Puerto Princesa on Palawan - how to get there, what to see, where to stay

Промо

Holidays in Puerto Princesa and why to go here

Sunset in Puerto Princesa

Puerto Princesa is the largest city and capital of the island of Palawan, and the main gateway for arriving on the island through the Puerto Princesa International Airport. The city is conveniently located almost in the very center of the island, stretching from north to south for almost 600 kilometers, which makes it an excellent starting point for trips to all corners of Palawan (Puerto Princesa on the map).

If you suddenly have a question: "Why go to Puerto Princesa?" – then, to be honest, we don't have an unambiguous answer to it. It is difficult to name a reason to go on vacation here, especially for a long time. At the same time, Puerto Princesa is very conveniently located and the main airport of the island with inexpensive flights is located here, so few travelers and tourists pass it by, and some stay here for a couple of days to adapt, visit some of the interesting places in the vicinity, and then go on to travel around Palawan. Here's what you can do in Puerto Princesa:

• Visit the main museum of the island Palawan Heritage Center, where you can learn a lot about the island and even make a route to little-known tourist places.
• Go to an unusual place, the current Iwahig Prison, where you can chat with local prisoners and buy souvenirs made by them.
• Go on a guided tour of the islands in Honda Bay and the underground river of Puerto Princesa.
• Visit one of the hot springs in the surrounding area.
• Rent a car or motorbike here to continue your journey around Palawan.
• And that's not all, read more about all the sights at the end of the article.

Beach holidays in Puerto Princesa

Puerto Princesa is not a beach place at all. There are no beaches in the city from the word at all. There are shores here, and some of its areas are even called beaches here, but you definitely won't swim there, because it's very shallow here, mangroves grow, and the shore itself is dirty. The nearest beach where you can swim safely and comfortably is 30 kilometers from the city center, this is Nagtabon Beach. You can also go to Sabang (there is an acceptable beach there, but only at high tide) or go with a tour to the beach islands in Honda Bay. There is also Canigaran Beach in the center of Puerto Princesa, then it's not really a beach, but something special, we'll tell you more below. But the main message is that if you need a beach holiday, then don't look for it in Puerto Princesa.

However, here are places in Puerto Princesa and the surrounding area where you can relax on the beach and go swimming:

• Kanigaran Beach / Canigaran Beach

  Kanigaran Beach is located at the end of the main street Rizal Avenue (Kanigaran beach on the map). But there is no beach at this point, but there is a pier from where the houseboats go to the shallows with the beach. The house is rented entirely for a company of up to 9 people, costs 1000 sand for the whole day. Of course, you can rent for a shorter period, the price is agreed. When you are loaded onto the houseboat, I will tow you to the boat, and in the evening or at the right time they will pick you up. Unfortunately, we didn't manage to swim on these houses ourselves, we just didn't have enough time, but judging by the photos that were shown to us here, it's pretty beautiful and you can swim there.

  Marina of houseboats on Kanigaran beach

• Nagtabon Beach / Nagtabon Beach

  Nagtabon Beach is located 30 kilometers from Puerto Princesa on the opposite west coast, i.e. in fact you will cross the island in its narrowest part (Nagtabon beach on the map). Recall that in length from as much as 600 kilometers, and here only 30. You can get here only by taxi or rented transport, jeepneys do not go here.

  Nagtabon is a great place. This is almost a kilometer of sand in a beautiful bay with palm trees near the water. There are few vacationers here, and then mostly locals from the city. The entrance here is conditionally paid – 50 pesos for parking during the day, 100 for night parking. Here you can stay overnight in a cottage for 300, 400 or 500 pesos, there are several types of cottages. There are umbrellas and deck chairs for rent for 100 pesos, gazebos with a table and grill sets for 200 pesos. In general, a cool place to come here to relax for the whole day.

  Nagtabon Beach
  Gazebos on Nagtabon Beach

• Talaudyong Beach / Talaudyong Beach

  If you turn left in front of Nagtabon Beach and drive another 4 kilometers, you will get to another wonderful Talodiong beach ( Talaudyong beach on the map). From the center of Puerto Princesa, as a result, it is 35 kilometers or an hour away.

  Talong Beach is not only a distant semi–wild beach, but a village, and here you can stay for a few days in one of the guest houses or in homesteads (in houses with a local family). Locals charge 100 pesos to enter the beach.

  Talodiong Beach

• Beaches in Honda Bay / Honda Bay

  There are several islands with cool sandy beaches in Honda Bay. Unfortunately, it is impossible to get to these islands on your own, only with an excursion in a group tour or if you hire an individual boat. Moreover, in addition to the boat, you will also have to pay all the fees for access to the Honda Bay National Park, and the entrance fee to the islands. For more information about tours to Honda Bay and how to get there, see the attractions section below.

  On an island in Honda Bay

• Sabang Beach

  In the village of Sabang, famous for its unique natural attraction, the underground Puerto Princesa River, there is a beach that is quite suitable for swimming. But to be honest, it's not worth going here just for the sake of the beach. But if you decide to see the underground river, and we highly recommend doing this, then you can stay in the village for a day or two and relax a little on the beach.

  Sabang Beach

Infrastructure in Puerto Princesa

Obviously, since Puerto Princesa is the largest city in Palawan, the urban infrastructure here is well developed. Here is the largest shopping center of the island Robinsons Palawan, a large supermarket and shopping center SM Supermarket Puerto Princesa. On Malvar Road and next to the embankment there is a large old market (there are fruits, vegetables, and everything else). In general, there are a lot of shops of different sizes and types here, especially along Rizal Avenue and Malvar Road.

In general, Rizal Avenue is the main commercial and tourist artery of the city. It is here, in addition to shops, that you can find banks, exchange offices, many cafes and restaurants, including chain McDonalds, KFC, and the local JolliBee. All this is located in the part of the street that is located west (to the left on the map) from the important intersection of Rizal Avenue and North Road/Fernandes Street. If you move along this street to the west (this is on the right on the map or along the airport), then there is already more tourist: there are motorcycle and auto rentals, travel agencies, cheap hotels and cafes. But, of course, Rizal Avenue is not such a tourist street as, for example, Walking Street in Pattaya or Bangla Road in Phuket, everything is much more modest here and the scale is not the same at all.

Rizal Avenue in Puerto Princesa

Malvar Road

The old market, it's better to come here for fruit

You can pay for purchases in chain stores and tourist restaurants with a bank card, but more and more prefer cash. Unionpay cards of a few Russian banks that have not yet been sanctioned work here, Mir cards do not work at all. There are many ATMs in the city, so you can withdraw cash, including from Unionpay, but do not forget about commissions. Cash dollars, euros, yuan can be easily changed in local exchangers, but to be honest, there are very few of them, and the normal rate is still to look for. So it's better to change money on arrival at Manila airport, there is an excellent course and everything is immediately in place. In general, read more about money and cards in the Philippines here, and you will know everything.

Finding a place to eat in Puerto Princesa was not difficult. As already mentioned, there are chain restaurants on Rizal Avenue, be sure to visit the local JolliBee. It is also full of all kinds of restaurants from local eateries with plastic chairs and prices for a dish from 100 pesos, and to expensive tourist establishments where it is easy to spend from 1000 pesos for one dinner. If you need to eat on a budget, then in the area of the old market (Old Public Market) and at the intersection of Rizal Avenue and North Road / Fernandes Street there is an evening street market of local fast food, where you can eat for 100 pesos rice, kebabs, etc. As for breakfast, many hotels and guest houses offer breakfast for their guests, but the price for them is by no means budget and is usually not included in the price of accommodation.

Food from the stalls in Puerto Princesa

Be sure to try the refreshing street dessert Halo-Halo from 25 pesos

Hotels in Puerto Princesa and where to stay

There are several hundred accommodation options in Puerto Princesa, among them there are hotels with stars, there are many starless guest houses. Unfortunately, there are very few budget options here, literally only a few, and the quality is so-so.

It can be objectively said that PP is not at all the place where there is a great demand for hotels and everything is sold out a few months in advance. You can book free accommodation here online at an affordable price without any problems, even just before the trip, even if already on the spot. But we still advise you to book online, if only because there is no single place of concentration where you can just come and walk down the street to go to every option and ask for the price. Well, or at least look for an accommodation option for yourself on booking sites in order to know where to go right away in order to arrange check-in on the spot.:

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

And now as for choosing a hotel location. If you need a hotel in Puerto Princesa just to spend the night after or before the flight, then choose absolutely any hotel that you like. You can even pick up accommodation within walking distance from the airport exit, then you won't have to spend money on a taxi. Here are the budget hotels closest to the airport with online booking and payment by Russian cards:

• Keen's Place
• Sealor Pension House
• Eden Travellers Lodge
• Istroberi Inn

If you need more options, select others by card in the booking systems.

If you want to stay in Puerto Princesa for a few days, then first of all you need to understand that there are no beaches in the city. If you need a hotel with access to the beach, you will have to choose something on the shore tens of kilometers from the center, or even better to go to the Port of Barton, El Nido or San Vicente, because there is honestly no normal beach holiday in Puerto Princesa.

