When to go to Palawan?
→ The detailed month-by-month page, with real weather records
Best time: December to April
At a glance
Why go to Palawan?
Palawan is an island 450 km long and no more than 40 wide, stretched between Borneo and the rest of the Philippines, with a forested mountain spine and coastlines cut into hundreds of bays. It has escaped the development seen in the country's other regions: a single road runs along its spine from north to south, there is one medium-sized town, Puerto Princesa, and fishing villages everywhere else. Filipinos themselves call it their last frontier.
The north holds the landscapes people come for. Bacuit Bay, off El Nido, lines up 45 islands of black limestone with sheer walls, pierced by turquoise lagoons and beaches no road reaches. Further north still, the Calamian Islands around Coron add clear-water lakes in the karst and a Japanese fleet from 1944 resting 20 to 40 metres down, one of the world's great wreck-diving grounds. Between the two lies a 4-hour crossing by fast ferry.
The rest takes effort and pays it back: the UNESCO-listed underground river at Sabang is explored by boat beneath 60-metre vaults; Port Barton keeps a sandy main street and turtles 200 metres from the beach; and the south, towards Balabac, has almost no accommodation. All at prices that stay low: a grilled fish meal for under €5, a bangka for the day for €20, a decent room for €30.
Map of Palawan: what is where?
The map shows the 6 places covered in this guide, to picture the distances and plan your route.
- El Nido
- Coron Town
- Puerto Princesa
- Port Barton
- Nacpan
- Calauit Island
How much does a trip to Palawan cost?
Palawan stays cheap for those who sleep in guesthouses and eat local, but boat trips, domestic flights and environmental fees soon add up. The item that changes everything is accommodation: from €20 in a guesthouse to €500 in an island resort.
| Style | Per day | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Backpacker | €30-45/day | Dorm or fan room, carinderias, shared tours every other day, scooter, night vans |
| Comfort | €80-130/day | Air-conditioned beach hotel, private tours for two, one dive trip, waterfront restaurants |
| Premium | €350+/day | Private island resort on full board, dedicated bangka, direct flights to El Nido, wreck diving |
Pesos are available from cash machines in Puerto Princesa, El Nido and Coron Town, which often run dry at weekends and are limited to 10,000 pesos per withdrawal with a 250-peso fee. Port Barton, Sabang and the north coast have none: arrive with cash. Cards are only accepted in hotels and agencies, and the rate is around 63 pesos to the euro.
Is Palawan safe?
Palawan is one of the safest provinces in the Philippines, well away from the tensions of southern Mindanao and the Sulu islands, and incidents involving travellers are rare. The real risks are at sea: bangkas sometimes go out in bad weather, life jackets are provided but not always worn, and the El Nido-Coron crossings are cancelled when the swell rises, which is good news. Currents are strong off the lagoons, the reefs are sharp, and the sun burns in 20 minutes on a boat. Dengue is present, especially in the wet season, so protect yourself from mosquitoes at dusk. The most serious hospital is in Puerto Princesa, 5 hours from El Nido, and an evacuation to Manila is expensive without insurance. Finally, tourism has pushed up prices and waste, so respect the single-use plastic bans in force in El Nido.
What to see and do in Palawan
- El Nido's Big Lagoon
- Puerto Princesa Underground River
- Kayangan Lake
- Coron Wrecks
- Nacpan Beach
- Port Barton
- Calauit Island
- Las Cabanas Beach
El Nido and Bacuit Bay
The village of El Nido sits at the foot of a cliff, with a main beach crowded with bangkas and lanes of guesthouses and agencies. Everyone is here for the bay: four tours lettered A to D cover lagoons, beaches and reefs in a day, 1,200 to 1,800 pesos per person with lunch grilled on an island. Tour A is the busiest, while Tour C has the best reefs, around Helicopter Island and Matinloc. In the evening, dinner is on Corong-Corong beach or in the restaurants of Calle Hama. Lio Airport is 4 km away, with daily flights from Manila and Cebu.
Coron and the Calamian Islands
Coron Town is a waterfront town on Busuanga Island and the starting point for Coron Island opposite, a block of karst belonging to the Tagbanua people. By bangka you visit Kayangan Lake, the Twin Lagoon with its passage under the rock at high tide, Barracuda Lake for its layers of warm and cold water, and Banol Beach. The dive clubs line up the 1944 wrecks across 15 km of bay. Mount Tapyas, 700 steps up, overlooks the town at sunset. The Maquinit hot springs, 3 km away, close at 22:00.
