El Nido town, located on Palawan Island in the Philippines, is the bustling, central hub for exploring the stunning Bacuit Archipelago.
It is known for its dramatic limestone cliffs, vibrant nightlife, numerous budget-friendly hostels, and its role as the primary departure point for island-hopping boat tours.
El Nido
The town acts as a central logistics hub for transport, with many restaurants, cafes, and shops located on Hama Street and around the TownSquare.
Island Hopping: Most boat tours leave from the town’s central beach area to explore Bacuit Archipelago’s lagoons, beaches, and snorkeling spots.
Nightlife & Dining: Known for its lively atmosphere, the town features many restaurants, beach bars, and nightlife options, including spots that stay open late.
Accommodations: Offers a wide range of accommodation options, primarily popular for budget travelers and backpackers.
Surrounding Areas: While the town itself is crowded and energetic, it offers close access to popular areas like Caalan Beach.
Activities: Visitors can explore the town, enjoy the beach, take a canopy walk to a nearby viewpoint and enjoy locally sourced food.
El Nido town
Walk El Nido town, cool trikes, streets, markets. El Nido nights. What happens when the sun sets and diners come out. Sunsets and last nights. Stay at Bulskamp Inn.
Canopy Walk El Nido and walk above limestone cliffs with fantastic views of El Nido Town below, best time to go is morning, it takes about 30 minutes round trip.
El Nido ZipLine Palawan
El Nido Zip Line Palawan and fly above clear waters (weather permitting) and return along a rocky shore back to the sands of Las Cabanas for lunch and beach time. I got stuck in strong rain conditions and found myself climbing in very muddy conditions in flip-flops, only to eventually go barefoot to reach the top where I would be prepared for the zip-line.
Island Hop – Tour A
- Seven Commandos Beach
- Small Lagoon
- Shimizu Island where lunch is included
- Secret Lagoon
- Big Lagoon
Island hopping trips are a must while in El Nido, to explore off-shore beaches and water worlds. Tours A and C are the most popular and best booked at least a day in advance. It is a full day out from morning to late afternoon, be prepared to rent beach shoes (100pesos) to protect from rock fish in some areas, and money for things like kayak rental, drinks and tips. Groups are often big, and many boat tours follow the same route. Private trips can be arranged, of course at added costs, but certainly an option for small groups.
Nacpan Beach
You can discover Nacpan Beach by renting a motorbike or hiring a tricycle. Approx 20km from El Nido, it will take you from 45 minutes to 1 hour to get there, Nacpan Beach offers a getaway experience on this 4 km long beach! (Spent two days here after my first resulted in dark skies and muddy ride in on dirt roads with pools of water as this driver pulled the trike towards the beach some 2 to 4km muddy roads, knowing the return ride would be as difficult as coming to `Nacpan, but I returned to shoot Nacpan Beach again, which offered me a chance to see it on a new day and explore what I didn’t do the first time. a sense of “away from it“. It is not El Nido.)
Las Cabanas Beach
Las Cabanas sunset option* – (separate day trip perhaps, or evening night at the beachfront bar playing music while watching a sunset and early boogie) Las Cabanas sunset option* – (separate day trip perhaps, or evening night at the beachfront bar playing music while watching a sunset and early boogie).