Therefore, it is best to choose a hotel closer to the center and tourist infrastructure. This is Riza Avenue Street, where travel agencies and rental cars and motorbikes are located, or everything that is younger from it, that is, everything that is below this street on the map.

Hotel on Rizal Avenue in Puerto Princesa

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 Puerto Princesa and tourist seasons

Since Puerto Princesa is not a beach resort, and people usually stop here for only a few days as an intermediate point to travel further around the island of Palawan and the Philippines in general, it would seem that the weather and seasons do not play any role here. Nevertheless, it is necessary to consider the time for a trip to Puerto Princesa in general, taking into account seasonality and weather in the Philippines and Palawan. During the year there is a dry season (high season) and a rainy season (aka typhoon season or low season):

• The dry season or high tourist season runs from January to May. Sometimes it starts as early as December, and this is the best time to visit. 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 a visit to Puerto Princesa is contraindicated at this time, but the probability of cloudy weather, rains and typhoons is much higher, this is how lucky. There may well be good weather and not a single rain for several days, and if you are unlucky, you may not see the sun and clear 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 Puerto Princesa by month, when is the best time to go

Current weather in Puerto Princesa and forecast

How to get to Puerto Princesa

The plane at the airport of Puerto Princesa

Puerto Princesa, like the whole island of Palawan, is not very well connected from the point of view of logistics with popular tourist routes on the islands of the Philippines and with major international airports. There are few direct flights here, and when planning a route, it is not possible to include a visit to Palawan 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 Puerto Princesa 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, it's best to get to Puerto Princesa by plane. Here is the main airport of the island, through which travelers arrive not only in Puerto Princesa, but also in other resorts of Palawan. The fact is that there is also an airport in El Nido and in San Vicente, but there are very few flights there, and the prices are very high. Therefore, more often travelers arrive here, spend one or two days in Puerto Princesa, and sometimes immediately after arrival they take a taxi to El Nido, and it turns out even cheaper. But from this we told in detail in our other guidebook about how to get to El Nido, read here.

Which is good, flights to Puerto Princesa are significantly cheaper than to El Nido airport. Here is a selection of the lowest prices for flights from Aviasales or buy tickets for Trip.com:

Another way to get to Puerto Princesa from other islands in the Philippines is by ferry. But ferry service is rare here, all the islands are far away, so we do not recommend seriously considering this option for travel. Nevertheless, if you are interested in this method, read on, we will tell you everything in more detail.

And finally, if you are already traveling in Palawan, then you can get to Puerto Princesa by bus, rented transport or taxi. The city is also the main transport hub of the island, so all bus routes converge here, and here you will make a transfer when moving from south to north or back.

We tell you in detail about all the ways to get to Puerto Princesa here...

Transportation and how to get around Puerto Princesa

Puerto Princesa is the largest city in Palawan, and quite impressive in area. Rizal Avenue alone, which can be called, albeit with a slight stretch, the main tourist street of the city, stretches for almost 5 kilometers. Therefore, it will be problematic to move here without transport, although it is possible. Now we will tell you everything in detail.

• Walking in Puerto Princesa

  The center in Puerto Princesa is not very suitable for walking

  If you stop in the conventional tourist area of Puerto Princesa, this is the area of the city center behind Rizal Avenue, then in principle you can walk around this part of the city. To be honest, it's not very convenient (everything is bad with sidewalks here), and the distances are long. But, nevertheless, you can walk from the Palawan Heritage Center hotel, Palawan Museum, Paza Cuartel Park, Cathedral, promenade, market on foot. We once even walked from the hotel to the airport in the morning for the earliest flight, when no transport was running yet. But apart from the above, there is nowhere else to walk here, there is simply nothing to walk and watch. And all the other interesting places that you can see in Puerto Princesa and the surrounding area are already quite far away on the outskirts or in the countryside. Just go there.

• Transport rental

  Rent a motorcycle in Palawan

  In our opinion, the most convenient way to move around Puerto Princesa and all over Palawan in general is to rent. Here you can rent both a car and a motorbike. International rights are not required for renting, Russian ones are completely legal here. But an important point concerns renting a motorcycle: you must have category A, no A1, M and others are legal here. But this is in theory, but in practice, when getting a motorcycle license, no one looks, and there are few traffic police on the island (we have never met police officers, having traveled more than 1,500 km in two weeks). In no case do we encourage you to drive without a license, we just tell you how everything works here.

