing on the beaches, then it makes sense to consider options on one of the remote beaches. For example, a great option on Las Cabanas Beach, Lio Beach, Nacpan Beach and others, see the beach overview above. If you stay in the center, you will have to travel to distant beaches every day, because there is simply no normal beach holiday in the center.

You can pick up and book a hotel in El Nido on these sites: