El Nido
is a gateway to the sublime
Welcome to El Nido
El Nido is the primary base for exploring Palawan’s star attraction, the stunning Bacuit Archipelago. Tiny swiftlets build edible nests out of saliva in the immense limestone cliffs that surround the ramshackle town proper – hence the name, El Nido (nest in Spanish). The town proper has an ordinary beach, but is home to an emerging restaurant and bar scene. Brooding Cadlao Island looms just offshore.
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El Nido activities
El Nido Island Hopping Snorkel Cruise Full-Day Tour with Lunch
Your day will start with a hotel pickup at 9am by a shared vehicle. Your professional guide will bring you to some hidden beaches and shrine situated in Bacuit Bay. You will be provided snorkel gear if you want to enjoy the underwater world at the island. Buffet lunch will be served around noon and you can always check with your guide for more information about the beaches and shrine during the tour. Our driver will transfer you back to your hotel after a wonderful experience at El Nido Island.Itinerary for the day:Dilumacad and Helicopter Island - This island has a beautiful white sand beach stretching to some 300 meters that is ideal for picnic lunches during island-hopping trips. There is an underwater tunnel at its northern side and a fringing reef on its southern end. The island is also called Helicopter Island because its limestone cliffs resemble that of a helicopter when it is viewed from a considerable distance.Tapiutan Island - Further out of the bay facing the South China Sea, Tapiutan's rich marine life provides opportunities for scuba diving and snorkelling. One of the most striking islands in El Nido because of its shape and sheer limestone walls. It is possible to have picnic lunch at the beach area on the southeastern side of the islandMatinloc Island - Matinloc Island, the longest slim island in El Nido, has asecret beach, which is a pocket of white sand beach at the corner of a sinkhole,that is inaccessible by boat and surrounded by steep rock walls. To reach it, divers must swim underwater through a narrow crevice in a rock wall. At noon, the sun streams in through the opening, allowing a play of light and shadow against its limestone walls. The beach floor drops abruptly. According to local legend, this beach inspired Alex Garland's novel The Beach, which was written while the author was in El Nido.Aside from the Hidden Beach, the island is also famous for the Kulasa Beach, a 100-meter beach strip of fine white sand located at one of its coves. The sea floor surrounding the beach slopes gradually and the water deepens only after about 10 meters. This location is one of the best snorkeling spots in Bacuit Bay due to the abundance of marine life in this area.Star Beach - Another fantastic snorkeling spot. Here your guides will prepare a sumptuous lunch by the beach while you discover the wonders and beauty of the coral reefs near this island.Matinloc Shrine - Hidden among the lush forested island is the Matinloc Shrine (also known as Shrine of Our Lady of Matinloc and Shrine of the Blessed Virgin) a sacred monument built in 1982 to honor the blessed Virgin Mary. Matinloc, local term for "beautiful," boasts of two spectacular snorkeling areas: Kalmung Point and Kulasa Beach.
El Nido Island-Hopping Tour
Your boat leaves El Nido at 9am, hotel pickup commences beforehand. If you're staying in a hotel in downtown El Nido, your guide will collect you 30 to 45 minutes before 9am. Lunch, boat transfers, floaters, snorkels, and the environmental fees are included. Just pack your towels, bathing suits, sunblock, cameras, and you're good to go. There are three tour options available and each have five destinations: Tour A - Lagoons and Beaches Enjoy a full-day island hopping to the following destinations: Small Lagoon, Big Lagoon, Secret Lagoon, Shimizu Island, and Seven Commandos Island Tour C - Hidden Beaches and Shrines Enjoy a full-day island hopping to the following destinations - Hidden Beach, Matinloc Shrine, Talisay Island, Secret Beach, and Helicopter Island Combined Island Hopping TourEnjoy the best destinations from Tours A & C. you may get to visit up to 10 but this may change depending on time and weather conditions. With all tour options, a delicious lunch will be served around noon and you’ll have fruits on the side as well. Some of the island destinations have restaurants or stores where you can buy other food, too. There's also an ice-cream vendor in the middle of the sea who sells refreshingly sweet treats to guests.
El Nido Island Hopping: Caves and Coves Tour Including Buffet Lunch
Your day will start with a hotel pickup at 9am by a shared vehicle. Your professional guide will bring you to some amazing caves and coves situated in Bacuit Bay. You will be provided snorkel gear if you want to enjoy the underwater world at the island. Buffet lunch will be served around noon and you can always check with your guide for more information about the caves and coves during the tour. Our driver will transfer you back to your hotel after a wonderful experience at El Nido Island.Itinerary for the day:Pangalusian Island - It has one of the widest stretches of powdery white beaches in El Nido, which is very ideal for sun bathing, sunset viewing, and other beach activities. The waters fronting the beach are clusters of coral reefs that make this area a good snorkeling and diving site.Pinagbuyutan Island has soft powdery white sand comparable to the world's best beaches. The water is shallow for about a couple of meters from the shore and then a few meters away you will see a snorkeling area full of fishes. Get captivated by the emerald green color of the water and the phenomenal seascape fronting this island.Vigan and Snake Island - Located near Pangulasian Island, it is also referred to as, "Snake Island," because of the fine natural sandspit (s-shaped sandbar) that "snakes" off it shores. The sandspit is clearly visible only when the tide is low. On both sides of the sandspit are shallow swimming areas. Climbing the hill of the nearby island provide a glimpse of an awe inspiring seascape and a bird's eye view of Bacuit Bay while the boat crew prepare a sumptuous meal.Cadugnon Point and Cave - It is an important anthropological site, where jewelry and pottery dating back to the Sung Dynasty (960-1279 BC) were yielded. The anthropologists believe that the cave dwellers were from Borneo, and traveled across the ancient land bridge that connected Palawan from Borneo. A small opening hidden among the rocks near the beach reveals a cathedral like cave inhabited by sea sparrows. Inside you’ll see spectacular rock formations and a way to climb a small limestone hill. A truly wonderful experience.Pinasil Island and Cathedral Cave - The island has a cathedral-like cavern accessible by dinghy and kayak. Its cool interior is lit at certain times of the day by sunlight coming through an opening at its peak. This one of important sites for the busyadors or the birds' nest gatherers.
