Port Barton on Palawan - how to get there, what to see, where to stay

General information about Port Barton - recreation, infrastructure, beaches

Port Barton is a small resort village on the western shore of Palawan, 145 kilometers from Puerto Princesses and 170 from El Nido (Port Barton on the map). In general, the Port of Barton is one of the districts, or as it is commonly called in the Philippines Barangay, a larger settlement or Cities of San Vicente. However, unlike San Vicente, where tourism is just beginning to develop, the Port of Barton is already quite an independent tourist destination, one of the most popular on Palawan.

Of course, the Port of Barton is far from being as popular and developed as El Nido or Puerto Princesa, but so far it can be safely put on the third tourist spot in the whole of Palawan. There are many cafes and atmospheric romantic restaurants on the beach overlooking the sea, transport to Puerto Princesa smells good, there is a motorcycle rental (from 500 pesos/ day), excursions to the islands and waterfalls are offered. On the beach you can rent a kayak for a walk along the shore or to visit the nearest islets.

However, do not expect too much from it, because it is a tiny resort village consisting of only a few streets. There is no noisy tourist hangout, clubs, late-night bars, the atmosphere here is typical for the village. However, unlike San Vicente, there is at least some tourist infrastructure here and even excursions are offered. Well, at least you won't be the only tourists here in the whole village like in San Vicente, and there will be someone to meet, chat or drink beer in the evening.

In the old guidebooks you can find information that in Port Barton electricity is supplied by the hour, there is no ATM and only cash is accepted. But now the situation has changed. There is always electricity here, although there are outages. There are at least two ATMs in the village and even a currency exchange office, although the dollar exchange rate during our trip was two pesos lower than in other places on Palawan. It is still impossible to pay with a card in shops and cafes, but this situation is by and large all over Palawan and in many places in the Philippines. Therefore, the advice to bring a sufficient amount of local cash to rest in Port Barton is still relevant. And one more piece of advice – take a flashlight, preferably a headlamp, because the streets here are not illuminated.

The main thing that people go to Port Barton for is a beach holiday and a quiet, peaceful environment. The beaches here are magnificent: pristine, long and deserted. Moreover, there are a lot of them here, and you can spend your entire vacation here, visiting a new one every day. Let's talk about the most famous and visited, although in fact there are many more of them:

• Port Barton Beach or Itaytay beach (Itaytay beach)

  This is the main beach, located right in the village (Itaytey on the map). Even despite the central location, it is sparsely populated, beautiful and clean. There is no infrastructure in the form of changing cabins or chaise lounges. Along the coast, beyond the line of slender palm trees, there are several cafes that are already sold for takeaway during the day, and in the evening they work as restaurants with tables right on the sand. From entertainment here you can rent a kayak (500 pesos / day) to swim to the nearest islands or to neighboring beaches.

  

• Coconut Beach (Coconut Beach)

  Kokosovy is located a little more than two kilometers from the center of the resort, and it is quite possible to walk to it, especially since the road here is unpaved and very bad (Coconut on the map). This is a conditionally private beach, and they ask you to pay 50 pesos for admission to it. Confirming the name of the beach, the shore here is really dotted with a large number of coconut palms, under which you can find coconuts. But at low tide, the water goes very far from the shore, exposing rocks and algae, it is impossible to swim at this time.

  

• White Beach (White Beach)

  White Beach is about an hour's walk from the center of Port Parton, or you can get to it by motorbike on a very bad road, or by tricycle for 500 pesos in both directions (White Beach on the map). They are also brought here by boat during group tours.

  For some reason, White Beach is one of the most famous and popular beaches visited from the Port of Barton. Although, in our opinion, there is nothing special about it, and today it is not much different from the rest in these places. Previously, there was a cool cafe with hammocks, they could even rent a bungalow for an overnight stay, but during the pandemic everything was closed.

  

• Pamuayan Beach (Pamuayan Beach)

  This large beach is located in the village of the same name, four kilometers from the village (Pamuayan beach on the map). To get to it on a motorbike, you need to get to the village to the wooden bridge over the stream, and use it to go to the sea. They also take you to Pamuayan by boat with tours of islands and beaches. A one-way tricycle trip here will cost 200 pesos.

  There is a cafe on Pamuayan, and bungalows are lined up along the coast where you can stay. At low tide, it becomes unsuitable for swimming, but you can see a lot of large starfish in the water.

  

Hotels in Port Barton and where to stay

There are many accommodation options in Port Barton, mostly simple and budget hotels and guest houses. The prices for accommodation here are low, and as it seemed to us, here you can generally find the best options in terms of price / quality ratio if you are looking for inexpensive options.

In which place the Port of Barton to choose accommodation does not matter in principle, since the resort is tiny, and wherever you stay, both the beach and the entire infrastructure will be accessible on foot. But there are several hotels in the vicinity of the village where you can stay on the first line with your beach.

