Palawan: How to Plan the Philippines' Most Famous Island
El Nido, Coron, Puerto Princesa and Port Barton — what each is really like, how they differ, and how to combine them without wasting days on the road.
One island, four very different holidays
Palawan has been voted the most beautiful island in the world more than once, and the moment you arrive you understand why: a long, thin sliver of land along the western edge of the Philippines, laced with lagoons, limestone cliffs, an underground river and some of the country's finest reefs. But Palawan is large, and its destinations are strikingly different from one another. Plan them well and you have one of Asia's great island trips; plan them badly and you spend your days in transit. This guide is about joining them up properly.
It helps to think of Palawan not as a single destination but as a handful of quite distinct ones strung along a coastline — a lagoon town, a diving town, a gateway city and a sleepy village, each several hours from the next. The scenery links them; the logistics keep them apart. Understand that from the outset and the whole trip falls into place.
The four Palawan destinations
El Nido — the lagoons
The star of Palawan. El Nido faces Bacuit Bay, a scatter of jagged limestone islands each hiding a lagoon or a white beach, explored on the classic island-hopping tours (A, B, C and D). The town has a lively strip of restaurants and beach bars, and the scenery is the postcard most people picture when they imagine the Philippines. Best for dramatic lagoon landscapes, a sociable atmosphere and couples. The signature moment is kayaking into the Big Lagoon early, before the day boats round the headland.
Coron — the lakes and the wrecks
To the north, Coron is known for two things: cliff-ringed Kayangan Lake, one of the most photographed views in the country, and a fleet of Japanese WWII shipwrecks that make it a bucket-list site for certified divers. It feels calmer and more low-key than El Nido. Best for diving and snorkelling over the wrecks, jungle-fringed lakes, hot springs and travellers after a quieter pace. Our head-to-head, El Nido vs Coron, digs into the differences in full.
Puerto Princesa — the gateway and the underground river
Puerto Princesa is the capital and the southern gateway to Palawan, and home to the Underground River — a navigable subterranean river through a cave system, and one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature. Many travellers pass through here on the way north, giving it a day for the river before the scenic drive up to El Nido.
Port Barton — Palawan as it used to be
A sleepy fishing village between Puerto Princesa and El Nido, Port Barton is the quiet secret for travellers chasing the unspoilt Palawan of before the crowds — simpler, slower and gentler, with laid-back island-hopping and empty beaches. It trades polish for peace, and for the right traveller that is exactly the appeal.
Getting around Palawan — the part to understand first
This is the single most important thing to grasp about the island: Palawan is long, and the distances between its destinations are real. On a map El Nido and Coron look like neighbours; in practice they are separated by open sea. Here is how the main legs actually connect.
- Puerto Princesa ↔ El Nido: a van transfer of roughly five to six hours by road, or a direct flight into little Lio airport near El Nido.
- El Nido ↔ Coron: a fast ferry of about four to five hours, or a short flight.
- Puerto Princesa ↔ Port Barton: a van transfer of about three to three-and-a-half hours.
Getting the order and the transfers right is the difference between a trip that flows and one that leaks days into the road. Ferry timetables and flight routes also change with the season and without much notice, so it pays to confirm the connections against your own dates before committing to hotels.
Our team designs tailor-made Palawan routes around your dates and pace, with every transfer checked — free, within 24 hours.
How to combine them, and how long to give it
How you piece Palawan together depends on how much time you have and what you are chasing. A few routes we build again and again:
- Palawan in brief (5–6 days): El Nido on its own, or El Nido plus Coron linked by a short flight.
- The classic Palawan (7–9 days): Puerto Princesa for the Underground River, then El Nido for the lagoons, then Coron for the lakes and wrecks.
- For peace and quiet: Puerto Princesa, then Port Barton, then El Nido — trading the busiest stops for slower ones.
As a rule, give Palawan a minimum of five to six days for one or two destinations, and ideally seven to nine to cover it properly without rushing. If you are folding Palawan into a larger Philippines trip — alongside Boracay or the Visayas — set aside at least five days for it. Our 14-day Philippines itinerary shows one way Palawan slots into a fortnight, and the best time to visit guide covers the dry season, December to May, when the seas are calmest for island-hopping.
Our take: for a first visit with a week or so to spare, we love the Puerto Princesa → El Nido → Coron run — it gives you the underground river, the lagoons and the wrecks in a single, logical arc, finishing on Coron's quieter note. Fly the longest legs rather than grinding them out by road and ferry, keep El Nido to at least four nights for weather insurance, and if you have the days, slip Port Barton in for a glimpse of how the whole island once felt.
How many days do I need in Palawan?
Give it a minimum of five to six days for one or two destinations, and ideally seven to nine to cover Puerto Princesa, El Nido and Coron properly. Folding Palawan into a bigger Philippines trip? Set aside at least five days for it.
Should I choose El Nido or Coron?
El Nido for lagoons and a livelier scene; Coron for wreck diving, lakes and quiet. Better still, do both — they're linked by a four-to-five-hour fast ferry. Our El Nido vs Coron guide compares them in detail.
When is the best time to visit Palawan?
The dry season, December to May, brings calm seas, clear water and smooth island-hopping. Avoid the peak of the wet season, around August and September, when rough seas can cancel boat tours.
How do I get between El Nido and Coron?
By a fast ferry of roughly four to five hours, or a short flight. Services and timetables shift with the season, so it's wise to confirm the connection for your own dates before booking hotels.
See Palawan in the right order, at the right pace.
Tell us your dates and travel style — we'll design a tailor-made Palawan itinerary, with every flight and ferry checked, free within 24 hours.