EL NIDO PALAWAN

EL NIDO: BEST ISLAND BEACHES IN THE WORLD 

By Henry Libo-on

A common sight at Bacuit Bay, El Nido. 

All copyright photos by Henry Libo-on of Touristang Pobre. 

Introduction

El Nido is considered one of the world's best beaches and island adventures destination. El Nido got its name from the Spanish word for nest or "Nido" because of the abundance of swiftlets' nests found in the crevices of limestone cliffs. 

The beachfront of El Nido Township. This is also the loading area of passengers for the island hopping at Bacuit Bay.

The nest of "Collocalia fuciphaga" is the main ingredient in the gourmet soup called Nido Soup and is served in first-class hotels and restaurants at an expensive price. El Nido is located in Bacuit Bay, northern Palawan, Philippines. It has a land area of 465 sq. km. or 179 sq. miles. It is bounded on the north by Linapacan Strait, on the East by the Sulu Sea, and on the west by the South China Sea.

The Beach area is one of the smaller islands at Bacuit Bay, the Entalula. 

Check the karst rock formation on this island. 

What to do at El Nido? 

El Nido is composed of 45 islands and islets and each has a unique geological formation. The rocks and limestone cliffs of El Nido are similar to those that can be found in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam; Guilin in China, and Krabi in Thailand. El Nido has 250 million years old limestone cliffs, 888 species of fish, 4 archaeological sites, 45 islands and islets with white beaches and turquoise blue waters, areas for cliff climbing, and 2,645 hectares of mangroves. (Wikipedia, DIM, Brochure).

There are so many things to do at El Nido. 

• Island Hopping. There are several packages for island hopping such as A, B, C, or D. Each package's itinerary may include a visit to 4 or 5 islands or islets. During my trip, the fee is P1,200.00 which included the boat and the lunch. There are about ten of us in the boat excluding the boat captain and his assistants. 
• Scuba Diving. There are several dive spots at El Nido. There are also Dive Shops mostly located on the beachfront shops or in the town proper which is about 5 to 10 minutes walk from the beach. 
• Snorkeling and kayaking are common water sports during my visit here at El Nido. If your interest is paddle boarding, you can ask your hotel staff regarding this. 
• Explore the karst rock formation near the town proper. It is called Taraw Peak. Ask your hotel staff if the local government still allows tourists to trek to the highest peak of the rock formation. This will give you a good view of the town and Bacuit Bay. 
• You can also explore the forest area to survey the different flora and fauna. Again, coordinate this trip with your hotel staff. 
• Have a tour of the town by yourself. It will increase your understanding of El Nido and the way of life of the locals, their livelihood, their education, their way of living, transportation, local officials, as well as the kinds of business around town. 
• Check their local delicacies, the seafood restaurants, bars, and entertainment areas mostly located along the beachfront. 
• Dewil Valley Community Museum and Ille Cave, Barangay Ibajay, Municipality of El Nido. This is an important archaeological and paleontological site in El Nido. 
• Explore the unique karst rock formations in nearby areas such as Idelet, Makangit, Ille, Istar, and Darabungan. 
• You can also ask your hotel staff for information about the Mystic Mangrove Adventure. You will kayak around the mangrove areas and see many species of mangroves, animals that thrive in the mangroves like snakes, and many more.

The Seven Commandos Beach at El Nido.  

Some people thought that the Seven Commandos Beach is a separate island. No, it is not because it is part of the mainland El Nido. The beach that you see here in the picture is actually the back of El Nido town facing the Bacuit Bay. Ayos? 

According to the locals, a ship was stranded on this beach, many, many years ago.  The crew waited for several months before they were rescued.  There were seven (7) members of the crew, according to the locals.  From that time on, the beach became known as the 7 Commandos Beach. 

Where to stay? 

El Nido has several hotels, inns, and lodging houses as well as restaurants and bars. Major credit cards are accepted. At the time when I wrote this blog, there is no bank in El Nido. When you contact your hotel for your reservation, please ask them if there are banks in town.  Internet connections and wifi are available in most hotels. There are also internet cafes spread around town.