  Now as for where to rent. There are a lot of rental offices here, but global search and booking systems such as Discover Cars, Economy Bookings, Avis, etc. do not work here, you will have to search everything "manually". It is most convenient to find rental in advance on the Google map on request car rental or motorcycle for rent, write off in advance and arrange a lease. You can also search on the Facebook Marketplace (Meta is recognized as an extremist organization in the Russian Federation). It is better to book cars in advance, and everything is simpler with motorbikes: they are available on site and can even be booked online at 🏍 BikesBooking.com:

  The bulk of the rental is located on the conditional tourist street Rizal Avenue. There are several more rentals on the North Road (Puerto-Princesa North Road) near the airport. If you arrive here by plane, you can get out of the terminal and walk 300 meters along the footpath to the left to the exit to the Northern Road, and there you will find a large rental of cars and motorbikes. From personal experience, the prices seemed a little high to us there, and as a result we rented cheaper in a great place on Riza Avenue at the Palawan Peter Motorcycle and Rental rental, he has a website https://www.pppalawanmotorcycletours.com /. This is not an advertisement, but just a rental that we checked out, where we liked everything.

  Rent from Pete's in Palawan

  As for the prices for renting motorbikes, again from my experience, at a rental near the airport, we were offered a Honda click 125 motorcycle rental for 7500 pesos for 15 days, i.e. it's 500 pesos /day (8.67 RUB), and did not bargain. In the rental, which we mentioned above, we were immediately offered a lower price, and we haggled up to 5000 pesos for 15 days, as a result, 333 pesos/day came out (5.77 rub).

  Renting a car here is quite expensive: 1500 pesos per day for a limit mileage of 100 kilometers (approximately 26 RUB), 2000 pesos without limit (approximately 34.67 rub). Moreover, this price is already at a discount when renting for several days. If you need transport for a couple of days, then get ready to pay from 2500 pesos.

  When renting both a car and a motorcycle, a written contract is concluded. As a pledge, they ask us to leave a passport or a license (yes, it's absurd, we were offered an option to leave our license). They also accept other documents without any problems, for example, we left an internal Russian passport as collateral. If possible, we recommend doing just that, because although they promise to keep your passport intact, there is no guarantee that nothing will happen to it. And to be without a passport abroad, this is still a quest and a huge problem.

  And finally, a few more tips for renting:

  • When receiving a car or motorcycle, do not hesitate to record a video and take a photo of all damages and defects, so that later there will be no problems when handing over.
  • When traveling long distances, for example, when moving to El Nido or to the south of the island, never leave the tank half empty. It happens that some gas stations may not have gasoline, but in the southern part of the island the gas stations are also at a considerable distance.
  • If possible, fill up a full tank in Puerto Princesa, because in El Nido and in the south the price per liter is 8-10 pesos higher.
  • If you rent a motorcycle, we advise you to wear a light windbreaker to protect from the sun so as not to burn out. Light gloves will not hurt either, as even the back of your hand can burn out in the sun in a few hours of driving.
  • It is reasonable to calculate the time when planning a trip on a motorcycle, because the movement on it is very slow, the average speed is about 30 km / h. For example, to ride a motorbike in one day from PP to El Nido is very difficult, almost impossible. From our own experience, it took us a full day to move 200 km from PP to Tai-Tai, and it was a very difficult trip despite the very extensive experience of motobike travel in Southeast Asia.
  • Get insurance that includes active recreation.
  • Be sure to wear a helmet.

• Taxis and tricycles

  Tricycle on Palawan

  Car taxis in Palawan and Perto Princesa in particular are not developed, and the Grab and Maxim taxi applications do not work here either. Therefore, to travel short distances around the city, you need to use Tricycle tricycles instead of taxis. They are not equipped with counters, the price is negotiable. For locals, the price for them is low, but for tourists for less than 100 pesos (approximately 1.73 rub) they won't even take you across the road. On average, expect to pay 100 pesos for a short trip within the center, get from/to the airport for 200 pesos, and 300 pesos to the new bus station (approximately 5.2 rub). This is the price for the whole tricycle, not for a person. They fit comfortably 2 people with luggage, and without luggage you can fit three.

  If you need a taxi for a long trip, for example, to go to Sabang on the underground river, you may have to hire a minivan as a taxi for the day, because, as we mentioned above, it is difficult to find a passenger taxi here. You can rent them in hotels and street travel agencies, near the airport and bus station. They ask from 3,000 pesos per day, but the price, again, is negotiable and depends on the route of the trip.

• Jeepneys

  The cheapest way to get around Puerto Princesa and the surrounding area is the famous Philippine jeepneys. The fare on them costs from 15 pesos (approximately 0.26 rub).

