Palawan.

ASIA-PACIFIC/PHILIPPINES/9.8349° N, 118.7384° E

Diesel bancas idle at dawn off El Nido, their outriggers tapping the swell before setting out across Bacuit Bay. This long splinter of an island runs 450 kilometres from Mindoro down toward Borneo, shifting from dense rainforest and subterranean rivers to jagged karst towers and quiet fishing coves. You come for the clear water and stay for grilled lapu-lapu seasoned with calamansi at simple beachside tables.

Last updated 4 Sept 2026

Field notes

Photographs · Wikimedia Commons
Asia-Pacific / Philippines9.83°N 118.74°E
Palawan — The landscape of central Palawan within Puerto Princesa Subterran…
The landscape of central Palawan within Puerto Princesa Subterran… · Wikimedia Commons
Palawan — Pulau Palawan seen from Siloso Beach, Sentosa, Singapore - 20060805
Pulau Palawan seen from Siloso Beach, Sentosa, Singapore - 20060805 · Wikimedia Commons
Palawan — Port Barton, Village, Palawan, Philippines
Port Barton, Village, Palawan, Philippines · Wikimedia Commons

What Palawan is about

Twelve ways to read the region. Pick a town below and you can turn any of these into a timed 1, 2 or 3 day plan.

LOCAL SEAFOOD

Grilled squid and sweet lapu-lapu dusted in rock salt, served with spicy vinegar and rice at simple portside grills in Coron.

ISLAND HOPPING

Wooden bangkas chart routes across Bacuit Bay, anchoring off Miniloc Island and hidden saltwater lagoons fringed by karst.

WRECK DIVING

Coron Bay holds sunken 1944 Japanese supply ships like the Akitsushima, now coral-encrusted artificial reefs at 30 metres depth.

CAVE SYSTEMS

Paddle into the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River, an eight-kilometre navigable cavern with massive limestone cathedral chambers.

BEACHES

Nacpan Beach stretches four kilometres of pale sand with gentle surf, far away from the town hum of El Nido.

MARKET STALLS

Puerto Princesa Old Market sells dried danggit, fresh lato sea grapes, and sweet mangoes stacked high in wooden crates.

MARINE RESERVES

Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park protects pristine coral atolls, hammerhead sharks, and manta rays in the central Sulu Sea.

ROADSIDE DINERS

Carinderias ladle out steaming bowls of chicken inato, pork humba, and fresh coconut water along the highway out of Aborlan.

MANGROVE FORESTS

Flat-bottomed skiffs drift through Sabang Mangrove Forest, where hundred-year-old root arches shelter crabs and monitor lizards.

COASTAL WALKS

Dirt footpaths climb Mount Tapyas in Coron for sweeping sunset views over the bay, ending with a soak in Maquinit Hot Springs.

TRADITIONAL CRAFTS

Binuatan Creations in Puerto Princesa weaves local plant fibres like buri and pandan on traditional hand looms.

FRESHWATER WATERFALLS

Estrella Falls tumbles from Mount Victoria into cold, emerald-green jungle pools surrounded by wild fern groves in Narra.

Where to go in Palawan

The bases worth booking. Each one has its own field guide with 1, 2 and 3 day itineraries.

  1. 01
    El Nido

    PALAWAN / PHILIPPINES

    Base here for bangka boats into Bacuit Bay and evening meals on the sand.

  2. 02
    Coron

    PALAWAN / PHILIPPINES

    The launchpad for World War II shipwreck dives and kayak trips in Twin Lagoon.

  3. 03
    Puerto Princesa

    PALAWAN / PHILIPPINES

    The provincial capital offers lively night markets, craft weaving, and port access.

  4. 04
    Port Barton

    PALAWAN / PHILIPPINES

    A low-key fishing village with sandy tracks, quiet shores, and excellent grilled fish.

  5. 05
    Sabang

    PALAWAN / PHILIPPINES

    Stay for the underground river cavern and early morning walks through old mangroves.

  6. 06
    San Vicente

    PALAWAN / PHILIPPINES

    Walk the fourteen-kilometre Long Beach, an unfussy stretch of sand without resort crowds.

  7. 07
    Taytay

    PALAWAN / PHILIPPINES

    Visit the 17th-century coral stone Fort Santa Isabel overlooking the inner bay.

  8. 08
    Culion

    PALAWAN / PHILIPPINES

    A quiet former leper colony with an evocative museum, stone church, and colonial lanes.

  9. 09
    Linapacan

    PALAWAN / PHILIPPINES

    Remote northern islands with some of the clearest water and simplest homestays around.

  10. 10
    Balabac

    PALAWAN / PHILIPPINES

    The far southern archipelago rewards long journeys with sandbars and calm turquoise tides.

  11. 11
    Narra

    PALAWAN / PHILIPPINES

    Inland agricultural hub known for Estrella Falls and birdwatching in forest reserves.

  12. 12
    Quezon

    PALAWAN / PHILIPPINES

    Head here to explore the prehistoric Tabon Caves, the cradle of Philippine archaeology.

What to do in Palawan

Palawan is a long, narrow frontier province running between the Sulu Sea and the West Philippine Sea. Days here track the tides and boat schedules, whether navigating limestone lagoons in El Nido or diving wrecks off Coron. It suits travellers who trade luxury hotel lobbies for wooden bangkas, cold San Miguel beer, and unvarnished coastal towns where fish is bought straight off the morning docks.

When to go to Palawan

Visit between November and April during the dry season, when seas are calmest for boat crossings. December to February brings pleasant trade winds, while March and April get hot. Southwest monsoons hit from July to October, bringing rough waters and cancelled ferry routes.

Getting around Palawan

Flights connect Manila and Cebu to Puerto Princesa, El Nido, and Coron. On the main island, air-conditioned passenger vans run the 5-to-6-hour drive north from Puerto Princesa to El Nido along good paved roads. For Coron to El Nido, fast ferries take roughly four hours.