Puerto Princesa and Sabang
The provincial capital, with 300,000 inhabitants, an international airport and streets without much charm, Puerto Princesa is mainly a gateway and a base for the Sabang underground river, 2h away by road. Add a trip into Honda Bay to the islets of Starfish and Cowrie, an evening watching fireflies by canoe on the Iwahig River and the waterfront night market. Sabang deserves a night: a 2 km beach, a few simple resorts and an 800-metre zip line above the bay.
Port Barton
The village where people stay longer than planned. A sheltered bay, a sandy street and some thirty wooden guesthouses, with prices half those of El Nido. Bangka trips take in the Twin Reef reefs, the turtle seagrass beds and the beaches of German and Paradise islands, in small groups. On foot, the coastal path leads to White Beach in 1h. The village is reached by van from Puerto Princesa in 3h30 or from El Nido in 3h, and a direct boat to El Nido runs in the dry season.
Nacpan and the North Coast
North of El Nido, the paved road leads in 40 minutes to Nacpan, four kilometres of sand and coconut palms with a few bars and camps. Further on, Duli Beach draws surfers between November and March, and Sibaltan, on the east coast, has a small museum on the Chinese junk wrecks found offshore. This end of the island is explored by scooter, 500 to 600 pesos a day, with roadside fuel sold in bottles. Bring water and cash: there is no cash machine or pharmacy past Nacpan.
Calauit Island
At the end of the Busuanga road, 2h from Coron Town, this reserve created in 1976 mixes savannah and coconut groves, with giraffes and zebras imported from Kenya under Marcos and local species such as the Calamian deer and the saltwater crocodile. It is visited by open truck and on foot with a ranger, in 2h. The Tagbanua who were evicted at the time have partly returned and live alongside the animals. It is usually combined with Black Island and its caves, or with the beaches of northern Busuanga, on a day trip that leaves before dawn.
How many days, and which itinerary?
A week lets you do El Nido and Coron with the ferry between them. Ten days add Port Barton and the underground river, working north from Puerto Princesa. Two weeks leave time for days without boats, common as soon as the wind picks up, and for booking nothing in advance.
🗺️ Day-by-day itinerary · 📓 Free printable Palawan guide (PDF) · 🌍 All of the Philippines
The north (7 days)
Fly Manila-El Nido, three nights there: Tour A on day one, Tour C on day two, Nacpan by scooter and sunset at Las Cabanas on day three. Fast ferry to Coron on day four, 4 hours. Three nights in Coron Town: Kayangan Lake and the Twin Lagoon by bangka, a day on the wrecks diving or snorkelling over the shallowest ones, Mount Tapyas in the evening. Fly back from Busuanga to Manila. The most common format, at a good pace, but with little leeway if the sea gets up.
South to north (10 days)
Arrive in Puerto Princesa, spend the night, then head by road to Sabang and the underground river, night in Sabang. Van to Port Barton, two nights, a bangka trip and turtles. Road or boat to El Nido, three nights with two tours and Nacpan. Ferry to Coron, three nights, lakes and wrecks, then fly from Busuanga to Manila. You travel from south to north without ever retracing your steps, seeing rural Palawan between the two tourist hubs.
No rush (14 days)
The same route, but with extra nights wherever you linger: a second day in Sabang for the beach and the forest, three nights in Port Barton for the village atmosphere, a night on El Nido's north coast around Duli or Sibaltan, and a full day for Calauit from Coron. A two-week trip still costs under €1,000 on the ground staying in guesthouses. It is also the right length to absorb a cancelled ferry, a typhoon at the edge of the season or simply a bout of tiredness.
Getting there and getting around
From Manila, daily flights to Puerto Princesa (1h15, €40-80), El Nido via Lio Airport (1h15, €100-180 with AirSWIFT) and Coron-Busuanga (1h, €60-120). Cebu also serves all three. Book early in high season, as the planes are small.
