El Nido on Palawan - how to get there, what to see, where to stay

Промо

Holidays in El Nido

Sunset in El Nido

El Nido is the main resort town on the island of Palawan, a place of attraction and a must-visit for tourists and guests of the island. It is located in the North of Palawan, 260 kilometers from the provincial capital of Puerto Princesa (El Nido on the map).

Most often people go to El Nido in order to take boat trips from here-excursions to the islands in one of the most picturesque in the world bays of Bacuit (Bacuit Bay) and El Nido Bay (El Nido Bay). After all, it is this tourist activity that is most famous and so glorifies the island of Palawan among others. There are four options for such tours, and they are known by the simple names tour A, B, C and D.

El Nido Island Tour

El Nido Island Tour

However, in addition to island tours in El Nido, you can also go on a full-fledged beach and active vacation for a long time. Today, the infrastructure is well developed here, and every year the resort is getting noisier and more developed, which, however, upsets those travelers who visited this place when it was a little-known and quiet village. Transportation is well developed here, and you can get there by plane directly from Manila and some other islands of the Philippines, by land from anywhere in Palawan, and by water from Coron Island. The latter, by the way, makes El Nido also an excellent point as part of complex ferry routes with a trip through the islands of Palawan, Coron and Mindoro, and this route can even include Boracay (from Mindoro Island).

In general, we can say that it is simply impossible to visit Palawan without stopping in El Nido, and this is definitely a must-visit place on the island and one of the top in the entire Philippines.

Beach holidays in El Nido

Mariposa Beach

As we indicated above, El Nido is best known for boat tours of islands with gorgeous beaches and lagoons, and actually for the sake of these tours, most travelers come here. But besides that, there is quite a good beach holiday here. 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.

• The most unsuccessful beaches of El Nido, unsuitable for swimming: The city beach of El Nido (El Nido Beach) and Korong (Corong Beach).
• Beaches suitable for swimming and more or less developed areas: Las Cabanas (Las Cabanas Beach), Lio (Lio Beach) and Nakpan (Nacpan Beach).
• Remote deserted beaches, ideal for going there during the day: Duli (Duli Beach), Mariposa (Mariposa Beach), Dagmay (Dagmay Beach) and Diapela (Diapela Beach).
• Beaches accessible only by water by boat or kayak: Honda (Honda Beach), Lapus Lapus (Lapus Lapus Beach), Seven Commandos (Seven Commandos Beach), Ipil Beach (Ipil Beach).

We tell you more about the beaches of El Nido here...

El Nido Beach

Las Cabanas Beach

Lio Beach

Lio Beach

Infrastructure in El Nido

In El Nido, the infrastructure is very well developed by local standards, because there are only two developed cities throughout Palawan – this is the capital Puerto Princesa and El Nido proper. Of course, this small town cannot be equated with a megalopolis, but you will find everything you may need while traveling and for recreation.

In El Nido there is a large hypermarket Prince Hypermart El Nido (formerly Save More). It has a large selection of food and drinks, fruits, we even met Russian vodka on the shelves. You can pay with a bank card or cash. In general, this is a cool grocery store, and if you need to buy something cheaper and in one place, then immediately go here. But the fruits here are very expensive and the choice is small. Another place to shop is the main El Nido Public Market, located opposite the RoRo bus station (bus station on the map). Of course, it's a little dirty, it can shock unprepared travelers, but fruit is almost twice cheaper there than in a supermarket. We didn't meet 7-eleven here, but instead there are many nameless small shops.

The main market in El Nido

There are several points of sale of SIM cards on the streets in the center (look near the hypermarket), there are places to replenish and cash out Gcash and Maya wallets. At every step, travel agencies sell excursions, airport transfers, ferry/boat tickets to Corona, personal tours, driver guides, etc. Motorbikes for rent also at every step from 400 pesos (/6.93 rub). In general, you will find everything you need here.

There are currency exchange offices in El Nido, but in our experience the exchange rate is not very profitable, at Manila airport it is even slightly higher. Moreover, the difference between different exchangers, even on the same street, is large, you need to walk and compare the exchange rate. In general, our advice is that it is better to immediately exchange the principal amount upon arrival at Manila airport, so as not to waste time here looking for a good exchange rate, and then "domenize" as needed. If you still need to change a large amount of cash, then there are two well-known places with the best rate in El Nido:

• BPI Bank, you need a passport for the exchange.
• The exchange office is located in a cafe next to the boat dock on the city beach of El Nido Beach, and you can find it by the sign on the cafe.

