DESTINATION EL NIDO

Things to do in El Nido

Few destinations in the Philippines have as many attractions and places to see as does
El Nido. And what further sets it apart from destinations in the World are how incredibly stunning the views and nature are everywhere you go.

Ofcourse, El Nido is most known for island hopping, however, there are so many incredible things to see/experience on the mainland that
a trip to El Nido even without island hopping would be absolutely amazing.  That being said, should you wish to go island hopping, we recommend getting a speedboat.  Otherwise travels from island to island are a little
long (45 mins instead of 15 mins) and cramp depending on which boat/tour operator you choose.

Must-do experiences in El Nido

  • Go to Seven Commandos Beach for lunch. You'll need to take a short boat ride, or paddle board.

  • Go to Lio for lunch, drinks and swimming. 

  • Maremegmeg Beach and Las Cabanas for an incredible beach experience

  • Henri's roofdeck at sunset for the most incredible view

  • Island Hopping

  • TownSquare hertiage district; the fanciest neighborhood with everything from breakfast to party.

  • Zip Line over Maremegmeg for a mind-blowing zipline experience.

  • Canopy Walk for a guided and safe climbing activity with amazing views.

  • Walk along Hama Walking Street in the evening

  • Piece of Sky for sunset or lunch for stunning roofdeck views

  • Go to Lime hotel roofdeck to swim, drink and eat pizza

  • Madfrog Buggy Off-road experience

  • Stroll along Corong-Corong Beach

  • Drive to Nacpan beach and hang out at Angkla

  • Lunch and swim at Tao Farm. (you must reserve a spot in advance)

  • Kitesurfing at Amihan Kitesurf Cafe

  • ATVs E Bahay Nature Park 

  • Mangrove tour at Dewil

  • Cave at Dewil

  • Waterfall hike at Makalitkalit falls

  • Surfing at Duli Beach

Where to stay in El Nido

El Nido is a very large municipality in Palawan; in comparison, for example, just the municipality of El Nido is around 95x larger than Boracay Island. Choosing where to stay is critical, as there are many spread-out sub-regions within El Nido, each offering their own charm and features depending on what you are looking for. For those seeking the ultimate experience, the best villas in El Nido are Diwatu Villas, offering a perfect blend of luxury, privacy, and natural beauty.

Below are the main ‘regions’ within El Nido with a short description of each:

  • El Nido town is where most of the ‘action’ is and where TownSquare (the place to be) is located.  If you want to be in the middle of the action (restaurants, bars, shops, nightlife), then this is the area for you.  This area is not recommended for a nice peaceful beach accommodation or for families with children.  

  • A strip along Corong-Corong beach, with gorgeous ocean views, filled with a great selection of boutique resorts and hotels.  Spread around this strip are some of the nicest beach bars and restaurants; some are quite hidden.  For the best balance of being in or near the “action” but still with nice beach/tropical vibes, then this is the area for you.

  • An area along and adjacent to (World-famous) Maremegmeg beach.  If you want to be at/near a gorgeous beach for swimming and sunbathing, and don’t mind being a 15-20 min walk + trike ride to town, then this is the area for you.  That being said, some lovely restaurants and beach bars can be found here for adults and kids to hang out at. Do note that many of the resorts here have limited access and can only be accessed by foot. 

  • Ayala Corporation’s beautifully master planned eco destination, mainly along a forested beach and mangrove area with resorts and its own beachfront commercial area where you’ll find a few good restaurants and some shops.  Unless you plan to just stay within the estate, getting anywhere (like town; 20 mins by car, 30 mins by trike) can be a bit of a hassle.  For those looking for a more organized, peaceful holiday - especially for families and elderly couples - yet still with some restaurants and shops in the vicinity. At the outskirts of Lio, within Villa Libertad are various Airbnb-style villas.

  • Nacpan beach is a massive and beautiful beach with a few very nice resorts.  This area, however, is still relatively undeveloped and very far from anywhere (45 minutes drive to town; unreachable by trike).  This location is very inconvenient in terms of access to El Nido town and “the action”, however if you just plan to laze around your resort all day at a stunning beach, this might be for you.

  • Within the World-famous limestone islands of Bacuit Bay, these island resorts are for those that want complete isolation and a total escape on the mind-blowing islands in luxury.  You will, however, miss out on a lot of what El Nido has to offer in terms of restaurants, shops, nightlife and mainland attractions as you will be mostly stuck on the island and will only be allowed to make a boat-trip stop on the mainland for a limited amount of time during the daytime.  At night-time you will be forced to stay on the island resort.