8-Day Puerto Princesa & El Nido
Day 1: Puerto Princesa Airport Pick-upOn arrival at Puerto Princesa airport, we will transfer you to your accommodation. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.Day 2: Underground River Tour (B)The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is one of the most important protected areas of the Philippines. It features a spectacular limestone or karst landscape with one of the most complex cave systems. The discovery of at least 11 minerals, crystal and egg shape rock formations, and a 20 million-year-old Miocene age serenia fossil in the cave further add to its scientific value. Overnight in Puerto Princesa.Day 3: Transfer Puerto Princesa to El Nido (B)This morning you will board a shared transfer from Puerto Princesa to El Nido, a pristine natural sanctuary home to a wealth of coral reefs, lagoons, islets, caves, coves, springs and waterfalls. On arrival check-in your new accommodation.Days 4: El Nido Island Hopping (B/L/D)Today, you'll be picked up at your accommodation at 9am to discover some of El Nido's most stunning hidden gems on a custom boat tour. See beautiful rock formations and three different lagoons. Halfway through the day enjoy a traditional Filipino lunch fresh off the grill. Tonight, you'll be camping on the Diapila Beach, a secluded desert island.Day 5: El Nido Island Hopping (B/L/D)Enjoy an early morning breakfast soaking in the tropical morning and then get ready for a day full of snorkeling and sunbathing. You'll depart by boat at 9am to continue the guided tour of this stunning area, with visits to more beautiful islands, secret lagoons, and picturesque beaches. imagine. Take the Kayak and explore the lagoons and be your own captain. Tonight, you'll enjoy camping on the beautiful Cagdanao Island.Day 6: El Nido Inland Bicycle Tour (B/L/D)On your last guided full day in El Nido, you'll set sail to see some of the world's clearest waters. as the onboard crew points out all the hidden gems that are not yet exploited by tourism. In the afternoon, you'll be welcomed to Kulaylayan Village on another secluded island, where you'll be camping for the night.Day 7: El Nido Free Day (B)After a morning breakfast, you'll explore hidden highlights such as Cobra and Helicopter Islands before we return to El Nido around 4pm. You'll check-in to your island accommodations and enjoy an evening of free time in this tropical paradise. Overnight in El Nido.Day 8: El Nido to Puerto Princesa - Airport or Accommodation Drop-Off (B)It is time to say goodbye to this beach paradise as you catch a transfer back to Puerto Princesa, where you will be dropped off either at your next accommodation or at the airport for your onward flight. If you plan to fly off on this day, we strongly recommend that you book a flight only after 4 pm, otherwise you will risk missing it.
EL Nido Tour A
El Nido, officially the Municipality of El Nido, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Palawan, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 41,606 people.[4]It is about 420 kilometres (260 mi) south-west of Manila,[5] and about 238 kilometres (148 mi) north-east of Puerto Princesa, Palawan’s capital.[6] A managed resource protected area[6], it is known for its white-sand beaches, coral reefs, limestone cliffs and as the gateway to the Bacuit archipelago.El Nido is currently ranked #4 in Condé Nast Traveler's list of "20 Most Beautiful Beaches in the World." [7] CNNGo has called it the Best Beach and Island destination in the Philippines[8][9] for its "extraordinary natural splendor and ecosystem
EL Nido Tour B
This Tour is a very nice sight seeing tour with some snorkeling. In calm days the reef in front of Pangulasian is a very nice snorkel spot. Look out for Turtles and black tip sharks.The island was called snake island not because it has snakes. It is because of a long sand bar that looks like a snake from afar and is clearly visible only when the tide is low. On both sides of the sand bar are shallow swimming areas. The opposing currents bring a myriad of interesting rocks, stones, bits of coral, and shells to both sides of the sand bridge. It connect two islands on both end.Codugnon Cave, entrance to this sea cave is right on the shore a couple of steps to the left. To get in, you must crawl through a hole. The cave has beautiful limestone and marble walls, in various shades of brown, green, blue, white, and gray, and several light sources on the ceiling. The floor is sand, and the cave becomes filled with water during high tide.Pangalusian Island, El Nido - It has one of the widest stretches of powdery white beaches in El Nido, which is very ideal for sun bathing, sunset viewing, and other beach activities. The waters fronting the beach are clusters of coral reefs that make this area a good snorkeling and diving site. A trail located in the middle of the island is a good place for birdwatching, especially during early mornings and late afternoons. The trail ends at the peak of the island and provides and an excellent 360-degree view of the Bacuit Bay and nearby islands.