You can pick up and book accommodation in Port Barton on these sites:

• 🛌 Search for hotels in Port Barton on Trip.com
• 🛌 Search for hotels in Port Barton/Palawan on Ostrovok.ru
• 🛌 Search for hotels in Port Barton on Yandex.travel

Weather in Port Barton and tourist seasons

You can go to Port Barton at any time of the year, it is always warm and sunny here. However, there are still two seasons: the rainy season (low) and the dry season (high).

• The dry season runs from January to May and is the best time to visit. At this time, the probability of typhoons and rains is low, the sky is usually clear and not very hot. A trip in January-March is especially recommended.
• The rainy season lasts most of the year - from June to December. At this time, you can also come to rest, but there may be frequent clouds and rains, as well as a higher probability of typhoons. Despite this, the rainy season in Palawan is not as strong as in other Southeast Asian countries. The rains are short-lived, often in the evenings, and usually within an hour after them there is no trace. Even if the sky is overcast, it does not interfere with sunbathing.

Several times a year there are typhoons or tropical storms 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. More information about the seasons in the Philippines and recommended times to visit can be found here...

Seasons in Port Barton by month, when is the best time to go

Current weather in Port Barton and forecast

How to get to Port Barton

To get to Port Barton, you first need to get to the Palawan Islands. See more information, how and how to get to Palawan here.

• To Port Barton by plane

  

  Just 20 kilometers from the Port of Barton is the San Vicente Airport flights were operated only twice a week from Manila by the airline Sunlight Air, tickets can only be purchased on the a/k website. Previously, Air Juan and SkyJet a/c flights from Manila were also operated, but they are suspended or operated as charter flights, i.e. tickets cannot be bought for them. Therefore, it is much cheaper and more convenient to get to the Port of Barton through the airport of Puerto Princesa, or at least through the airport in El Nido, but flights to the latter are significantly more expensive.

  ЦЕНА	МАРШРУТ	ПЕРЕСАДКИ
  Купить от 58955 ₽	Москва ⇄ Пуэрто-Принцеса	2
  Купить от 89447 ₽	Санкт-Петербург ⇄ Пуэрто-Принцеса	3
  Купить от 91868 ₽	Иркутск ⇄ Пуэрто-Принцеса	3
  Купить от 83681 ₽	Красноярск ⇄ Пуэрто-Принцеса	3
  Купить от 84048 ₽	Минеральные Воды ⇄ Пуэрто-Принцеса	3
  Купить от 107767 ₽	Екатеринбург ⇄ Пуэрто-Принцеса	3
  Купить от 77569 ₽	Владивосток ⇄ Пуэрто-Принцеса	3

  ЦЕНА	МАРШРУТ	ПЕРЕСАДКИ
  Купить от 4466 ₽	Себу ⇄ Пуэрто-Принцеса	Прямой
  Купить от 5191 ₽	Манила ⇄ Пуэрто-Принцеса	Прямой
  Купить от 18821 ₽	Баколод ⇄ Пуэрто-Принцеса	1

• To Port Barton by bus, taxi, minivans

  

  The easiest way to get from Puerto Princesa Airport to Port Barton without spending the night in the city is by taxi. The trip will cost from 600 pesos per person or from 3000 pesos (48.83 USD) for the whole car or minivan, but you still need to bargain before this price.

  From the old bus terminal in San Jose, in the suburbs of Puerto Princesa, there are regular minivans of Racaro Transport and Lexus Shuttle companies (old terminal on the map). You can get to this terminal from the airport or hotels in Puerto Princesa from 100 pesos by tricycle, taxi for about 200, or from 30 pesos by jeepney with a transfer to Robinson Palawan. The fare costs from 350 pesos (5.7 USD), 3.5 hours on the way. Minivans depart several times a day, at the time of our visit, the departure from the PP was in 06:00, 09:00, 11:00, 13:00, 15:00 and 17:00, from Port Barton to 06:00, 08:00, 10:00, 13:00, 15:00 and 17:00. But the schedule often changes, and it can change even without prior notice, so it's better to check the information in the official groups of these companies immediately before the trip.:

  • Lexuss Shuttle Page
  • Recaro Transport Page

  There is also a carrier SBE Transport (San Isidro Express), whose buses and minivans depart from the new terminal in Iravan.

  You can also buy tickets in this direction online at 12go.asia (UP card payment works). However, if there are no flights scheduled on these sites, this does not mean that there are none. Perhaps the tickets are simply sold out or the company has not added its flights to the sale, so double-check the information also in groups and already on the spot upon arrival.

  Important! Check the departure location information before traveling! The fact is that all regular buses have moved from the old bus terminal in San Jose to the new Irawan Bus Terminal, it is located on the outskirts of Puerto Princesa (Iravan terminal on the map). Perhaps the offices of these companies will also move there in the future. You can check the information on the links above, but they are opened from Russia only via VPN. And if you buy a ticket online for 12go.asia, then get a voucher with the exact place of departure.

  Another option to get from Puerto Princesa is to take advantage of the offers of local travel agencies that offer a transfer from hotel to hotel for 700 pesos. You can buy such a transfer in hotels and travel agencies on the street. We also came across information that the local bus RoRobus, costing 300 pesos, runs from the new bus station, it takes 4 hours on the way, and departs only 1 time a day at 09:00, but we personally did not check.