There are ATMs in El Nido, and quite a lot. There are few places where you can pay with cards, mostly cash.

Central city street

By evening, trading begins everywhere

"Dvizhukha" in the center

Korong Beach is much quieter

It is cheapest to eat in El Nido from street stalls (you can eat rice with kebabs from 100 pesos / 1.73 rub), in a cafe for locals (from 150 pesos without drinks / 2.6 rub). One simple dish like rice with chicken in cafes for tourists and hotels will cost at least 300 pesos without drinks (5.2 rub), and you will have to spend at least 800 pesos on seafood (13.87 RUB) and up to several thousand. There is also a McDonald's in El Nido, located three kilometers from the center at the entrance to Los Cabanos beach right along the main road.

Such a dinner from the stalls for two cost us 150 pesos

And this is already from 500 pesos from each

The original local cafe with fast food Food Truck

McDonald's in El Nido

The mobile Internet of local operators in these parts is terribly slow. There are places even in the very center of El Nido where mobile communication does not work at all. Basically the same problem with WiFi in hotels. So if the Internet is critical for your work, it's better to do all the work in advance, and then just have a connection for safety. Well, or choose accommodation based on reviews and pay attention to the availability and performance of WiFi.

And also, keep in mind that there are problems with electricity, more precisely with its stability. In general, the power system of Palawan is weak, there is not enough electricity, so do not be surprised by outages, especially in bad weather.

Hotels in El Nido and where to stay

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 in high season from January to May.

As for the question of which area is better to settle in El Nido, the answer to it depends a lot on how long and why 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 of 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.

Cheap room in El Nido

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

• 🛌 Search for hotels in El Nido on Trip.com (👍 Mir maps work)
• 🛌 Search for hotels in El Nido on Ostrovok.ru
• 🛌 Search for hotels in El Nido on Yandex.travel
• 🛌 Search for hotels in El Nido on Booking.com

Best hotels of

InexpensivePopularBest

Hotel Palawan Holiday Home near SM Tourist rating 9.9/10, exceptionalPrice from 60 USDBook hotel

Hotel The Cabins at LVF Tourist rating 9.7/10, exceptionalPrice from 50 USDBook hotel

Hotel Casa Belina⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Tourist rating 9.6/10, exceptionalPrice from 26 USDBook hotel

Hotel Villa Kalachuchi V.K⭐⭐⭐ Tourist rating 9.4/10, exceptionalPrice from 49 USDBook hotel

Hotel Hibiscus Garden Inn⭐⭐⭐ Tourist rating 9.4/10, exceptionalPrice from 66 USDBook hotel

Hotel Las Residencias Bed And Breakfast⭐⭐ Tourist rating 9.3/10, exceptionalPrice from 23 USDBook hotel

Hotel Cleon Villas Pension⭐ Tourist rating 9.3/10, exceptionalPrice from 21 USDBook hotel

Hotel Balai Princesa⭐⭐⭐ Tourist rating 9.2/10, exceptionalPrice from 60 USDBook hotel

Hotel NoBi\'s Place⭐ Tourist rating 9.2/10, exceptionalPrice from 16 USDBook hotel

Hotel Lola Itang Pension House⭐⭐ Tourist rating 9.2/10, exceptionalPrice from 18 USDBook hotel

Hotel GUNI GUNI HOSTEL Tourist rating 9.1/10, exceptionalPrice from 20 USDBook hotel

Hotel Charlie\'s El Nido Tourist rating 9.1/10, exceptionalPrice from 65 USDBook hotel

More...

Реклама. Go Travel Un Limited. ИНН 58937560

Weather in El Nido and tourist seasons

Usually people go to El Nido only for a few days in order to have time to visit one or more tours to the islands during this time. But the problem is that the most popular tour C is often canceled due to the weather or its route changes, of course, not for the better. Moreover, this happens even on sunny days, it all depends on the wind and waves. Well, if the weather becomes cloudy and rainy, other tours may be canceled. In addition, visiting these beautiful places in cloudy weather will generally bring little joy, and good photos will not work. Therefore, we advise you to lay an extra day or two for a trip to El Nido in any season, and have a backup plan just in case. For example, if you are lucky with the weather and manage to go on island tours right away, then you can spend the remaining days on the beaches or go to the sights in the vicinity, for example, spend a day on a trip to Taitai.