  But it is also the most confusing form of transport. There is no information about their routes anywhere, and in general it seems that they go as they want and when they want. So everything will have to be found out on the spot and improvised. To do this, ask the locals about the directions of jeepneys, and if there is no one to ask, then look at the signatures on the side or on the windshield.

  This jeep will take you to the new Irawan bus station

  It is only important that you do not accidentally hire a jeep as a taxi, otherwise no savings will work.

  The main jeepney routes that may be useful:

  • Malvar Road Market – Robinsons Palawan Shopping Center
  • Intersection of Rizal Avenue and North Road – Robinsons Palawan Shopping Center
  • Robinsons Palawan Shopping Center – new Irawan bus station (the jeepney may indicate Irawan or San Jose)

  The main transfer points from route to route and end points: Robinsons Palawan Shopping Center, Malvar Road Market, Rizal Avenue and North Road intersection. Robinsons Palawan shopping center has especially many routes, this is an important transfer point and you can go almost anywhere from here.

  Important! Jeepneys do not come to the airport terminal unless it is a taxi. Therefore, if you need to get to the hotel on a budget from the airport by jeep, get out of the terminal, and go left along the footpath to exit the airport through the gate to the Northern Road. There, go to the other side of the road and get into any passing jeepney. All of them go to the intersection of Rizal Avenue and North Road, and there they either end up moving, or go further along Rizal Avenue to the right (this is towards the embankment and the market, or up north on the map).

Attractions in Puerto Princesa and what to see

The main thing for which people go to Palawan Island is, of course, natural attractions, beaches and untouched nature. And to be honest, the city of Puerto Princesa cannot boast of this. However, there are several historical and cultural attractions, the main museum of the island is open, there is a crocodile farm, a butterfly farm. And in the immediate vicinity of Puerto Princesa there are hot springs, a beautiful bay of Honda Bay on the islands of which excursions are conducted. Still relatively nearby is the famous and unique natural attraction of all the Philippines – the underground river Puerto Princesa. There is no entertainment here, except, perhaps, a night excursion to the fireflies and rest in the beach houses on Canigaran Beach, we told about this beach above. Even earlier, whale shark swimming excursions were conducted from Puerto Princesa, as in Cebu or Bohol, but now they are not conducted, although they may be resumed in the future.

And now we will tell you in more detail about the most important sights of Puerto Princesa and the surrounding area, indicating their opening hours, the cost of visiting and how to get to them on your own.:

• Puerto Princesa Underground River

  Puerto Princesa Underground River

  The underground river of Puerto Princesa in Sabanga or simply the Subterranean River of Sabanga (Puerto Princesa Subterranean River) is the most famous and grandiose natural attraction of Palawan and one of the most famous in the Philippines, and without exaggeration a must–visit place on Palawan. In 1999, it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, and in 2012 it earned the title of one of the new seven wonders of the world, along with places such as Iguazu Falls (Aregntina/Brazil), Komodo Island (Indonesia), Ha Long Bay (Vietnam) and others. Today, the river is part of the national park of the same name, which, in addition to the river itself, also includes an eco-trail through the jungle. You can visit the Underground River as a tourist attraction with excursions from Puerto Princesa or other places in Palawan, or you can do it yourself by coming to Sabang village. Read more about the Puerto Princesa underground river here...

  🕐 Working hours: The underground river is open to the public from 08:00 to 17:00 all year round, except July 1-3. The ticket office is open from 07:00 to 14:00. In fact, during our visit, the ticket office opened even earlier for half an hour, and we boarded the boat already at 07:30.

  Entrance fee / ticket price: Permission to visit the underground river at the ticket office at Sabanga Pier costs 750 pesos (13 rub.), includes an audio guide, rental of the necessary equipment, rowing a boat around the cave and accompanying a guide. In addition, a motor boat is paid to get from the Sabanga pier to the cave entrance for 1100 pesos the whole boat (19.07 RUB), or 140 pesos/person (2.43 rubles). Ready-made excursions with delivery in a group from the hotel from Puerto Princesa, a visit to the underground river and lunch cost from 2200 to 2500 pesos (38.13-43.34 rubles).

  🚶 How to get there: located in the village of Sabang, 70 kilometers from Puerto Princesa and the airport (underground river on the map (entrance)). There are two main options to get here: buy an excursion from travel agencies or hotels in Puerto Princesa (from 2200 pesos), and then they will take you here from the hotel door, show you everything, feed you and take you back, or come to Sabang on your own during the day or overnight. For more information about all the ways to visit it, follow the link with a full description.

