Palawan: El Nido Lagoons, Coron Shipwrecks, and Underground Rivers

Why Palawan Keeps Winning Best Island Awards

Condé Nast Traveler readers have voted Palawan the world's best island multiple times since 2013. The reasons are visible from any boat: limestone karst towers rising from turquoise water, lagoons accessible only through narrow clefts in the rock, coral reefs that survived where others bleached, and a coastline so long (2,000+ km) that entire beaches remain unnamed. The palawan beaches spread across three main hubs — El Nido in the north, Coron on Busuanga Island, and Puerto Princesa in the center — each with a distinct character.

Getting to Palawan requires a domestic flight from Manila or Cebu. Puerto Princesa (PPS) has the most flights — Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines, and AirAsia run 6-10 daily departures from Manila (1 hour 20 minutes, 2,500-6,000 PHP / $45-$108 one way). El Nido has a small airport (ENI) with limited AirSWIFT flights from Manila ($140-$200 one way). Coron's Busuanga Airport (USU) receives flights from Manila on Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines (3,000-7,000 PHP / $54-$126).

El Nido: Lagoons and Limestone

Island-Hopping Tours A Through D

El Nido's main attraction is a standardized system of four island-hopping tours (A, B, C, D) that cover 16+ islands and lagoons. Tour A is the most popular and most crowded — it includes Big Lagoon, Small Lagoon, Secret Lagoon, and Shimizu Island. The Big Lagoon entrance channel between two karst walls, with kayakers floating over water so clear it barely looks real, is the single most photographed spot in the Philippines. Tour A costs 1,200-1,400 PHP ($21.60-$25.20) per person including buffet lunch on the boat.

Tour C is considered the best overall — it visits Secret Beach (swim through a hole in a limestone wall to reach a hidden cove), Helicopter Island (named for its shape, with excellent snorkeling), and Star Beach. Tour C costs 1,400-1,600 PHP ($25.20-$28.80). Tour D covers Cadlao Island, Pasandigan Beach, and Natnat Beach with the fewest crowds. Tour B includes Snake Island (a sandbar connecting two islands), Cathedral Cave, and Pinagbuyutan Island.

Book any tour through your hotel or the municipal tourism office on Calle Hama Street. Boats depart at 9 AM and return around 3-4 PM. Environmental fee is 200 PHP ($3.60), valid for 10 days across all tours. The palawan beaches hit on Tour C — Secret Beach and Helicopter Island — rank among the finest in all of Southeast Asia.

Nacpan Beach

A 4-kilometer stretch of golden sand 45 minutes north of El Nido town by tricycle (300-400 PHP / $5.40-$7.20 one way). Nacpan is the beach where you actually lie on the sand all day — the El Nido lagoon tours are about kayaking and snorkeling, not sunbathing. The beach has simple bamboo restaurants serving grilled fish (200-350 PHP / $3.60-$6.30) and coconut shakes (80 PHP / $1.44). A few boutique resorts have appeared along the road, but the beach itself remains uncommercialized. Twin Beach at the north end connects to a second cove via a sandbar walkable at low tide.

El Nido Town

A compact strip of restaurants, dive shops, and hostels along the beachfront and two parallel streets. Accommodation ranges from fan rooms at dorms (500-800 PHP / $9-$14.40/night) to boutique hotels like Frangipani El Nido ($80-$120/night). Trattoria Altrove serves wood-fired pizza that rivals what you'd find in proper Italian restaurants (350-500 PHP / $6.30-$9). Happiness Beach Bar has sunset views and gin tonics for 200 PHP ($3.60). The town has improved infrastructure since 2019 — reliable electricity, multiple ATMs (BPI and Landbank), and decent 4G coverage.

Coron: Shipwrecks and Lakes

World War II Shipwreck Diving

On September 24, 1944, US Navy aircraft sank 12 Japanese supply ships in Coron Bay. Today, these wrecks form one of the world's top dive sites. The Irako (a 147-meter refrigeration ship at 28-42 meters depth), Akitsushima (a seaplane tender at 20-36 meters), and Olympia Maru (a cargo ship at 18-25 meters) are the headline dives. Visibility ranges from 8-20 meters depending on conditions. Two-dive packages cost $50-$70 including equipment rental. Advanced Open Water certification is recommended for the deeper wrecks.

