Must-see attractions in Palawan

  • Banca boats in the water at Coron Island.
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    Coron Island

    Coron Town

    This island, only a 20-minute bangka ride from Coron town, has an imposing, mysterious skyline that wouldn’t be out of place in a King Kong film. Flying…

  • Nacpan beach in El Nido.

    Nacpan Beach

    El Nido

    For an easy day trip out of El Nido, head north by tricycle or motorbike to this incredible, golden-hued, 3km-long beach. Development has arrived in…

  • Shadows of palm trees on Duli beach, a surfing spot at El Nido.
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    Duli Beach

    El Nido

    This incredibly beautiful, jungle-backed, stretch of golden sand toward the northern tip of mainland Palawan is the centre of El Nido's surfing community…

  • Beach lined with palm trees at San Vincente's Long Beach.

    Long Beach

    Palawan

    San Vicente's signature attraction is a real beauty. It actually consists of three beaches – Long Beach 1, 2 and 3 – which combined yield about 14km of…

  • Kuyawyaw Falls

    Palawan

    This is a series of three falls cascading into fresh pools 27km north of Taytay. There's a fun little 4m cliff jump at the second falls, which are less…

  • A woman floats on her back in the Big Lagoon on Miniloc Island.

    Miniloc Island

    Bacuit Archipelago

    Miniloc Island is perhaps the most interesting of the archipelago's islands. The main attractions are Big Lagoon, Small Lagoon and Secret Lagoon, three of…

  • View of green mountain and tropical beach, El Nido bay, Palawan island, Philippines
beach, boat, cadlao, el nido, island, palawan, philippines, sea, tropical

    Cadlao Island

    Bacuit Archipelago

    Cadlao Island is like a mini–Tahiti miraculously relocated to the Bacuit Archipelago. In addition to being a wonderful piece of eye candy for those…

  • Hidden beach in Matinloc Island, Philippines.

    Matinloc Island

    Bacuit Archipelago

    Like the back of a half-submerged stegosaurus, Matinloc Island snakes some 8km along the western edge of the Bacuit Archipelago. Along with neighbouring…

  • Tabon Caves

    Palawan

    The most anthropologically significant site in the Philippines, this cave complex is where the remains of some of the earliest Philippine humans have been…

  • High-angle view of Kayangan Lake.

    Kayangan Lake

    Coron Town

    Accessible by a steep 10-minute climb, the crystal-clear waters of Lake Kayangan are nestled into the mountain walls; underwater is like a moonscape…

  • People watching the sunset on the Maremegmeg beach at El Nido, Palawan, Philippines.

    Maremegmeg Beach

    El Nido

    Often called Las Cabanas Beach after a local resort, this is the closest nice beach to El Nido and has a rockin' sunset bar scene centred around Beach…

  • Twin Lagoon in Coron, Philippines

    Twin Lagoon

    Coron Town

    There are two sides to this photogenic lagoon where salt and fresh water meet. Boats dock in one half and and the other half is accessed by swimming…

  • Balay Cuyonon

    El Nido

    You can take a guided tour of this complex of well-preserved traditional Cuyonon houses to learn about ordinary village life. Consider a night in a native…

  • Iwahig Prison & Penal Farm

    Puerto Princesa

    About 15km from Puerto, this penal colony invites visitors to drop in and mingle with the prisoners. In the gymnasium of the central compound, inmates…

  • World War II Museum

    Puerto Princesa

    Just east of the centre, this is an interesting, privately owned museum set up by Eugenio Mendoza, whose father was a member of the Fighting 1000, a group…

  • Estrella Falls

    Palawan

    These actually consist of some 64 falls along the Estrella River, which is fed by Mt Victoria. The lowest falls are easy to reach – they are in Estrella…

  • Plaza Cuartel

    Puerto Princesa

    Behind the Immaculate Concepcion Cathedral (c 1872), this restored WWII garrison is the site of an open-air war museum and shrine to American prisoners of…

  • Environmental Enforcement Museum

    Puerto Princesa

    In the Pasyar Travel & Tours complex, this is a worthy and important museum that displays confiscated chainsaws, boats, dynamite and (sometimes) animals…

  • Lio Beach

    El Nido

    The wealthy Ayala conglomerate, in conjunction with Ten Knots Travel, are developing this wide white-sand beach 7km north of El Nido proper into a swanky…

  • Lake Danao

    Palawan

    South of town lies Lake Danao (Manguao), the largest freshwater lake in Palawan. There are some trails for walking or mountain biking, and wildlife,…

  • Barracuda Lake

    Coron Town

    A popular island-hopping stop, scenic Barracuda Lake is of interest to divers for its unique layers of fresh, salt and brackish water and dramatic…

  • Nagtabon Beach

    Puerto Princesa

    This beach, on the northern side of the isthmus, has several hundred metres of white sand and shallow water good for swimming. Jeepneys from San Jose…

  • Nagkalit-kalit Waterfalls

    El Nido

    From a signpost on the National Hwy 3km south of the Nacpan Beach turn-off, it’s a 40-minute walk through several rivers to these gentle falls, with a…

  • Olangoan Falls

    Palawan

    It's a 40-minute hike from the highway up to this pleasant waterfall. It has a swimming hole, a modest (5m) cliff jump and fish that nibble at your feet…

  • Mt Tapyas

    Coron Town

    Grunt your way up 700-plus steps to Mt Tapyas in Coron Town for astounding views of Coron Bay. It's a quintessential Coron experience.

  • Tabon Caves Museum

    Palawan

    This is where you go to arrange boat trips to the Tabon Caves archaeological site. Call ahead to organise a boat. The fragments of Tabon Man and other…

  • Fort Santa Isabel

    Palawan

    With thick walls and a strategic position on the waterfront overlooking Taytay Bay, Fort Santa Isabel guarded against attacks from Moro pirates during the…

  • Palawan Museum

    Puerto Princesa

    Housed in the old City Hall building adjacent to Mendoza Park, this newly modernised museum has two floors of exhibits about the ethnological and…

  • Palawan Heritage Center

    Puerto Princesa

    This museum has touch-screen videos and a hologram that outline Palawan’s history and explain contemporary economic and environmental challenges. There's…

  • Banol Beach

    Coron Town

    A common stop on island-hopping trips to Coron Island is Banol Beach, a small sandy area with shelter from the sun.

  • Municipal Hall

    Coron Town

    Coron's Municipal Hall is in the centre of town.

  • Town Hall

    El Nido

    El Nido's administrative centre.