• Honda Bay Island Tours

  Honda Bay Island Tours

  Almost every traveler on Palawan necessarily tries to visit the famous island tours from El-Nido. This is not surprising, because these boat tours on the islands, beaches and lagoons are perhaps the main business card of the whole of Palawan. However, in addition to them, there are also island tours in Honda Bay from Puerto Princesa. The islands in Honda Bay are quite different from the islands in El Nido. Here the islands and beaches are more sandy, the water is warmer, and, as it seemed to us, even more transparent (but perhaps it's all about the weather at a particular moment). During the tours, you will be taken to several beautiful private islands with rest on magnificent sandy beaches, snorkeling from a floating platform in the sea will also be on the program, and, of course, you will be well fed in a restaurant on one of the islands. Learn more about Honda Bay tours here...

  🕐Working hours: tours depart from 07:00 to 15:30 seven days a week.

  Entrance fee / ticket price: the price for tours starts from 1800 pesos/person (31.2 rub.) + additional fees, see all prices on the link with a full description.

  🚶 How to get there: Honda Bay is visited from Puerto Princesa, and from El Nido it is impractical to do this because of the long road. The marina for sending tours is located a little more than 10 kilometers from the center of Puerto Princesa, it is a 30-minute drive (Honda Bay marina on the map). The easiest way to get here is with ready-made excursions that are sold in hotels and travel agencies, you can also buy them online on Klook, Viator, Expedia, etc., prices from 2000 pesos / person. If you rent a car or a motorbike, you can come to the marina on your own, and leave the transport here for the duration of the tour in the free parking of the marina. And finally, you can take a taxi or a tricycle, the trip will cost about 300 pesos.

• Plaza Cuartel Memorial Park

  Monument on Plaza Quartel

  This is one of the few, or rather even the only historical landmark in Puerto Princesa. And if you look more broadly, this is even one of the very few historical places in the whole of Palawan, because apart from it, only the fortress in Taytai comes to mind , and nothing else. To be honest, there's not much to see here, he'll spend 5 minutes here. It's just something like a square or a memorial park, and not very well maintained, like almost everything in Puerto Princesa. However, it is difficult to overestimate the importance of this place and the drama of the events that took place here. On December 14, 1944, 139 American prisoners of war were burned alive by soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army at the site of this memorial, only 11 managed to escape. The brutal massacre was committed so that the prisoners of war would not be saved by the advancing Allied forces. Learn more about Plaza Cuartel here...

  🕐 Working hours: during daytime.

  💵Entrance fee / ticket price: free.

  🚶 How to get there: located in the historical part of Puerto Princesa on Taft Street next to the cathedral (Plaza Cuartel on the map).

• Iwahig Prison

  Iwahig Prison - Community Center building

  This is a completely unique attraction that will surprise even seasoned tourists and travelers. This is a real prison and correctional farm, where about 4,000 prisoners are kept, and at the same time it can be visited. But you ask, what is all this for tourists and travelers, and why visit it? In fact, this is a unique experience: to visit a real colony and communicate with real prisoners. You can come here, move freely around the territory (excluding administrative and private residential premises, as well as areas marked with prohibition signs), communicate with prisoners. We visited here and talked to one of the prisoners. Convicted of drug trafficking for a very long time, he told about the way of life here, about his family, who visits him, about how he made a mistake and got here. It has its own center, something like a town among the fields of a farm, where administrative buildings and something like an information or community center Recreation Hall are located. It is here that you can communicate with prisoners, of course, mainly in English. Be sure to buy something from souvenirs. Their prices are affordable, from 10 pesos. Read more about Iwahig prison here...

  🕐 Working hours: open to the public from 10:00 to 16:00.

  💵Entrance fee / ticket price: free.

  🚶 How to get there: located 20 kilometers from the center Puerto Princesses (Iwahig Prison on the map). Jeepneys and buses do not go here, excursions are not carried, you need to get there by rented transport or taxi. A trip by tricycle or taxi will cost about 400 pesos one way.

• Heritage center Heritage center

  Heritage Center in Puerto Princesa

  This is the main museum of Palawan, which we recommend to visit if you stay in Puerto Princesa. Moreover, it is best to do this first of all before you decide to travel further around the island. There is a really large and informative historical and ethnographic exhibition, which is complemented by an excellent excursion accompaniment (in English), and all this for a nominal fee. Well, there is also an exhibition of contemporary Palawan artists. Learn more about the Heritage center Heritage center here...

  🕐 Working hours: 08:00-17:00, Saturday and Sunday are days off.

  Entrance fee / ticket price: 50 pesos / 0.87 rub ..

