Things to do in El Nido
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit El Nido
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best window, least rain, calm seas and the clearest lagoon water.
Dry and cooler, with Christmas and New Year crowds and peak prices.
Calmest and hottest water, superb diving, with Holy Week crowds in April.
Shoulder month, seas improving and prices still soft early on.
Wet monsoon, rough seas, tour cancellations and the highest typhoon risk.
What's on
- Holy Week and Easter March or April, varies
The busiest domestic travel week of the year, with full flights and peak prices.
- Baragatan Festival Mid to late June, around 23 June
Palawan's provincial festival in Puerto Princesa, worth a day if passing through the capital.
- Christmas and New Year peak Late December to early January
Not a festival to attend but the fullest and priciest period, book months ahead or avoid.
Best things to do in El Nido
Big Lagoon
Kayak into a limestone cathedral of still turquoise water, best before the shared boats arrive.
Small Lagoon
A calmer enclosed lagoon reached through a rock gap, with the quietest kayaking on the standard tours.
Nacpan Beach
Kilometres of pale sand and swimmable water north of town, with space to be alone on the sand.
Las Cabañas Beach
The west facing sunset beach south of town, with bars on the sand and Cadlao Island in view.
Taraw Cliff Canopy Walk
A guided canopy walk and hanging bridge to the best viewpoint over the town and Bacuit Bay.
Seven Commandos Beach
A palm backed boat only beach with good swimming, a small bar and turtles on good snorkel days.
Hidden Beach
Swim through a gap in the karst into a beach hidden inside a ring of limestone cliffs.
Secret Beach
A tiny pocket beach inside the rock, entered by swimming through a small opening with a guide.
Where to stay in El Nido
El Nido Town
first trip, tours on foot, solo and budget to mid travellers
Walk to the boats, restaurants and dive shops, with the widest choice at every price.
Corong-Corong
couples, families, longer and quieter stays
A swimmable sunset beach and calmer nights, a short tricycle ride from town.
Lio Estate
families, resort comfort, easy arrival
A clean managed beach by the airport with pools, restaurants and reliable standards.
Las Cabanas / Marimegmeg
beach first travellers, short sunset stays
Sleep on the sunset beach itself, a tricycle ride from everything else.
Nacpan Beach
a one or two night escape at the end of a trip
A long remote beach for decompressing, too far from the boats for a touring base.
Think twice about
- El Nido town beachfront strip
The town beach is a harbour with polluted water you should not swim in, and the beachfront streets are the noisiest at night with bars and generators. Sleep a street or two back, or in Corong Corong.
- Nacpan Beach as a sole first trip base
It is 45 to 60 minutes from the tour boats over a road that worsens after rain, so a tour focused first trip based there wastes hours every day.
- Remote Sibaltan and the far north as a sole base
Off grid and authentic but one and a half to two hours from town, tours and medical help, with little choice for dinner.
Best restaurants in El Nido
Tutto Passa
The highest rated dinner in town, Sicilian Italian with burrata pizza, seafood pasta and proper cocktails.
Trattoria Altrove
The original El Nido Italian, with wood fired pizza and homemade pasta worth the nightly queue.
Big Bad Thai Restaurant - El Nido
Authentic Thai cooking by a Thai chef, with a rooftop lounge looking over the bay.
Happiness Beach Bar
Mediterranean plates, falafel and shakshuka in the town's friendliest open air bar restaurant.
Bella Vita El Nido
Italian beachfront dining on Corong Corong, timed for pizza as the sun goes down.
Osaka Castle El Nido
Surprisingly strong Japanese food in town, sushi and ramen with a very large loyal review base.
El Nido Boutique Artcafe
The town institution, all day dining, live music and a travel desk on the beach road.
Sunmai Nacpan Beach Restaurant
The best beach lunch in El Nido, Filipino and grilled plates steps from a long swim.
Outdoor things to do in El Nido
Big Dream Boatman
A multi day expedition boat to Coron through remote islands, with superb snorkelling and beach camps.
Palawan Divers
Long established PADI diving in Bacuit Bay, from beginner reefs to the South Miniloc turtle station.
Cadlao Lagoon
Paddle yourself from town to a quiet emerald lagoon on Cadlao Island on a calm morning.
Duli Beach
El Nido's real surf beach, a long open break with lessons, board rental and few people.
Elnido Zipline
A single fast zipline over the sea to Depeldet Island, best done first thing before the queue.
Pinagbuyutan Island
A towering karst island with the best snorkelling on Tour B, far better on a private boat.
Nagkalit-kalit Waterfalls
A jungle river walk to swimmable falls, a good rest day change from salt water.
Ille Cave
A major archaeological cave in the Dewil Valley, with a limestone tower to climb for the view.
Best hotels in El Nido
Pangulasian Island Resort
A private island resort with a long beach, a turtle reef and villas, the Palawan splurge.
Lagen Island Resort
A forest cove island resort with overwater rooms and a strong marine sports centre.
Cauayan Island Resort and Spa
A boutique island resort with villas, an infinity pool and a quieter luxury feel.
The Funny Lion El Nido
The best evidenced town hotel, with a pool, two restaurants and staff praised for real care.
Seda Lio
A full service beach resort in Lio with pools, a spa and the easiest airport arrival in El Nido.
Cadlao El Nido Resort & Restaurant
A garden bungalow resort a short shore walk from town, facing Cadlao Island with pools.
Buko Beach Resort
A small calm beachfront resort on swimmable Corong Corong Beach with a pool.
Spin Designer Hostel - El Nido
A designed hostel with dorms and privates, social without the party hostel chaos.
Is El Nido expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | ₱3,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | ₱8,500 a person |
| Splurge | ₱40,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Big Lagoon: a few days ahead
- Small Lagoon: a few days ahead
- Hidden Beach: a few days ahead
- Secret Beach: a few days ahead
- Snake Island: a few days ahead
- Big Dream Boatman: months ahead
- Palawan Divers: a few days ahead
- Pinagbuyutan Island: a few days ahead
- Book Lio flights, island resorts, good mid range rooms and the Coron expedition weeks to months ahead in dry season.
- Book shared tours a day ahead through your hotel for easier weather swaps.
- Arrive at top restaurants by 18:30, most small rooms take no reservations.
Is El Nido safe?
- Drink only sealed bottled or purified water and use it for brushing teeth, stomach illness is El Nido's main documented risk.
- Never swim off the town beach, swim at Las Cabanas, Lio, Nacpan and on the island tours.
- Wear reef shoes and a life vest when needed, and respect crews who cancel stops for swell.
El Nido travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Paying a premium for a town beachfront room when the town beach is not swimmable.
- Tour A at midday on a shared boat, when a private boat or Tour D gives the same sea without the crowd.
- Unconfirmed tour extras, where kayak, lagoon and environmental fees stack on top of the headline price.
Getting around El Nido: public transport and more
- Walk in town, it is ten minutes end to end.
- Agree tricycle fares before riding, roughly PHP 50 to 100 for town and Corong Corong hops.
- Rent a scooter for the northern beaches only if you are a confident rider, and never ride back after dark.
Who El Nido suits
| Solo travellers | Great |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make El Nido your trip
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