For more information about where to stay, please visit these websites: 

THE 10 BEST Hotels in El Nido for 2022 (from $13) - Tripadvisor

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g294256-El_Nido_Palawan_Island_Palawan_Province_Mimaropa-Hotels.html

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Where to eat? 

This is the most important question that needs a direct answer. 

On the beachfront of El Nido, there are several restaurants and bars that offer food and drinks any time of the day. Dinner time, however, is the liveliest part of the day since there are live bands and performers to entertain the diners. From the beachfront of El Nido town, you can walk towards the first road from the beach. There are many bars and restaurants along the road that serves European, American, Italian, and Asian food among others. The prices range from the most expensive to the most affordable ones if you are on a budget. 

There are carinderias too that offer homestyle-cooked food. 

There are convenience stores along the streets that sell mineral water, chips, canned goods, rice, sweets, and sunblock. I suggest, however, that you must not forget to bring your sunblock because it is expensive in El Nido. If you have rechargeable batteries (AA) for the camera, do not forget to bring that charger, or else you buy those batteries in the store here. 

Island Hopping is one of the most enjoyable activities in El Nido other than snorkeling, scuba diving, swimming, and many others. Tour Packages A to D cover several island destinations and can be arranged in the hotel where guests are staying. Bourne Legacy's final end showing the boat leaving the island was shot in El Nido. Some scenes were also shot here - in the Big Lagoon.  

All copyright photos by Henry Libo-on, Touristang Pobre. 

How to get there?

El Nido is accessible by Ro-Ro Bus and other airconditioned buses and Vans. Travel time is between 6 - 7 hours from Puerto Princesa City Bus Terminal. Puerto Princesa is the capital of Palawan.

Upon my arrival at the airport of Puerto Princesa City, I rode the Tricycle in going to the San Vicente Bus Terminal.  There, I asked for a bus that will go to El Nido and the man referred me to the Conductor of the Ro-Ro Bus.   We left San Vicente Bus Terminal at around 3:00 p.m. 

The roads that led to El Nido were mostly paved.  The sceneries were awesome.  


Airplanes fly daily to Puerto Princesa from Manila, Cebu, and Iloilo. There are also shipping lines that serve Puerto Princesa from Manila, Batangas, Iloilo, and other island provinces. I took a plane from Iloilo City to Puerto Princesa. It was, I guess, an 11:00 a.m. flight. It took around one hour from Iloilo to Puerto Princesa. 

The price of beer, today, might be different from the price listed here. 

The photo displayed here, shows one of the Lagoons in El Nido, Palawan. When I went on an island-hopping adventure, I estimated about 30 or more boats carrying tourists to this Lagoon, where Bourne Legacy was also filmed. 

Just A Reminder.

There are no banks in El Nido.  I toured the whole town on foot and I did not see any bank. But there are money transfer branches of M Lhuillier, Cebuana Lhuillier, and Palawan Pawnshop.   In one of my walking around town, I met the Mayor of El Nido Town but I cannot remember her name.  We had a nice conversation on the side of the road near the Town Hall.  Brief as it was, so, I had no chance of asking her about her Environment Projects for El Nido.  

Updates: As of June 17, 2022.

1. BPI is located on Calle Real, El Nido Town.

2. Metro Bank is also located on Calle Real, El Nido Town. 

***These ATMs charges is fixed at P250.00 with foreign debit/credit card plus fees charge by your bank. Cash withdrawals is limited to P10,000.00. 

Source: Where to withdraw and change money in El Nido - El Nido Hotels (elnido-hotels.com)

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Some hotels accept credit cards. 

The town of El Nido is located near other tourist spots.  For example, Taytay Town can be reached after the 30-minute bus ride.  The town of San Vicente with its famous beach which locals say is one of the longest beaches in the Philippines.  Port Barton is also a bus ride away from El Nido.  You can go down the bus, from El Nido or from Puerto Princesa City, in the town of Roxas.   The jeep terminal for Port Barton is located near the Market.  Just ask the locals for directions.  