  • The east coast / side is an underdeveloped region of El Nido with sparse isolated resorts along its beaches and within some beautiful islands such as Daracotan.  Except a few beautiful beaches such as those on Daracotan Island and where Tau basecamp is located, the beaches on the east-coast are generally shallow and muddy.  This region is only for those that want to stay off the beaten path in one of the (eco)resort that might particularly captivate you.

Beach Bars/Clubs in El Nido

El Nido is perhaps most enjoyable for its incredible selection of beach bars, all of which boast of mind-blowing views.  Some are great for sunset only while others are great for both daytime and sunset.

Daytime & Sunsets:

  • Ap Kala in Townsquare (morning, afternoon, sunset, night)

  • Treehouse Beach Club in Townsquare (afternoon, sunset, night)

  • Maremegmeg Beach Club (afternoon, sunset)

  • Las Cabanas (afternoon, sunset)

  • The Beach Shack (afternoon, sunset)

  • La Plage (sunset, night)

  • Vellago (need to take short boat ride; daytime only)

  • Angkla (In Nacpan; 45 mins drive from town; daytime)

Sunset only:

  • Panorama Beach Club

  • Sip Sunset bar.

Nightlife in El Nido

There are various establishments in El Nido that offer nighttime fun + drinks + food. Most of these establishments are located in El Nido town.  

Other establishments for cockatils and some night-time party vibes include:

  • The Treehouse Beach Club

  • Sava Beach bar

  • Pangolin

  • Happiness

  • Amigos

  • Puka

  • Frendz hostel

When to go to El Nido

El Nido is an all-year destination, however, it is useful to keep the season in mind in terms of planning and to manage expectations.

Dry season

The best weather (dry season or “Amihan” season) is from November to May. June and October can be considered transition months between the rainy season and the dry season with mixed weather leaning towards more sun than rain.

Rainy season / Monsoon months

July, August and September are the Monsoon or rainy season months (locally known as the Habagat season) in El Nido, Palawan.  

It is recommended to book longer stays during the Monsoon / rainy season months as there will be regular days of non-stop rain and cancelled tours.  As a rule of thumb every 10 days will have 3 days of beautiful sunny weather, 4 days of continuous rain, and 4 days of isolated rain showers with sun or overcast skies. 

A longer stay of, say 1 week, would make it very likely that you’ll have some beautiful sunny day(s) along with the rainy ones.  Further it is recommended in your planning to allow for some last-minute flexibility as weather disturbances such as typhoons or storms (even if they are quite far away; a phenomenon called “enhanced Habagat / South-west Monsoon”), can result in cancelled flights.  As such, during the Monsoon months, try to avoid a connecting flight on the same day.  If possible, plan your international flight in/out of the country 2 days before your flight to/from El Nido when flying AirSwift.

On rainy days and during cancelled tours, Townsquare is the go-to spot for everyone.

Food poisoning and contaminated water causing stomach flu in El Nido

Gastroenteritis, food poisoning or stomach flu causing diarrhea and vomiting unfortunately commonly affects many tourist/visitors of El Nido.

The most common infections in El Nido are Amebiasis caused by Entamoeba Histolytica and E-Coli infection.      

The main cause is contaminated tap and drinking water in combination with unhygienic food/drink preparation practices.  The rocky mountainous terrain consisting of impervious limestone & granite in El Nido results in limited drinking water sources; shallow wells are concentrated in areas where limited ground water mixes with sewage from poorly planned septic tanks. 

To avoid getting sick, the general rules are:

  • Avoid restaurants that look unhygienic and unprofessional

  • Avoid drinking service water or tap water in any restaurant or hotel. Drink bottled water only, if available.

  • Avoid uncooked food that may have been in direct contact with tap water (salads etc.)

  • Avoid ice in cheap establishments     

  • Avoid using tap water for brushing your teeth; if you do, properly spit out and gargle with mouthwash right after.

As a solution to the food poisoning problem in El Nido, TownSquare in El Nido town is the ONLY area in El Nido that has 100% potable / drinkable tap water.  100% of the kitchen water (plus bathroom faucet water) in all establishments in TownSquare is potable and drinkable. 

You therefore do not need to take any food poisoning safety measures in the establishments within TownSquare.  If you want to play it safe and only eat at the best establishments, you are recommended to eat within this area only.