Several dive operators in Coron Town run daily trips. D'Divers and Dive Link Resort are well-established with experienced guides. An Open Water certification course costs $320-$380 over 3-4 days. Snorkelers can explore the shallower sections of some wrecks — ask operators about snorkel-friendly sites like the Lusong Gunboat, which sits in just 3-5 meters of water with its mast breaking the surface.

Kayangan Lake and Barracuda Lake

Kayangan Lake requires climbing 160 steep steps to a viewpoint, then descending to an enclosed lake surrounded by jagged limestone walls. The water is a mix of freshwater and saltwater, crystal clear to 15 meters depth. Snorkeling here reveals submerged rock formations and thermoclines — layers where warm and cold water meet, creating visible shimmering effects. Entrance fee is 300 PHP ($5.40).

Barracuda Lake is the stranger experience. Named for a giant barracuda skeleton found at the bottom, this volcanic lake has extreme thermoclines — the water temperature shifts from 28°C to 38°C and back as you descend. Scuba diving Barracuda Lake ($35-$45 per dive) is surreal: warm, fresh water over hot, salty water, with visibility exceeding 20 meters in an alien landscape of submerged limestone needles. Among palawan beaches and water attractions, Barracuda Lake is genuinely unlike anything else.

Coron Island-Hopping

The standard Coron island-hopping tour visits Kayangan Lake, Twin Lagoon (swim under a limestone arch between two connected bodies of water), CYC Beach, and a coral garden snorkel site. Cost is 1,500-1,800 PHP ($27-$32.40) per person including lunch. The palawan beaches around Coron are less famous than El Nido's but equally beautiful, with fewer tourists on most days.

Puerto Princesa and the Underground River

Puerto Princesa Subterranean River

A UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the world's longest navigable underground rivers at 8.2 kilometers (tourists paddle 1.5 km of it). The cave system features cathedral-sized chambers with stalactites, stalagmites, and colonies of swiftlets and bats. The boat ride takes 45 minutes. Permits are limited to 900 visitors per day — book at least 2 weeks ahead through your hotel or the tourism office in Puerto Princesa.

The river is in Sabang, 80 km north of Puerto Princesa (2.5-hour van ride, 500-600 PHP / $9-$10.80 return). Tour packages from Puerto Princesa (1,800-2,500 PHP / $32.40-$45 per person) include transport, permit, lunch, and boat ride. Sabang Beach itself is a pleasant stretch of sand with basic accommodations if you want to stay overnight rather than rushing back to the city.

Honda Bay Island Hopping

Closer to Puerto Princesa (30-minute drive to the wharf), Honda Bay offers a more relaxed island-hopping alternative to El Nido. Starfish Island (so named for the red starfish visible in the shallows), Luli Island (a sandbar that submerges at high tide), and Cowrie Island (the most developed, with a restaurant and volleyball court) are the standard stops. Tours cost 1,300-1,500 PHP ($23.40-$27) per person. The palawan beaches here are simpler than El Nido's dramatic lagoons but the snorkeling is solid and the crowds are thin.

Getting Between Palawan's Hubs

Puerto Princesa to El Nido is 230 km by road — vans take 5-6 hours and cost 600-800 PHP ($10.80-$14.40). Overnight ferries connect Coron to El Nido (8-10 hours, 1,600-2,200 PHP / $28.80-$39.60 depending on cabin class). Fast ferries run Coron to El Nido in 3.5-4 hours on newer catamarans (2,200-2,800 PHP / $39.60-$50.40) — but service is seasonal and weather-dependent. Flying between hubs requires routing through Manila in most cases. Budget at least 2 days per hub. A proper Palawan trip covering El Nido, Coron, and the Underground River needs 10-14 days minimum.

For more Philippine island planning, browse our destination guides. The Palawan Tourism Council publishes ferry schedules and permit updates. Compare flights to find the cheapest Manila-Palawan routes.

Best Time to Visit Palawan

Dry season runs November through May. January to March has the most reliable weather with calm seas, clear visibility for diving, and comfortable temperatures (27-32°C). December and April are shoulder months with occasional brief showers. June through October brings heavy rain, rough seas, and cancelled boat trips — many island-hopping operators reduce schedules or shut down. El Nido is slightly wetter than Coron year-round. The palawan beaches are at their most photogenic in February and March, when seas are glassy and rainfall is near zero.