The Bacuit archipelago off El Nido is around 45 limestone islands rising vertically out of shallow water. The rock is karst — Permian limestone eroded into cliffs, caves and hidden lagoons reached through gaps you swim or paddle through at the right state of tide. Several of the lagoons are only enterable at low water through openings a metre or two high.
That geology is why Palawan looks the way it does, and it is why the good resorts here are on islands rather than on a road.
How access works
El Nido town sits on the mainland at the northern tip of Palawan, reached by a short flight from Manila to Lio airport or a five-hour drive from Puerto Princesa. The town is busy, backpacker-heavy and the departure point for the island tours.
The island resorts in the bay are reached by boat from the town or from Lio, take between fifteen and forty-five minutes, and are self-contained. Once you are on one, you are on it.
Coron, further north in the Calamian group, is a separate flight or a ferry. It has the best wreck diving in Asia — a Japanese fleet sunk in 1944 sits in shallow enough water for recreational divers — and Kayangan Lake, which is usually described as the cleanest lake in the Philippines.
Amanpulo is on Pamalican, a private island in the Cuyo group, reached only by the resort's own aircraft from Manila.
Palawan sits outside the main typhoon belt more often than the rest of the Philippines, though not reliably. The dry season runs roughly November to May.
The eight below are grouped by group.
The Bacuit archipelago, El Nido
Island resorts in the bay, reached by boat.
Pangulasian Island Resort occupies a beach on Pangulasian island with villas up a forested slope, a long stretch of sand and the best diving access in the bay. It is the most comfortable resort in the archipelago.
Pangulasian Island Resort
Bacuit archipelago · 5★ · $$$$
Hillside villas above the best beach in the bay
Check availabilityLagen Island Resort sits in a sheltered cove on Lagen island with the forest behind and water villas over the shallows, backed by a limestone cliff.
Lagen Island Resort
Bacuit archipelago · 4★ · $$$
Water villas in a cove backed by a limestone cliff
Check availabilityEl Nido Resorts Miniloc Island occupies a cove on Miniloc island with cottages on stilts over the water and the closest position to the Big and Small Lagoons.
El Nido Resorts Miniloc Island
Bacuit archipelago · 4★ · $$$
Closest position to the Big and Small Lagoons
Check availabilityCauayan Island Resort sits on its own island near El Nido with villas over the water, a pool and a smaller room count than the others.
Cauayan Island Resort
Near El Nido · 5★ · $$$$
Its own island with overwater villas and a small room count
Check availabilityLio and the mainland
On the coast near the airport.
Seda Lio El Nido Palawan occupies a beachfront position at Lio, a low-density development five minutes from the airstrip, with a pool and a design-led interior. It is the practical base for day trips into the bay.
Seda Lio El Nido Palawan
Lio, mainland · 4★ · $$$
Five minutes from the airstrip with a design-led interior
Check availabilityCoron and the Calamianes
North, a separate flight. Wrecks and lakes.
Discovery Coron formerly Club Paradise Palawan occupies a private island near Coron with villas along a beach, a house reef and dive facilities for the wrecks.
Discovery Coron formerly Club Paradise Palawan
Dimakya Island, Coron · 4★ · $$$
A private island with a house reef and wreck diving
Check availabilityTwo Seasons Coron Island Resort sits on a beach on Coron island with cottages, a pool and access to Kayangan Lake and the wreck sites.
Two Seasons Coron Island Resort
Bulalacao Island, Coron · 4★ · $$$
Beach cottages with access to Kayangan Lake
Check availabilityThe Cuyo islands
Amanpulo occupies the whole of Pamalican island, a coral-fringed strip reached only by the resort's own aircraft, with casitas along the beach, a house reef around the entire island and around forty rooms. It is one of the most private resorts in the world.
What we have left off
The guest houses and dive lodges in El Nido town and Coron town are excluded, and they are how the great majority of visitors do Palawan. They are guest houses rather than hotels.
What to do
Do the island-hopping tours, which are lettered A to D at El Nido and cover different combinations of lagoons, beaches and snorkelling. Tour A takes in the Big and Small Lagoons and is the one everyone does; going with a private boat rather than a group changes it substantially.
Time the lagoons. The entrances are tide-dependent and the difference between arriving at nine and arriving at one is the difference between quiet water and a queue of kayaks.
Dive the wrecks at Coron. Twelve Japanese ships sunk in September 1944 sit between 10 and 40 metres, and several are penetrable with the right qualification.
Snorkel the house reefs. The resorts on this coast mostly have coral directly offshore, which is unusual and worth using.
Go to the Puerto Princesa underground river if you are passing through, which is a navigable cave system and a UNESCO site requiring a permit.
Practical notes
Manila connects to El Nido's Lio airport, Puerto Princesa and Busuanga for Coron. Domestic schedules change and delays are common; build slack.
November to May is the dry season, with March to May the hottest. June to October is wetter. Palawan is less typhoon-exposed than much of the Philippines but not immune.
Boat transfers are weather-dependent and can be cancelled. Cash matters; card acceptance outside resorts is limited.
Explore 4 & 5 Star Palawan Hotels
Questions people actually ask
El Nido or Coron?
El Nido for the lagoons and the limestone, Coron for wreck diving and lakes. A flight or a ferry apart.
Are the island resorts isolated?
Yes, deliberately. Once you are on one, meals and boats are with them. That suits some people and not others.
When are the lagoons quietest?
Early, and at the right tide. The entrances are low and the timing decides it.
How many nights?
Seven. Four at El Nido and three at Coron, or a week on one island.