Philippines · Palawan
Palawan Island Guide: El Nido, Coron or Puerto Princesa
Which base to pick, how to get there and a 7 to 10 day route
Photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
- Main bases
- El Nido, Coron, Puerto Princesa
- Flights from Manila
- Puerto Princesa; El Nido and Coron fly from Clark
- Best months
- December to May
- El Nido to Coron
- Fast ferry, about 3.5 hours
For a first trip to Palawan island, pick El Nido if you want lagoons, limestone cliffs and the most beach time; pick Coron if you want Kayangan Lake, Twin Lagoon or wreck diving. Puerto Princesa is the easiest airport to reach and the base for the Underground River, so most 7 to 10 day routes start there and move north to El Nido, then Coron.
El Nido, Coron or Puerto Princesa at a glance
Scroll across for the rest of the columns.
| El Nido | Coron | Puerto Princesa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Lagoon and beach island hopping, Tours A to D | Kayangan Lake, Twin Lagoon, WWII wreck diving | Underground River, Honda Bay |
| Airport | Lio (ENI), from Clark or Cebu; or Puerto Princesa plus a 5–6 hour van | Busuanga (USU), from Clark, then 45 min–1 hr to town | Puerto Princesa (PPS), jets from Manila, 10–15 min to the city |
| How long | 3–4 days | 3 days | 2–3 days |
| Full guide | El Nido in 3 days | Coron in 3 days | Puerto Princesa in 3 days |
Where Palawan is and how to get there
Palawan is the long island province in the far west of the Philippines, with El Nido at the northern tip of the main island, Coron on Busuanga and Coron islands further north, and Puerto Princesa, the provincial capital, in the middle. Each base has its own airport, but they are not served equally.
Puerto Princesa (PPS) is the main gateway. Direct flights from Manila take about 1 hour 20 minutes, with roughly a dozen a day across Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines and Philippines AirAsia, and the airport is a 10 to 15 minute tricycle ride from the city. See how to get to Puerto Princesa from Manila.
El Nido (Lio Airport) and Coron (Busuanga) take turboprop aircraft only. Under a Manila slot-committee resolution, Cebu Pacific’s group and Philippine Airlines moved their turboprop flights from Manila’s NAIA to Clark International Airport on 29 March 2026, so El Nido and Coron flights now start in Clark, about 90 km north of Metro Manila. Clark to El Nido takes about 1 hour 35 minutes, and Cebgo, which took over the AirSWIFT service on 1 July 2026, flies it several times a day. El Nido also has a route from Cebu. The alternative to flying into El Nido is to land in Puerto Princesa and take a shared van north for 5 to 6 hours. Puerto Princesa is also the starting point for the far south: how to get to Balabac covers the van to Rio Tuba and the one boat a day.
Sources: AvGeek.ph, Cebu Pacific turboprop transfer to Clark; AvGeek.ph, Philippine Airlines ends NAIA turboprop flights; Philstar, “AirSWIFT flies as Cebgo starting July 1”; Suroy.ph, El Nido travel guide, checked 20 October 2026.
Book flights before anything else: El Nido and Coron have fewer seats than Puerto Princesa, and the full route breakdowns are on how to get to El Nido and how to get to Coron.
El Nido: lagoons and the four boat tours
El Nido’s boats run four fixed routes around Bacuit Bay, sold by almost every operator as Tour A, B, C and D. Tour A is the lagoon route (Big Lagoon, Shimizu Island, Seven Commando Beach), Tour B centres on the Snake Island sandbar and Cudugnon Cave, Tour C goes furthest out to Secret Beach, Matinloc Shrine and Helicopter Island, and Tour D is the quietest, with Cadlao Lagoon and Paradise Beach. Shared tours cost roughly ₱1,200–1,800 per person, plus the Eco-Tourism Development Fee of ₱400, paid once and valid for 10 days.
Source: Suroy.ph, El Nido travel guide, checked 20 October 2026.
Three or four days covers two tours and a land day. Compare the routes on Tour A, B, C and D compared, pick an area on where to stay in El Nido or a dorm from the best hostels in El Nido, and budget with El Nido: best time to visit and what a trip costs.
Coron: Kayangan Lake and the wrecks
Coron’s shared Tour A covers Kayangan Lake, Twin Lagoon, CYC Beach and a shallow wreck stop such as Skeleton Wreck. The Japanese WWII shipwrecks around Coron are a separate trip, sold by dive shops and run on their own boats. Plan three days: one to arrive, one for Tour A, one for diving or a second tour. The breakdowns are on Kayangan Lake, Twin Lagoon and shipwreck diving, things to do in Coron, where to stay in Coron and Coron: best time to visit and what a trip costs.
