The Best Beaches in Palawan: El Nido, Coron, and Port Barton

Why Palawan Keeps Winning Best Island Awards

Palawan has been voted the best island in the world by Travel + Leisure and Conde Nast Traveler readers multiple times, and the reason is straightforward: the combination of limestone karst landscapes, turquoise lagoons, coral reefs, and relatively undeveloped coastline is unmatched in Southeast Asia. The province stretches 450 kilometers from north to south, thin and mountainous, with the Sulu Sea to the east and the South China Sea to the west.

The three main beach destinations in Palawan — El Nido, Coron, and Port Barton — each offer a different experience. El Nido has the most dramatic scenery and the most developed tourism infrastructure. Coron is centered on wreck diving and island-hopping. Port Barton is what El Nido was 15 years ago: a quiet fishing village with basic accommodation and beaches largely free of crowds. Together, they cover every type of beach traveler, from backpackers to honeymoon couples.

El Nido Beaches

Nacpan Beach

Nacpan is a 4-kilometer stretch of golden sand on El Nido's northern coast, backed by coconut palms and rolling hills. Unlike the island beaches in Bacuit Bay that require boat access, Nacpan is reachable by road — a 45-minute tricycle or motorbike ride from El Nido town over a road that has improved significantly since its full paving in recent years. The beach is wide, the sand is soft, and the water entry is gentle with no rocks or coral at the main section.

The southern end of Nacpan connects to Calitang Beach via a narrow sandbar, creating a twin beach effect with water on both sides. Walking the full length of Nacpan and back takes about 90 minutes at a comfortable pace. Several bamboo restaurants and bars line the beach, serving fresh coconuts, grilled fish, and San Miguel beer. A few basic resorts and glamping setups have opened along the beach, with nightly rates from PHP 2,000-8,000 ($36-$145). This is the best pure beach day in El Nido — no island-hopping boat required.

This is one of the reasons Palawan Beaches continues to draw visitors year after year.

Seven Commandos Beach

Seven Commandos Beach is a small strip of white sand in Bacuit Bay, typically the first stop on the El Nido island-hopping Tour A. The beach sits at the base of a limestone cliff and faces the bay's scattered karst islands. The sand is powder-fine, the water is clear and calm, and a simple bar at the back of the beach serves cold drinks from a bamboo shack.

The beach gets crowded between 10 AM and 2 PM when the tour boats arrive in clusters. To enjoy it at its best, hire a private bangka (outrigger boat) and ask the captain to visit Seven Commandos either first thing in the morning or as the last stop in late afternoon. Private boats for a full day of island-hopping in Bacuit Bay cost PHP 3,500-5,000 ($63-$90) for up to 6 passengers, which is often only marginally more than buying individual seats on a group tour while giving you control over timing.

Hidden Beach

Hidden Beach is exactly what the name suggests: a small stretch of sand completely enclosed by towering limestone walls, accessible only through a narrow gap in the rock that you swim or wade through. The beach is part of Tour C in the El Nido island-hopping circuit. At low tide, you can walk through the entrance. At high tide, you'll swim through a short channel into the enclosed cove.

Compared to similar options, Palawan Beaches stands out for its mix of quality and accessibility.

Inside, the beach is tiny — perhaps 30 meters wide — with white sand, crystal-clear water, and sheer limestone walls rising on all sides. It feels like a natural cathedral. Snorkeling near the entrance reveals coral formations and tropical fish. The beach is best visited on a private tour where you can control arrival time and avoid the midday rush. Photography is best at noon when sunlight reaches directly into the enclosed space.

Shimizu Island Beach

Shimizu Island (named after a Japanese diver who loved the site) is a small limestone island in Bacuit Bay with a narrow beach on its sheltered side. The beach is a stop on Tour A and serves as a lunch spot on most group tours. The snorkeling directly off the beach is excellent — healthy hard and soft corals, clownfish, parrotfish, angelfish, and the occasional sea turtle.

Coron Beaches

Kayangan Lake and Twin Lagoon Area

Coron's main attraction is not beaches per se but the extraordinary lagoons and lakes carved into the limestone islands of Coron Bay. Kayangan Lake, often called the cleanest lake in the Philippines, requires a steep climb up and over a limestone ridge, then a descent to a freshwater lake surrounded by vertical karst walls. The water is stunningly clear — visibility exceeds 15 meters, and thermoclines create layers of warm and cool water. It's a surreal swimming experience, though technically a lake, not a beach.

