Palawan
Palawan · Palawan, Philippines
El Nido's lagoons and Coron's shipwrecks: 'the Philippines' last frontier'
Antes de ir · Know before you go
- Don't touch coral or take shells
- don't wear sunscreen into the lagoons (choose reef-safe products)
- don't feed wildlife.
Este artículo está «Sin verificar». Consulte los avisos oficiales sobre precios, horarios y fechas.
Culture
Cultura y costumbres
Contexto cultural
El Nido's Nacpan Beach and Big and Small Lagoons, where limestone islands embrace jelly-like water; the Second World War wrecks of Coron Bay are a divers' sanctuary; and the Puerto Princesa Underground River (a World Heritage Site) runs beneath primeval forest. Lonely Planet calls it 'the last frontier of the Philippines', and it's home to sea turtles and dugongs.
Costumbres locales
- Island-hopping trips are mostly shared boats, so be punctual
- follow your instructor when snorkelling or diving
- tipping is optional.
Religión y creencias
- Catholicism is the majority religion, with some Indigenous beliefs
- community churches are the centre of local life — keep quiet when visiting and respect fishing-village customs.
Etiquette
Normas y tabúes
Normas que se aplican aquí
Philippines: carry ID
- When your passport is in the safe, carry a copy of its photo page
- Going out without any ID
You must show ID when police ask for it.
Verificado el 19 oct 2026Fuente: GOV.UK: Philippines travel advice
Philippines: zero tolerance for drugs
- Stay away from drugs of any kind
- Possessing even a small amount of drugs
Even small amounts of drugs bring mandatory prison sentences.
Verificado el 19 oct 2026Fuente: GOV.UK: Philippines travel advice
Philippines: avoid too much intimacy in public
- Behave appropriately in public
- Overly intimate behaviour in public
It may be treated as 'grave scandal', punishable by a fine or 6 months in prison.
Verificado el 19 oct 2026Fuente: GOV.UK: Philippines travel advice
No lo haga DON'T
- Don't touch coral or take shells
- don't wear sunscreen into the lagoons (choose reef-safe products)
- don't feed wildlife.
Lo que aprecian los locales DO
- Palawan people are proud of their pristine nature and appreciate eco-minded visitors who don't feed wildlife
- trying fresh sea urchin and joining a firefly night tour are most popular.
Plan your visit
Información práctica
| Mejor época | Best November–April |
|---|
Consejos de viaje
- November–April is best. El Nido island-hopping has four routes, A/B/C/D, of which Tour A (Big and Small Lagoons) is the classic — be sure to book ahead
- Coron wreck diving requires an Advanced Open Water certificate
- it's about 1.5 hours' flight from Manila to El Nido or Coron.
Eat nearby
Qué comer cerca
Imprescindible
- Seafood
- Adobo
- Sinigang
Seafood (El Nido / Coron boat-trip barbecue lunches: grilled fish / prawns / pork + fruit), adobo, sinigang, tamilok (mangrove woodworm — challenge level, try with caution), coconut rice / mango desserts
| Dónde comer | Restaurants on El Nido town's main street, island-hopping boat meals (included in tour fees), seafood restaurants in Puerto Princesa city |
|---|---|
| Normas en la mesa | Lagoon / island-hopping environmental rules: take boat-meal rubbish back, don't take shells; tamilok involves mangrove ecology — decide for yourself |
| Precio orientativo por persona | PHP 600–1,300 ≈ CNY 72–156; boat meals included in tour fees |
| Consejos | The small town has power cuts and closes early, so eat dinner before 19:00; the boat-trip lunch is the main meal of the day — eat plenty. |
Los precios son orientativos a octubre de 2026, no presupuestos exactos; en zonas con tipos de cambio muy variables solo se da un intervalo aproximado en yuanes.
Tamorlan · CC BY 3.0
Photos
Fotos
Vyacheslav Argenberg · CC BY 4.0
Yojrel · CC BY-SA 4.0
Philippine Fly Boy · CC BY 2.0
Fuentes y notas de verificación
Compiled from Philippines Department of Tourism guides to Palawan
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