What to see in El Nido: the quick guide to Palawan's jewel
El Nido packs some of the Philippines' most spectacular lagoons and beaches into a small area. Here's what you can't miss if you go.
El Nido has a reputation as the jewel of Palawan, and honestly, seeing it in person, that reputation undersells it. In a relatively small area it packs some of the most photographed lagoons and beaches in all of Southeast Asia. Here's what you can't miss if you go.
The lagoons on the A+C tour
Big Lagoon, Secret Lagoon, Small Lagoon, Hidden Beach and Helicopter Island are the names that come up most in any "what to see in El Nido" list, and for good reason: combining tours A and C into a single day on the boat is, for me, the best way to see them all without repeating a day or getting tired of sitting in a boat.
Nacpan Beach and the scooter route
Renting a scooter to explore the north of the island — with Lio Beach, Nacpan Beach and Duli Beach as stops — is one of the best decisions we made on the whole trip, no exaggeration. Nacpan in particular is a very long beach, almost empty outside peak season, the kind where you can walk twenty minutes without running into anyone.
Sunset from Las Cabañas
You don't need to book anything special for the best sunset in El Nido: just sit on Las Cabañas beach in the late afternoon. It's the unofficial meeting point for every traveler on the island, and you can feel the good atmosphere even though nobody organizes it.
If you only have one day in El Nido, the A+C tour is non-negotiable. There's no way around it.
Our real recommendation
If you have two days, add the scooter route to Nacpan without a second thought — it's the perfect counterpoint to a full day on a boat, and it shows you a much more local side of the island than the tourist center.
How much does all this cost?
Tours, scooters and lodging in El Nido have a wide price range. We break it down by travel style.
See the real budgetWant it all worked out? See our 14-day Philippines itinerary, with a day-by-day route, places to stay and restaurants.
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