  🚶 How to get there: The Palawan Heritage Center Museum is located in the center of Puerto Princesa on Fernandez Street, the entrance is not from the street, but from the other side of the building, i.e. it will have to be bypassed (Heritage center on the map).

• Tunnel of acacias

  Tunnel of acacias

  The Acacia Tunnel is just a point where you can take beautiful photos in a tunnel formed by live trees above the road, and nothing more. To be honest, the place to visit is literally for a couple of minutes, and it's obviously worth going here on purpose, but if you ride around the neighborhood of Puerto Princesa on rented transport or with a guide, you can make a stop here for a photo. Read more about the tunnel of acacias here ...

  🕐 Working hours: around the clock.

  💵Entrance fee / ticket price: free.

  🚶 How to get there: located 50 kilometers from Puerto Princesa on the way to the south of the island (Tunnel of acacias on the map).

• Crocodile Farm

  Crocodile Farm

  In fact, this place is not at all such a crocodile farm as you may have met at other popular resorts in Southeast Asia, where these toothy predators are kept and raised for the amusement of tourists and in order to make purses and bags out of them. This is a research center for the rescue and conservation of the island's wildlife (The Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center). They study and take care here not only of crocodiles, but also of other inhabitants of Palawan. It just so happened that most of the "population" of the center is made up of crocodiles, and therefore this place is popularly called "Crocodile Farm". The visit takes place in the form of a short excursion in 15 minutes, during which you will be shown a small museum of the center, and then guided through the territory along the cage pools filled with local crocodiles. Read more about the Crocodile farm here...

  🕐Working hours: from 08:00 to 17:00, seven days a week. Excursions start according to the schedule every 15 minutes or when recruiting a group.

  Entrance fee / ticket price: 40 pesos (approximately 0.69 RUB, see the currency of the Philippines and its exchange rate), the price includes an excursion. For an additional 60 pesos (i.e., for all 100 in total), you can hold a crocodile in your arms.

  🚶 How to get there: located in the vicinity of Puerto Princesa, 12 kilometers from the city center (Crocodile farm on the map). You can get here by taxi or tricycles for about 300 pesos, or take a seat in the center on the main street of Puerto Princesa North Road or Robinson Shopping Center by jeep for 30 pesos to the new Irawan Bus Terminal bus station, the farm is located across the street from the station.

• Butterfly farm and ethnic village

  Butterfly Farm

  In our opinion, this is a rather controversial place to visit, and to be honest, it somewhat resembled a typical "tourist trap". But maybe we are wrong, and it's better for you to visit the farm and the village yourself, especially since visiting it costs purely symbolic money. The butterfly farm and the ethnic village are actually two attractions in one. Both places are visited by the same ticket, although they are located in different territories across the street. The main entrance and ticket payment is from the butterfly farm. After buying tickets, you will be taken to the territory of a small butterfly farm, where the staff will meet you, quickly guide and demonstrate something from the theme of butterflies. A performance is shown on the territory of the tribal village. In a couple of minutes, half-naked people depicting local tribes demonstrated how they produce fire, hunt and play musical instruments. This is accompanied by a story about how hard it is for local tribes that they cannot hunt because of prohibitions, and therefore tourists should give them money, take pictures with them for 250 pesos, or at least buy something from souvenirs. Learn more about the Butterfly Farm and the ethnic village here...

  🕐Working hours: from 08:30 to 17:00, seven days a week.

  Entrance fee / ticket price: 60 pesos (approximately 1.04 rubles).

  🚶 How to get there: located on the outskirts of Puerto Princesa on the South Road Puerto-Princesa South Road, it is 7 kilometers from the center (Butterfly farm and ethnic village on the map). A taxi or a tricycle here costs about 200 pesos, but you can take a jeep from Robinsons Palawan shopping center to the new bus station in Irawan for 30 pesos.

• Karting

  Karting, Free Unsplash

  If you are "stuck" in Puerto Princesa for a few days, have looked at everything in the area and do not know what to do at all, then you can visit the local cartodrome Palawan International Circuit as entertainment. Here you can drive gasoline go-karts on a rather intricate track with sharp turns.

  🕐 Working hours: From 09:00 to 18:00, except Mondays and holidays.

  Entrance fee / ticket price: 10 laps – 600 pesos (approximately 10.4 rubles).

  🚶 How to get there: The karting track is located in one of the outlying areas of Puerto Princesa on the south road Puerto Princesa South Road, 6 kilometers from the center here (karting on the map). A taxi or tricycle here costs about 200 pesos, but you can take a jeep from Robinsons Palawan shopping center for 30 pesos.