Puerto Princesa: the Underground River
The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River is a UNESCO World Heritage site, toured by paddleboat at Sabang, about two hours’ drive north of the city. The park caps daily visitors, so book the permit ahead. Honda Bay, the city’s island-hopping trip, is a short boat ride from its own coast. Give each a separate day, see the Underground River and Honda Bay compared, things to do in Puerto Princesa, where to stay in Puerto Princesa and Puerto Princesa: best time to visit and what a trip costs.
Port Barton sits between Puerto Princesa and El Nido and belongs to the municipality of San Vicente. Shared vans from Puerto Princesa take about 3 to 3.5 hours, from roughly ₱590, which makes it a natural stop on the drive north.
Source: GeckoRoutes, Puerto Princesa to Port Barton, checked 20 October 2026.
Moving between El Nido, Coron and Puerto Princesa
- Puerto Princesa to El Nido: shared van or bus, 5 to 6 hours, about 230 km. Lexxus Shuttle, Fortwally and Eulen Joy Express leave from Salvacion Junction and arrive at the El Nido Transport Terminal.
- El Nido to Coron: fast ferry of about 3.5 hours, or a cargo-passenger boat of about eight hours. Operators listed on booking sites include Montenegro Lines, Jomalia Shipping, Atienza and Phimal. Fast-ferry fares were about ₱2,400–3,200 in August 2026. Expect fewer sailings and more weather cancellations in the June to September wet season, so check the timetable for your date.
- Puerto Princesa to Coron by sea: eight to ten hours, rarely worth it compared with flying.
Sources: Ferryscanner, El Nido to Coron; 12Go, El Nido to Coron; Suroy.ph, Palawan trip cost, checked 20 October 2026.
Travelling south to north, El Nido first and then Coron, lets you fly home from Busuanga instead of backtracking.
Best time to go
Scroll across for the rest of the columns.
| Base | Calmest months | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| El Nido | December–May, with March and April usually the clearest | Wet season June–November reroutes boat tours |
| Coron | November–March | June–October cancels outer-island trips and dives |
| Puerto Princesa | December–May, February typically driest | Heavy rain June–September can close the Underground River |
Sources: ElNidoTourism.com weather, coron-philippines.com weather and travel time, Things to Do Puerto Princesa, best time to visit, Suroy.ph, Palawan trip cost, checked 20 October 2026.
The overlap, December to March, is when all three bases are at their most reliable, and also when rooms sell out first. Late May and November are the shoulder months, with lower rates and boats running most days.
A 7 to 10 day Palawan itinerary
Scroll across for the rest of the columns.
| Days | Base | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Puerto Princesa | Fly in from Manila, Underground River day trip |
| 3 | Puerto Princesa to El Nido | Shared van north, 5–6 hours |
| 4–6 | El Nido | Tour A, Tour C, a beach or Taraw Cliff day |
| 7 | El Nido to Coron | Fast ferry, about 3.5 hours |
| 8–10 | Coron | Tour A, wreck diving or a second tour, fly out from Busuanga |
With seven days, keep one night in Puerto Princesa, three in El Nido and two in Coron. With more than ten, break the van ride with two nights in Port Barton or add Honda Bay in Puerto Princesa.
Palawan beaches worth planning around
- Nacpan Beach, El Nido: a 4 km stretch about 45 minutes north of town, with no entrance fee. See things to do in El Nido.
- Las Cabanas Beach, El Nido: close to town, known for its sunset view of Cadlao Island.
- Seven Commando, Entalula, Secret and Paradise beaches: stops on El Nido’s Tours A, B, C and D.
- CYC Beach, Coron: part of Coron’s Tour A.
- Cowrie, Luli and Starfish islands, Honda Bay: the usual stops on Puerto Princesa’s island-hopping tour.
- Long Beach, San Vicente: about 14 km of shoreline, described by local tourism officials as the country’s longest white beach.
Source for Long Beach: The Poor Traveler, San Vicente travel guide (published June 2018), checked 20 October 2026.
Before you book
Book flights first, then the El Nido to Coron ferry for your date, then rooms, in that order in the December to March peak. A session with me is the fastest way to fit Palawan into a wider Philippines trip.
Questions people ask
El Nido or Coron: which is better?
El Nido suits lagoon and beach island hopping on four standard boat tours. Coron suits Kayangan Lake, Twin Lagoon and WWII wreck diving; with a week, a fast ferry of about 3.5 hours links the two.
How do I get to Palawan from Manila?
Puerto Princesa has direct jet flights from Manila, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Since 29 March 2026, the turboprop flights to El Nido and Coron leave from Clark instead of Manila.
How many days do you need in Palawan?
Plan about three days per base. Seven to ten days covers two or three bases, for example Puerto Princesa, El Nido and Coron.
When is the best time to visit Palawan?
December to May is the dry season across El Nido and Puerto Princesa. Coron's calmest seas run November to March, and June to October brings rougher seas and cancelled boat trips.
How do I get from El Nido to Coron?
By fast ferry, about 3.5 hours, or a slower cargo boat of about eight hours. Fast-ferry fares were about ₱2,400–3,200 in August 2026.
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