And, of course, you need to know that during the year in El Nido there is a dry season and a rainy season:

• Dry season or high tourist season from January to May is the best time to visit, and sometimes it starts as early as December. Typhoons and rains are rare at this time, and the sky is usually clear and not too hot. Well, in general, March and April are considered the best months.
• The rainy season or typhoon season lasts from June to December. It cannot be said that visiting El Nido is contraindicated at this time, but the probability of cloudy weather, rains and typhoons is much higher, and it all depends on luck. If you are lucky, there may be good weather and not a single rain for several days, and if you are unlucky, you may not get to the sun and blue sky for a whole week.

Typhoons or tropical storms occur several times a year in the Philippines, which most often appear during the rainy season and affect the north of the island. They can affect the plans of travelers, but in general they do not interfere much with the rest on Palawan. Before the trip, you should follow the forecasts in order to make a decision immediately before departure. Learn more about the seasons in the Philippines and the recommended times to visit can be found here...

Seasons in El Nido by month, when is the best time to go

Current weather in El Nido and forecast

How to get to El Nido

Bus to El Nido

El Nido, like the whole island of Palawan, is inconveniently away from other popular tourist routes on the islands of the Philippines. There are very few direct flights here, and when planning a route, it is not possible to include a visit to El Nido in the route for reasonable money so as not to return to the departure point or not to make a transfer. We have developed several interesting route options so that you can visit El Nido and Palawan together with other tourist places in the Philippines, you can get acquainted with them in this article - How and how to get to Palawan.

So, you can get to El Nido on Palawan through the local airport near the resort. It has direct flights from Manila, Cebu and Caticlana (Boracay). Flights from Cebu and Caticlan are operated only 1-2 times a day, from Manila at least 6 times a day. Unfortunately, only one airline, AirSwift, operates here, and the prices for flights are very high, many times higher than the airport of Puerto Princesa.

Here is a selection of the lowest prices for flights from Aviasales or buy tickets for Trip.com:

Therefore, if you need to save money, it will be cheaper to buy tickets to Puerto Princesa, and from there take a taxi or buses.

From other cities and resorts on Palawan, you can get here by regular buses or tourist minivans, however, there are very few direct flights, and you may have to transfer via Puerto Princesa. And finally, you can take a ferry here from Coron Island, which is also a popular tourist destination.

We tell you in detail about all the ways to get to El Nido here...

Transportation and how to get around El Nido

The center of El Nido is small and you definitely won't need transport here, it's better to walk. In addition, the streets here are narrow, there is not enough space for traffic and parking. Therefore, the local authorities decided to ban cars from entering the center, they were replaced by tricycles and motorcycle taxis.

In addition to the center in El Nido, there are other places where you can stay for a rest. For example, the beaches of Corong, Las Cabanas, Lio Beach and this is also part of the resort, but they are already far from the center. And if you can still walk to Coronga, then you will have to go to other beaches or from them to the center. To do this, you can use tricycles or rented vehicles.

Tricycle on Palawan

Tricycles work here at a contract price, the fee for the trip starts from 50 pesos (0.87 rub). If you do not want to overpay, then you will have to bargain every time. You can calculate a more or less adequate price for bargaining according to this scheme, taking into account the distance: multiply kilometers by 40 pesos, and do not agree to more than this price, but it is better to bargain even lower. Fixed prices are set for trips to Lio Beach and the airport for tricycles – 300 pesos (5.2 rub). Although in practice, nothing prevents drivers from calling inflated prices even with fixed prices, and nothing prevents you from haggling.

If you want to move freely and independently, then you can rent a motorcycle in El Nido. For a simple Honda Beat-type automatic scooter, they ask for 400-500 pesos per day (6.93 RUB), but in our experience it is quite realistic to bargain up to 350 pesos (6.07 RUB) when renting for a few days. There are a lot of rental places: there are large specialized rentals and even there are ads for delivery in shops and shops. As a pledge, they are asked to leave a passport, including the Russian national one, i.e. it is not necessary to leave a foreign one if you do not want to risk the main document.

