El Nido is a small village in the North of Palawan with a lot of islands around. There are two main streets with Hotels and Beach View Bungalows, restaurants and bars and little shops. The scenery with the beautiful green rocks in the crystalclear ocean reminds me a lot of the Andaman Sea in Thailand.
Important Information: there are no ATMs in El Nido, so make sure to get enough cash in Puerto Princesa.
Things to do in El Nido
- Islandhopping tours:
- Tour A: 7th Commando, Secret Lagoon, Shimizu Island, Big Lagoon, Small Langoon
The highlights on this Tour were the beautiful Beach & snorkeling at 7th Commando and renting a kayak in the Small Lagoon! (regular Price: 1.200 Pesos) - Tour B: Snake Island, Cathedral Cave, Cudugnon Cave, Pinagbuyutan Island, Entalula Island (regular Price: 1.300 Pesos)
- Tour C:
Matinloc Shrine, Secret Beach, Helicopter Island, Hidden Beach, Talisay Beach
(regular Price: 1.400 Pesos) - Tour D:
Pasandigan Beach, Cadlao Lagoon, Paradise Island, Ipil Beach, Bukal Beach
(regular Price: 1.200 Pesos) - The regular prices for the tours include 200 pesos environmental fee, which you have to pay once and than you can use this for 10 days.
The day we did Tour A, something didn’t work out with our environment permission, so we didn’t pay for it. Our price for tour A was 700 pesos.
- Tour A: 7th Commando, Secret Lagoon, Shimizu Island, Big Lagoon, Small Langoon
- Explore the beaches around:
- las Cabanas is about 8 minutes by tricycle away and the sunsets are amazing. It is also a good spot to go snorkelling!
- Nacpan Beach:
This is a little further away, about 45 minutes by Tricycle. This is one of my favourite beaches I have ever been to!
- Rent a Kayak:
- Go scuba diving:
Palawan is a great place to go scuba diving and exploring the underwater would. It is a little more expensive than in Thailand or a few other places in Asia, but it is just great there.
Prices are about:
2 dives 2.500-3.000 pesos
3 dives 3.000 – 3.500 pesos
Accommodation in El Nido
Hotels and Cottages/Bungalows in El Nido are not that cheap.
- Tandikan beach cottages:
For sure not the best, but one of the cheapest accommodations in El Nido with beach view. 900 pesos per night and coffee in the morning is included. - Rover’s Pension:
This Pension has very nice rooms with Air Con and a nice bathroom. - Entalula beach: A really nice room with a perfect beach view.
Restaurants in El Nido
- Trattoria altrov’é
Very good Italian restaurant, which serves huge pizzas and the best mango shake in town!
We love the Pepperoni Pizza, which we shared a few times. - The Art Cafe
One of the most popular cafes/bars in El Nido, with a nice beach view. - Squidos
This is a little place which serves good food. I Love the Spaghetti with seafood, but we also went there a few times for breakfast. Try the Mango Shake too.