Best Things to Do in El Nido, Palawan, Philippines
El Nido is a beach-side community on the Philippine island of Palawan. El Nido is a popular resort community, known for it’s white-sand beaches, lagoons and coral reefs. The municipality is also regarded as the gateway to the Bacuit archipelago, a grouping of nearby islands known for steep cliffs, big and small lagoons and fish filled waters. These elements combine to make El Nido one of the top destinations in the Philippines.
As you would expect with any tropical island destination, El Nido offers an abundance of activities for those who want to have fun, combined with relaxing environments for those who just want to watch the sun slip away. Let’s explore a few of the more popular activities in El Nido, Palawan.
El Nido Beaches
El Nido and the surrounding islands have some of the most pristine beaches in the world. Palawan as a whole is known for world class beaches. With a large number of exceptional beaches to choose from, El Nido is widely regarded as Palawan’s crown jewel of island beach locations.
Rated 3rd Best Beach in the World 2023 by Banana Boat, Hidden Beach is a must on any trip to El Nido. Tucked into a cove lined with large limestone cliffs, Hidden Beach can not be seen from the seaside and is only accessible by boat. Described as an “unparalleled paradise”, Hidden Beach is known for beautiful white sand, crystal clear water that is shallow, and majestic views of limestone cliffs combined with lush greenery and blue water. An added bonus to Hidden Beach is a small group of beach monkeys to add a unique element to your day.
Located about 17 kilometers north of El Nido town proper, Nacpan Beach makes a beautiful trip for anyone who wants to rent a motorbike or take a coastal taxi ride. Nacpan Beach is a four kilometer stretch stretch of cream colored sand lined by coconut trees. While there are limited places of get food, beverages or to rent a beach chair, the area remains largely undeveloped and absent of resorts, offering an experience of pure natural beauty.
El Nido, Palawan, offers a large number of other beaches to visit, with Mariegmeg Beach and Duli Beach being worthy of special mention. Another must visit beach on your trip to El Nido is the Secret Lagoon Beach, which brings us to our next suggested activity.
El Nido Lagoons
For those who want an alternative to the seaside beach experience, El Nido offers several lagoons for recreational enjoyment.
Secret Lagoon offers a fun experience for any traveler. The Secret Lagoon can only be accessed through a cave entrance, which opens into a white sand beach on a seaside lagoon surrounded by limestone cliffs and coconut forest. Secret Lagoon will create a unique memory from your time in El Nido.
In addition to Secret Lagoon, the more well known lagoons in El Nido are Small Lagoon and Big Lagoon. Small Lagoon is a small inlet, ringed by limestone cliffs. It is a popular location for swimming, kayaking and cliff diving for the more daring among us. Big Lagoon is regarded as one of the most scenic locations in El Nido. Big Lagoon has breathtaking views of limestone cliffs with jungle canopy, set as the backdrop of breathtaking blue water. Note that due to the popularity of Big Lagoon , a special permit is now required to enter and must be obtained in advance.
Island Hopping in El Nido
Island Hopping is always one of the top tourist activities in El Nido, Palawan. Booking an island hopping tour in advance is possible, but most people simply walk to the beach and hire a boat without reservation. Costs depend on the number of hours and islands visited, but are typically a set price rather than pricing per person, so it is quite affordable for groups traveling together. Typical packages range from a few hours covering three islands, to full day excursions that include a large number of islands and activities.
All of the island hopping tours in El Nido will offer an exceptional experience, but there are a few islands that are worth asking about arranging a day with your boat pilot. Simizu Island is a popular destination from El Nido. Simizu Island offers beautiful beaches with clear water that is perfectly suited for snorkeling. Snorkeling gear can be rented on the beach, next to a number of snack stands offering local treats.
Snake Island, also known as Vigan Island, is a destination that must be included in any El Nido island hopping tour, particularly during low tide hours. Snake Island offers beautiful white-sand beaches for relaxing and swimming. During the low tide hours, a winding sandbar is revealed, offering an opportunity for a scenic walk into the sea.
Other islands worth special mention are Matinloc Island and Entalula Island. Both locations offer some of the most beautiful beaches in the Bacuit Archipelago. The powdery white sand of the Matinloc Island beaches will probably entice you to spend a couple of days at the Matinloc Resort, which features a private beach away from the crowds, complete with a private pier for diving or fishing. Entalula is most known for it’s towering rock formations, offering the perfect view for your InstaGram memories.
Nagkalit-kalit Falls in El Nido
While waterfalls are not as plentiful in El Nido as in other areas of the Philippines, there are still falls available and they are well worth visiting. Nagkalit-kalit Falls is positioned perfectly as a side stop for anyone traveling to Nacpan Beach. Nagkalit-kalit Falls is a series of two falls, flowing into a pool for swimming at the bottom. The falls are only accessible via a short hike through jungle canopy, providing a feeling of seclusion and privacy, and the freshwater falls offer a refreshing break from the sea water that is more common in El Nido.
Ziplining in El Nido
Ziplining has become one of the most popular tourist activities in El Nido. What makes the El Nido zip line unique is that it allows you to zipline from one island to another. How many places offer you that opportunity?
The 750 meter zip line passes over Las Cabanas Beach on it’s way to Depeldet Island. Two ziplining positions are offered: sitting or superman. Either position costs the same, with a discount offered for those who want to make two trips and try each position. After landing on Depeldet Island you can either take a lower zip line back to the main island, or walk across a sandbar that will return you to Las Cabanas Beach.
El Nido is the perfect island destination. With so many activities and such an abundance of beautiful scenery, there is no mystery why this beach community is considered the premier vacation destination in Palawan, Philippines. Have you been to El Nido? If not, would you consider going?