Motorbike for rent in El Nido

In order to rent a motorcycle in the Philippines, you will not need a license. But to drive on the roads on a motorcycle in the Philippines, according to the rules, you must have a category "A" license, no "M" and "B" are suitable. International rights in the form of a book are not needed here, Russian rights in the form of a plastic card are completely legal here. In reality, many tourists rent a motorcycle and ride without a license at all, since the police here can really be found very rarely, and they treat tourists quite leniently.

But, nevertheless, you should be aware of the possible consequences if you decide to take such a risk. If you are stopped by the police and you find yourself without a license, they can issue a fine and immediately take away the motorcycle on the spot. If you get into an accident, then regardless of the circumstances you will be found guilty, besides in this case your insurance will not work. In general, better read our separate article about renting motorbikes in the Philippines .

Attractions in El Nido and what to see

The main attraction for which people go to El Nido is, of course, the famous boat tours of the islands, lagoons and beaches for which this resort is so famous. In addition, there are several waterfalls in the resort and nearby, wild hot springs, a zipline, a walk along the extreme Canopy walkway suspension bridge, and of course, wonderful beaches, but we have already described them above.

Sometimes people ask questions about whether it is possible to visit the underground Sabang River from El Nido or to go on island tours in Honda Bay. Unfortunately, it will not be possible to go to these places within one day from here. To do this, it is best to go on your own or with a tour for a couple of days to Puerto Princesa, and from there visit these and other attractions.

And here are the top attractions in El Nido with a detailed description, opening hours and how to get to them yourself.

• El Nido Island Tours

  El Nido Island Tours

  The main tourist calling card and the most popular attraction of El Nido, and possibly the whole of Palawan, is a boat tour of the islands in the bays of Bacuit (Bacuit Bay) and El Nido (El Nido Bay). This is a journey to the beauties of nature, consisting of limestone islands and magnificent beaches, turquoise lagoons and caves. For millions of years, water and wind have formed incredibly beautiful and bizarre shapes of rocks and water grottoes here, which you can see during these excursions. They also include disembarking to relax on the beaches, swimming in lagoons, snorkeling, a great lunch and, of course, hundreds of beautiful landscapes to photograph. There are four options for tours in El Nido, they are simply named with the letters A, B, C and D. There are also individual tours and overnight stays on private islands. Learn more about island tours in El Nido, which one to choose and where to buy here ...

  🕐 Working hours: all tours depart in the morning from 8 to 9 o'clock, last all day.

  💵Entrance fee / ticket price: the pricing here is a bit confusing, and in addition to the cost of tours there are also different surcharges. The cost of tours in all agencies and hotels is the same, as of 2025 the prices are as follows:

  • Tour A – 1200 pesos / 20.8 rubles
  • Tour B – 1300 pesos / 22.53 rubles
  • Tour C – 1400 pesos / 24.27 rubles
  • Tour D – 1200 pesos / 20.8 rubles

  But you can bargain from this price, especially if there are several people or you take several tours at once. According to the reviews of tourists, you can get a discount of up to 200 pesos for each of the tours. Well, we went the simpler way and just bought excursions on Klook, which is cheaper than on the spot. You will also have to pay an additional environmental fee of 200 pesos, in tour A 200 pesos is paid for entering a private lagoon, and in tours A and C kayaking is provided on request from 250 pesos.

  🚶 How to get there: island tours from El Nido are sold at almost every turn in travel agencies and hotels. There is no need to buy or book a tour in advance, you can do it the day before the planned departure. In extreme cases, you can try to come to the beach next to the pier, where all these excursions depart from (place of departure for tours on the map), and buy on the spot on the spot. The latter option is not guaranteed, but according to the reviews of tourists, you can do this, and also get a discount of up to 200 pesos.

• Cuyaoyao Falls / Cuyaoyao Waterfalls or Kuyawyaw

  Cuyaoyao Waterfalls

  Cuyao is located 40 kilometers from El Nido and is considered one of the largest near the resort. It consists of three waterfalls, each of which consists of several levels, which are reached by a well-equipped trail through a beautiful forest in the Cuyaoyao Natural Park. You can swim in the pools at the foot of the largest waterfall. Unfortunately, the fee for his visit is completely unreasonable, besides you still have to pay for a guide. Learn more about Kuyaoyao Waterfall here...