By road, shared vans link Puerto Princesa to El Nido in 5 to 6 hours for 600 to 700 pesos, with an optional stop at Port Barton or Sabang. They leave when full. A private driver costs 6,000 to 8,000 pesos for the same journey.
Between El Nido and Coron, the fast ferries of Montenegro Lines and Atienza make the crossing in 3h30 to 4h for around 1,800 to 2,000 pesos, with one or two morning departures. They are cancelled as soon as the sea picks up, so allow a day's margin before a flight.
Locally, tricycles cost 50 to 150 pesos a ride in town and scooters 500 to 600 pesos a day. Shared bangkas are booked the day before; a private one for 4 to 6 people costs 3,000 to 5,000 pesos a day depending on the distance.
Where to stay in Palawan?
Guesthouses and family-run pensions in El Nido, Coron and Port Barton: a room with a fan from €15-25, with air conditioning €30-45. El Nido's hostels offer dorm beds at €12-18 with a guaranteed social life.
Mid-range hotels and beach resorts, €60-120: Corong-Corong and Lio for El Nido, Coron Bay for Busuanga. Pool, breakfast and transfers included, and often a private beach that makes up for the lack of a proper beach in the village.
Private island resorts in Bacuit Bay, from €300 to over €800 a night full board, with a dedicated bangka and trips included. They are booked months ahead for the Christmas to Easter period.
Wild camping is not the done thing, but a few tent or cabin camps on the beaches of Nacpan and Duli offer a night for €20-30. Power cuts are frequent outside the big resorts, and Wi-Fi is often token at best.
Our places to stay, stop by stop, at three budgets →
What to eat in Palawan?
The fish comes off the morning boat: Spanish mackerel, snapper or grouper grilled whole over charcoal, 250 to 450 pesos, served with rice and a soy-calamansi sauce. Bangka tours usually include this lunch on a beach.
Filipino food is best tasted in carinderias, canteens with dishes on display: pork or chicken adobo in vinegar and soy sauce, sour tamarind sinigang, and kinilaw, raw fish in vinegar. Expect 100 to 200 pesos a meal.
Palawan has its own specialities: tamilok, a mangrove mollusc eaten raw with vinegar, grilled crocodile in Puerto Princesa, cashew nuts from Roxas sold in bags by the roadside, and dried mangoes to take home.
El Nido and Coron also have pizzerias, smoothie bars and Western restaurants, at 300 to 600 pesos a dish. San Miguel beer sells for 70 to 100 pesos, and Tanduay rum costs next to nothing. Tap water is not drinkable, so bring a bottle to refill at guesthouse water stations.
Entry requirements
Visa-free for 30 days with a passport valid six months beyond arrival, for EU, UK, US, Canadian and Australian citizens, with proof of onward travel. Everyone must also register online on eTravel within the 72 hours before arrival.
Rules change: check your own government's travel advice before you go.
Frequently asked questions about Palawan
El Nido or Coron: which to choose if you don't have time for both?
El Nido for the lagoons, the beaches and the choice of accommodation; Coron for the karst lakes and wreck diving, with a quieter feel. With five days, you can do both thanks to the 4-hour ferry, as long as you keep a day's margin before your flight home.
When should you go to Palawan?
From December to May for calm seas and clear skies, with peak crowds and prices from Christmas to Easter. March and April are the hottest and driest months. From June to October, rain and swell cancel trips and ferries, but prices drop by half.
How much does a boat tour in El Nido cost?
Between 1,200 and 1,800 pesos per person depending on the loop, or €19-29, with lunch and a mask included, plus the 400-peso environmental fee valid for ten days and a few entry charges at certain sites, such as kayaking in the Big Lagoon. A private bangka for a group costs 6,000 to 9,000 pesos a day.
Do you need to book the underground river in advance?
Yes, the number of daily permits is capped and places go fast in high season. The simplest solution is to book through an agency in Puerto Princesa the day before, or earlier in December and at Easter. If you sleep in Sabang, you can aim for the first boat of the morning, ahead of the coaches from town.
How do you get to Palawan from Europe?
There are no direct flights. Allow 15 to 17 hours to Manila with one stop, in Doha, Dubai, Singapore or Istanbul, then a 1h15 domestic flight to Puerto Princesa, El Nido or Busuanga. If you land late in Manila, a night near the airport saves you rushing for the morning connection.
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