  There are no direct buses from other cities of Palawan to the Port of Barton. There are only minivans from El Nido, but they go unstable and not always, but only if there is demand. I.e. it may well turn out that when you come here in the low season, these minivans will not go. See their schedule at 12go.asia.

  If you can't find direct minivans from El Nido, then in theory you can transfer buses via Puerto Princesa, but then you will make a huge detour that will add an additional 8 hours to your trip. Therefore, it is best to take the bus to Puerto Princesa in El Nido, but not to the end, but to the turnoff at Port Bartone in the suburb of San Jose in Roxas (do not confuse, this is another San Jose, and not that next to Puerto Princesa), and there transfer to a passing bus or passing transport already directly to the resort.

• By rented transport

  

  To travel around Palawan, you can rent a motorcycle from 350 pesos/day or a car from 1500 pesos/ day, these are the minimum prices for long-term rentals, we told you more about this here. You can rent a transport in Puerto Princesa (including near the airport), in El Nido, and in Port Bartone itself. And now you can book a motorcycle and get it on arrival without difficult searches on the spot through the service 🏍 BikesBooking.com:

  A good concrete road leads to the Port of Barton, almost completely renovated a few years ago, so you can get there without difficulty.

  There is also a road along the coast from San Vicente to Port Barton, but so far it has not yet been marked on maps and navigators. So, if you build a route between these two resorts, the navigator will offer you to take a detour through Rojas for almost 80 kilometers. But in fact, you need to take the road along the coast. The road here is still partially unpaved and runs like a serpentine through the mountains, but it is easy to use any transport. The only difficult moment that will have to be overcome along this road is the passage of a small shallow river wading in the vicinity of the Port of Barton. In addition, this road is currently being repaired and covered with concrete, and a bridge will be built in the future.

Attractions in Port Barton and what to see

Of the attractions in Port Barton, there are only two waterfalls that you can visit on your own, and an island tour with beach holidays and snorkeling is offered for entertainment. There is also a combined island tour with disembarkation to visit the Bigaho Waterfall. These tours are sold on the street, in hotels and online at Trip.com, cost 1500 pesos/person for a group tour or 6 thousand for an individual up to 4 people. If you want to visit other places of Palawan from Port Barton, for example the underground river in Sabang, Fort Santa Isabel in Taytay or go on island tours to El Nido or Honda Bay, then you need to arrange an individual tour, which is very expensive, or go on your own by rented transport or buses.

There is nothing to do in the evening in Port Barton, there are no clubs and party bars here. But along the beach there are cafes with a romantic setting and sea views.

If you are here on vacation by rented transport or hire a local tricycle, you can go to remote wild beaches, or roll down the coastal road towards San Vicente to visit the Pamuayan Waterfalls and Bigaho:

• Pamuayan Waterfalls

  

  The Pamuayan Waterfall or Pamuayan Waterfalls is located on the road between the Port of Barton and San Vicente, just four kilometers from the Port of Barton, and therefore it can even be visited on foot. The waterfall is not very large and not very full-flowing, but at its foot there is a large swimming pool for bathing in refreshing water, and therefore it is popular with holidaymakers in the Port of Barton. Near the waterfall there are remnants of infrastructure: a toilet, a changing cabin and a gazebo with a table. But, unfortunately, all this is abandoned, destroyed by bad weather and requires restoration. Learn more about Pamuayan Waterfall here...

  🕐Working hours: during daytime.

  Entrance fee / ticket price: donations are paid at the entrance, 50 pesos is enough (0.81 USD).

  🚶 How to get there: Pamuayan Waterfalls is located on the road between the Port of Barton, 4 kilometers from the Port of Barton and 25 kilometers from San Vicente (waterfall on the map). At the entrance to the waterfall there is a booth where you need to register in the magazine and leave donations in the box. After this booth, you can drive a little further to the parking lot, and then walk 5-10 minutes directly to the waterfall along a clearly visible path without ascents and descents.

• Bigaho falls

  

  Bigaho falls is a small beautiful waterfall, which is convenient and pleasant to visit both from the Port of Barton and from San Vicente. It is smaller than its "neighbor" Pamuayan, but since it is located further from the resort, fewer tourists get here, and accordingly Bigaho is not crowded, and most likely you will even find yourself here all alone. We advise you to combine his visit with a rest on the wonderful deserted beach Mahilamonen Beach, which is just a couple of minutes away from here. Learn more about Bigaho Waterfall here...

  🕐Working hours: during daytime.

  Entrance fee / ticket price: 50 pesos(0.81 USD).

  🚶 How to get there: Bigajo Waterfall is located on the coastal road between Port Barton and San Vicente approximately in the middle, so it is convenient to visit it from any of these resorts (waterfall on the map). Navigators and Google maps cannot build a route to Bigaho, because they "believe" that there is no road here. But in fact, there is a partially unpaved and partially asphalt road leading to the waterfall, which is being repaired and will become completely asphalt in the future. You can drive along it even now without any problems on any transport.