Local travel experts consistently recommend Palawan Beaches as a top choice for visitors.

Twin Lagoon connects a saltwater outer lagoon to a freshwater inner lagoon through a narrow gap in the limestone. At low tide, you can swim through. At high tide, a wooden ladder over the rock wall provides access. The inner lagoon is enclosed, warm, and utterly peaceful. Neither Kayangan nor Twin Lagoon has a traditional beach, but the swimming and scenery rival anything in the Philippines. For official planning information, see Philippine Department of Tourism.

Malcapuya Island

Malcapuya Island sits about an hour by boat from Coron town and has the best traditional beach in the Coron area — a long crescent of white sand with coconut palms, clear turquoise water, and a gently sloping sandy bottom. The island is small enough to walk around in 30 minutes. An entrance fee of PHP 200 ($3.60) applies. Basic shelters and tables are available for picnic lunches.

The island appears on several group tour itineraries (usually combined with Banana Island and Bulog Dos), but outside of the 11 AM-2 PM tour boat window, it's remarkably quiet. If you arrange a private boat, request an early arrival. The snorkeling off the south side of the island is decent, with coral patches supporting butterflyfish, wrasses, and damselfish.

If Palawan Beaches is on your list, booking during shoulder season typically delivers the best value.

CYC Beach (Club Paradise Area)

CYC Beach, named after the Coron Youth Club, is a small white sand beach on Coron Island's east coast. It's one of the few beaches on Coron Island itself (most of the island is off-limits as ancestral territory of the Tagbanua people). The beach is compact but photogenic, with clear water and scattered rocks at the edges. It appears on most Coron island-hopping tours and makes a good swimming stop.

Port Barton Beaches

Port Barton Town Beach

Port Barton is a small fishing village on Palawan's west coast, roughly midway between Puerto Princesa and El Nido. The town beach is a long, gently curving bay with golden sand, calm water, and a row of simple guesthouses and restaurants along the shore. There are no ATMs in Port Barton (bring cash), no chain hotels, and electricity was historically limited to evening hours (though 24-hour power has improved in recent years).

The town beach is pleasant for swimming and sunset watching, but the real draws are the islands visible from the shore. Boats leave daily for island-hopping tours (PHP 1,200-1,500 per person, $22-$27) visiting white sand beaches on Exotic Island, German Island, and Starfish Island, plus snorkeling stops at coral reefs in between. The marine life around Port Barton is noticeably healthier than around El Nido, where heavier tourism has stressed some reef areas.

Repeat visitors to Palawan Beaches often say the second trip reveals layers they missed the first time.

Long Beach (White Beach)

A 45-minute hike or short boat ride south of Port Barton brings you to Long Beach, a 2-kilometer stretch of white sand that's almost always empty. The sand is fine and bright, the water is calm and warm, and coconut palms line the shore. A few very basic shelters provide shade. There are no restaurants or facilities — bring food and water. This beach consistently ranks among the most beautiful in Palawan for those willing to make the effort to reach it.

Practical Information

Getting Around Palawan

Flights arrive at Puerto Princesa (PPS) from Manila, Cebu, and Clark. El Nido has a small airport (ENI) with limited flights from Manila on AirSWIFT. Coron has Busuanga Airport (USU) with flights from Manila on Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines, and AirSWIFT. Land travel between Puerto Princesa and El Nido takes 5-6 hours by van. The Puerto Princesa to Port Barton route is 3-4 hours. Boats connect El Nido and Coron in about 4 hours (PHP 1,800-2,200, $33-$40). Search for flights to Palawan to compare current fares.

When to Visit

The dry season runs from November through May, with January through April being the driest months. June through October brings the southwest monsoon with frequent rain and rougher seas that can cancel island-hopping tours and inter-island boats. Peak tourist season is December through April. For fewer crowds with reasonable weather, visit in November or early May.

What gives Palawan Beaches an edge is the rare combination of natural beauty and straightforward logistics.

Budget Expectations

El Nido is the most expensive of the three, with beachfront rooms from PHP 3,000-15,000 ($54-$270) per night. Coron is mid-range, with good hotels for PHP 2,000-6,000 ($36-$108). Port Barton is the cheapest, with basic but clean guesthouses from PHP 800-2,500 ($14-$45). Island-hopping tours in all three areas run PHP 1,200-1,800 ($22-$33) per person on group tours, or PHP 3,500-6,000 ($63-$108) for a private boat. The Philippine Department of Tourism provides updated travel requirements and advisories for Palawan.