  🕐Working hours: during daytime.

  Entrance fee / ticket price: entrance 475 pesos (8.23 rub.) + 400 pesos for accompanying the guide (6.93 rub.), children under 7 years old for free.

  🚶 How to get there: Cuyao Falls is located 40 kilometers from El Nido on the road from the town of Taytay, this is the main road that leads to the resort from Puerto Princesa (waterfall on the map). To get here, you can rent a motorcycle in El Nido from 400 pesos / day, or hire a tricycle with a driver for a round trip with the expectation that it will cost about 1000 pesos.

• Makinit Hot Springs / Makinit Hot Springs

  Makinit Hot Spring

  These are wild and unsettled hot springs, which are a stream of hydrogen sulfide hot water coming straight out of the ground into a field in the distant vicinity of El Nido on Palawan. The spring is completely unsuitable for bathing, but if you really want to, you can do it. However, keep in mind that the water in it is very hot, almost boiling water, and it is better to swim as far as possible from the source. To do this, go along the stream from the source downstream almost to the hut of local farmers, and there you can immerse yourself in the water completely. Learn more about the Makinit hot spring here...

  🕐 Working hours: around the clock.

  💵Entrance fee / ticket price: free.

  🚶 How to get there: the Makinit hot spring is located 18 kilometers from El Nido, accessible only by rented transport (source Makinit on the map). Good asphalt leads almost to the source. When you get to the springs on asphalt, there will be two options for how to get directly to them through the field. Read more at the link with a full description of the attraction.

• Ille cave and Dewil Valley / Ille cave and Dewil Valley

  Ille Caves in Devil Valley

  This is so far a little-visited and little-known natural attraction in the vicinity of El Nido, and a clearly underrated place that is lost in the shadow of popular island tours from El Nido, but definitely worth a visit. A network of caves filled with stalactites, stalagmites, bats and bizarre drawings left by nature is located in the bowels of a low mountain that rises like a tower in the middle of the green Devil Valley. A lot of artifacts and evidence have been found here confirming that Palawan Island was inhabited 12 thousand years ago. Learn more about the Ille caves here...

  🕐Working hours: during daytime.

  Entrance fee / ticket price: visiting caves with a guide costs 350 pesos per group (6.07 RUB), and this price is the same for one person or a group of several people. Accompanying a guide, helmets with a headlamp and a visit to the museum are included in this price. Hiking to the top of the mountain is charged an additional 200 pesos per person (3.47 rubles).

  🚶 How to get there: The caves are located in the north of Palawan, 22 kilometers from El Nido (caves on the map). Public transport does not go here and group tours are not carried. Therefore, you will have to get there by rented transport (motorbikes in El Nido from 400 pesos), or hire a tricycle / taxi for the trip, which will cost from 1000 pesos. There is normal asphalt leading to the caves, but part of the road on the way from El Nido is unpaved, but well passable on any car or motorcycle.

• Fort Santa Isabel (Santa Isabel Fort)

  Fort Santa Isabel

  Fort Santa Isabel (Santa Isabel Fort) in the town of Taitai is the main and most famous historical landmark on Palawan. To be honest, Palawan doesn't have a lot of historical places in general, so if you can't imagine your vacation without visiting such places, then we definitely recommend visiting Santa Isabel. The fort was built in the XVIII century by the Spaniards on a small island, protruding 100 meters into the sea and accessible from the shore only during low tide. In the XIX century, the Spaniards were replaced by Americans who occupied the Philippine lands. Well, today the fort is a historical site and an open-air museum that anyone can visit. Read more about Fort Santa Isabel here...

  🕐Working hours: from 08:00 to 16:30, seven days a week.

  Entrance fee / ticket price: entrance fee 80 pesos(1.39 rubles, see the currency of the Philippines and its exchange rate).

  🚶 How to get there: Fort Santa Isabel is located in the town of Taytay in the north of Palawan, it is 60 kilometers from El Nido (waterfall on the map). You can go here during the day on a rented motorbike, taxi and even with an excursion in a minivan.