• Kay's Hotspring

  Kai Hot Springs

  These are equipped with natural hydrogen sulfide hot springs near Puerto Princesa, 12 kilometers from the center. This is a fairly large complex of several individual baths and communal pools, there is a playground, a recreation area, a restaurant and a hotel. But to be honest, when we were here, we saw everything far from being in the best condition, everything seemed to be abandoned. To begin with, at least, that the territory is unkempt, the garbage is simply not cleaned up, and there is a broken swing on the playground. The water in the communal pools was dirty and slightly warm, and some of the pools were empty at all. And at the same time, we were charged 350 pesos per person for swimming in communal pools (much less from local residents). Learn more about the Hot springs of Kai here...

  🕐Working hours: from 09:00 to 20:00.

  Entrance fee / ticket price: 150 pesos (approximately 2.6 rub.)

  🚶 How to get there: located 12 kilometers from the center of Puerto Princesa on the road towards Roxas, Tay-Tay, El Nido, it's a 30-minute drive (sources on the map). You can get here by taxi or tricycle, the trip will cost from 300 pesos, or by rented transport. Jeepneys also depart from Robinsons Palawan shopping center in this direction, but there is no clear schedule for them either, they rarely go.

• Santa Lucia Hot Springs

  A sign with a schedule of working hours

  The natural hot spring Santa Lucia Hot Springs in the vicinity of Puerto Princesa is completely free to visit, even for foreigners. There is one large swimming pool with hot water for swimming. It is divided into four sections, the water in each is slightly different in temperature. There is also a pool with ordinary water, changing cabins, gazebos, and all this can be used for free. Learn more about free hot springs here...

  🕐Working hours: The sources are open only on Saturday and Sunday from 08:00 to 15:00.

  💵Entrance fee / ticket price: Free.

  🚶 How to get there: located near the village of the same name, 25 kilometers from Puerto Princesa (sources on the map). Jeepneys do not go here, you can only get there by taxi or rented transport.

• City Promenade City Baywalk

  Puerto Princesa City Promenade

  This is the only place in Puerto Princesa where you can walk in the evening and where the few tourists who stay in the city flock. It is not very beautiful and clean, and there is no entertainment except for bicycle rental and children's cars, but at least there is at least some kind of evening "party" going on here. You can chat with friendly locals and other travelers, sit in a cafe and eat unusual local fast food. seeing off the sun at sunset. And over the embankment, planes land at the local airport. Learn more about the city embankment here...

  🕐 Working hours: around the clock, it is best to come for a walk in the evening after 18 hours.

  💵Entrance fee / ticket price: free.

  🚶 How to get there: The City Baywalk embankment is located behind the old market parallel to Malvar road (embankment on the map).

• Firefly Tour

  Firefly Tour

  One of the cool tourist attractions in Puerto Princesa is firefly tours. You will be taken by boat along the river in places where there are a lot of fireflies in the thickets along the banks. Tours take place in the late evening in the dark, last about an hour directly by boat + transfer time to and from the hotel, if you have it included. Some excursions also include dinner, but it depends on the program and needs to be specified when buying. However, it is worth noting that a large number of fireflies are not guaranteed here. Their number may be less due to bad weather, especially strongly affected by the wind. They are also poorly visible during the full moon.

  🕐 Working hours: Tours start in the evening around 19:00 hours.

  💵Entrance fee / ticket price: Tours from the hotel from 1400 pesos, on-site tour at the marina from 1000 pesos.

  🚶 How to get there: In the Puerto Princesa area there are several rivers and canals where you can see fireflies. The easiest way to get on such a tour is to buy a ready–made excursion at a travel agency on the street or at a hotel, you can also book on Klook, Expedia websites. If you are staying in the center of Puerto Princesa, you can walk yourself to the boat dock at the end of the Puerto Princesa Baywalk, and buy a tour on the spot.

• Cathedral of Puerto Princesa

  Cathedral of Puerto Princesa

  This is the main Catholic cathedral, a place with a history. Large and beautiful, made in neo-Gothic style. Available for tourists to visit. It dates back to 1872, when the first mass was held at this place in Puerto Princesa by the Augustinian friar Ezequiel Moreno, who later became a saint. This happened six days after the Spanish expedition arrived in the area. Since that moment, the church has been rebuilt many times, it was even partially destroyed during the Second World War, until finally in 1961 the construction was finally completed and the cathedral acquired its present appearance. Learn more about the cathedral here...

  🕐Working hours: during daytime.

  💵Entrance fee / ticket price: free.

  🚶 How to get there: located in the old part of the city on the main street Rizal Avenue (cathedral on the map).