Destinations
Palawan: Island-Hopping the Philippines' Last Frontier
El Nido's lagoons, Coron WWII wrecks and the underground river — planning a week on the world's best island.
By Sofia Rivera · 2 June 2026 · 8 min read
Palawan keeps winning 'world's best island' polls for a reason: limestone karsts rising out of glass-clear water, lagoons hidden inside cliffs, and coral gardens that start three metres from the beach. It is also gloriously undeveloped — power cuts, rough roads and all.
El Nido is the classic base: four standardised boat tours (A through D) cover the lagoons and beaches, and tour A — Big Lagoon, Secret Lagoon, Shimizu Island — remains the essential day. Book directly at the port and expect to pay around 1,200 to 1,400 pesos plus the environmental fee.
Coron, a ferry ride north, trades lagoons for wrecks: a dozen Japanese supply ships sunk in 1944 now lie in shallow, snorkelable water, draped in coral and patrolled by batfish. Non-divers can see three from the surface; divers should budget two full days.
Between them runs the expedition option — three-day boat trips from El Nido to Coron that camp on empty islands and stop at reefs no tour reaches. It costs more than the ferries and gives back tenfold. Puerto Princesa's underground river, a UNESCO-listed cave system, makes a worthwhile first or last day if you fly through.