Please visit El Nido during the summer.  I was stranded for four (4) days in my El Nido hotel because of heavy rains that stopped the island-hopping activities. It was good I only paid P400.00 per night for this hotel room at Rudy's Inn. 

Are there places that you can make a side trip after El Nido? 

Yes, there are places to go after El Nido. 

1. San Vicente Beach. It is considered the longest beach in the country. You can ask the help of your hotel reception desk for assistance. What you will do is to ride the bus to El Nido Bus Terminal which is about 20 minutes more or less from El Nido town proper. Then ask the driver or his assistant called the "Conductor", where you can take the Jeep to San Vicente. There are several hotels and resorts in San Vicente. You can also surf the internet for additional information about going to San Vicente. 
   
2. Port Barton. This is one of the most visited places in this part of Palawan. The bus that leaves El Nido to Puerto Princesa City, will pass by the town of Roxas. The bus will park for a while at the Roxas bus terminal to pick up passengers for Puerto. A few steps away from the bus terminal is the Jeepney Terminal for Port Barton. You can also ask the bus driver or his conductor for assistance. Again, there are several hotels and resorts that offer accommodations in Port Barton. There are so many things to do in San Vicente and Port Barton. 
3. Fort of Santa Isabel at Taytay Town. Again, from El Nido, you can also tell the driver that you will go down to the bus terminal of the Tricycles that go to Taytay Town. The moment you found a tricycle/driver to take you to the Fort of Santa Isabel, ask the driver how much you have to pay. It will be a round-trip tricycle service. He has to wait for you while you are exploring the Fuerza de Santa Isabel or known as "Kuta". You can enter the fort and explore its inside. There is an old Aztec designed Chapel on the upper level of the "Kuta". 

After this tour of the fort, I asked the tricycle driver to take me back to the bus terminal where I took the bus going to Puerto Princesa City. There, I stayed for the night in the hotel where I stayed on my first day at Puerto Princesa. I toured the city in the evening to buy some souvenir items, went back to the hotel, and pack my things in preparation for my flight to Iloilo the next day. 

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If you run out of cash, you can ask someone back home to send you money through: 

1. M Lhuillier El Nido - M Lhuillier Pawnshop El Nido 

2. Cebuana Lhuillier El Nido 

3. Palawan Pawnshop El Nido

4. Henry Lhuillier Pawnshop & Jewelry Store El Nido 

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Before you leave this page, I am very sure that you like what you read and the pictures of these islands and beaches are so inviting that you are already considering a trip to El Nido, Palawan. 

Please help me spread the good news and LIKE my Facebook Page and SHARE this story with your friends.  Thank you. 

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*El Nido town in Palawan placed 9th in Condé Nast’s Traveler’s 25 Best Island Beaches in the World: 2020 Readers’ Choice Awards list. (Source: palawannews.com)

All photos by Henry Libo-on of Touristang Pobre.

Updated on June7, 2018.

Reviewed on April 11, 2021. 

Reviewed on September 8, 2021. 

Reviewed on December 26, 2022.

Reviewed on April 15, 2023.

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Who is Touristang Pobre? 

*He has been a travel writer for WHAT'S ON (In the Visayas & Mindanao), a travel guide circulated in Cebu and other parts of the Vis-Min regions.

*He was a writer and columnist of Negros Daily Bulletin, a local newspaper in Bacolod City and circulated around the province and Western Visayas. 

*He was a former Tour Guide when BTTI or Bureau of Travel & Tourist Industry became the Department of Tourism, circa early '70s. 

*He was a former Executive Assistant to the then Governor of Negros Occidental and later on Mayor of Bacolod City, Honorable Alfredo L. Montelibano, Jr. 

*He was a former OIC-CPDO or City Planning & Development Officer of Bacolod City Government.

*He was a former College Instructor/Professor at Riverside College School of Nursing.

*He was the past president of the Blue & Gold Alumni Association of ONI, UNO, and UNO-R. 

*He was also the past president of the Barangay Toastmasters Club, the second oldest Toastmasters Club International in the Philippines. 

*He is currently based in the U.S. but calls Bacolod City and Negros Occidental his home.