Puerto Princesa is the capital of Palawan province in the Philippines and the gateway to the island of Palawan — consistently ranked as the world's best island by Condé Nast Traveler readers (2013, 2017, 2020) for its extraordinary combination of limestone karst landscapes, turquoise water, pristine coral reefs, dense jungle and the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River (the New Seven Wonders of Nature, UNESCO World Heritage) — an 8.2 km underground river that flows directly from a limestone mountain into the South China Sea, navigable by paddle boat for 4.3 km. The island of Palawan (650 km long, 50 km wide) is the least densely populated province in the Philippines and is often described as the country's "Last Frontier" — the endemic Palawan wildlife (the Palawan peacock-pheasant, the Palawan bearcat, the Philippine crocodile, the Irrawaddy dolphin and the dugong) survives in the marine protected areas and the Saint Paul Mountain Range. Puerto Princesa city (280,000) itself is one of the cleanest cities in the Philippines — it won the International Best Practice Award from the United Nations for waste management; littering is illegal and the city has an active 'eco-tourism police' force. The Tubbataha Reef Natural Park (UNESCO, 180 km southeast of Puerto Princesa) is one of the most biodiverse marine ecosystems in the world and accessible only by liveaboard dive vessel during the March-June season — it has the highest fish biomass of any reef in the world. From Puerto Princesa, the route north to the El Nido archipelago (240 km, 6 hrs by van or 1 hr by chartered plane) opens the extraordinary limestone karst lagoon islands of the Bacuit Archipelago, which National Geographic named the most beautiful seascape in Asia.
The Puerto Princesa Underground River (UNESCO World Heritage, New Seven Wonders of Nature) — the 8.2 km underground river flows through a spectacular cave system before emptying directly into the South China Sea; paddle boat tours (4.3 km into the cave) pass cathedral-sized caverns with stalactites shaped like the Italian Baroque and nesting swiftlets; the monkeys and monitor lizards at the beach entrance are additional attractions.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideThe beach at Sabang (the jump-off point for the underground river) has free-ranging long-tailed macaques that descend from the forest for handouts — photographing the monkeys with the limestone cliffs and the South China Sea behind them is the definitive Palawan image; the jungle trail (2 km) between Sabang and the Underground River passes through primary rainforest with monitor lizards.
Honda Bay (30 min north of Puerto Princesa) has the most accessible island-hopping route from the city — the 5 islands (Cowrie Island, Luli Island, Starfish Island, Pandan Island, Snake Island) have clear turquoise water, snorkelling reefs and white sand beaches; the 4-hour island-hopping outrigger boat trip is the best value water activity accessible from Puerto Princesa without a 6-hour drive north.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideThe most distinctive restaurant in Puerto Princesa — Kinabuchs Grill serves crocodile sisig (the classic Filipino sizzling minced pork dish made with farmed Philippine crocodile meat — the crocodile is farmed at the Crocodile Farm, making this the most ethical crocodile dish in the Philippines) and tamilok (woodworm — actually a bivalve mollusk that bores into mangrove wood — eaten raw with vinegar and chilli, the most adventurous Philippine street food).
El Nido (5 hrs north by shared van or 45 min by chartered aircraft) is the gateway to the Bacuit Archipelago — 45 limestone karst islands rising from emerald water named one of the most beautiful seascapes in Asia by National Geographic; Tour A (the most popular) visits the Big Lagoon (paddling through a narrow gap in a limestone wall into an enclosed lagoon), Secret Lagoon (accessible only at low tide) and the 7 Commandos Beach.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideThe Big Lagoon (accessible by paddling through a low cave entrance in the limestone — the outrigger boats stop outside and visitors swim or kayak through) is a completely enclosed lagoon of mirror-calm turquoise water surrounded by 200 m vertical limestone walls — the water colour shifts from turquoise to dark green to emerald as the depth changes; the Small Lagoon (adjacent, accessible by kayak through a narrower gap) is even more enclosed.
Secret Beach (accessible only by swimming through an underwater cave opening at the base of a limestone wall into a completely hidden small beach) and 7 Commandos Beach (the most photogenic open beach in the Bacuit Archipelago) are the afternoon destinations of the El Nido Tour A — the swimming into the hidden beach is the most memorable moment.
Corong Corong Beach (3 km south of El Nido town) is the sunset beach — the karst islands of the Bacuit Archipelago silhouetted against the orange South China Sea sunset are the most beautiful view in northern Palawan; the bamboo beach bars (with San Miguel beer and fresh grilled fish) along Corong Corong are the most relaxed evening in the Philippines.
The Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Centre (formerly Crocodile Farm) has the largest collection of Philippine crocodiles and other endemic Palawan wildlife — the Palawan peacock-pheasant (the world's most beautiful pheasant, IUCN vulnerable), the binturong/bearcat (the Palawan bearcat, smells of popcorn due to its scent gland), Philippine pangolin and the freshwater crocodile collection; also the origin of the restaurant's crocodile meat.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideThe Iwahig Prison Farm (40 km south of Puerto Princesa) is one of the world's most unusual prisons — an open prison on 37,000 acres where inmates (minimum security) farm, raise cattle, run a souvenir shop and even a band that plays for visitors; the prison was established in 1904 by the American colonial government and has no walls — the concept is rehabilitation through farming and community; visitors can walk around freely and meet inmates.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideThe Palawan Butterfly Ecological Garden (near Puerto Princesa) has 130+ endemic butterfly species including the 12 cm Palawan Birdwing; Irrawaddy dolphin watching in the Honda Bay area (the small, round-headed freshwater-and-coastal dolphins are found in Palawan's sheltered bays); the Puerto Princesa Bay itself occasionally has dugong sightings in the seagrass beds.
Balayong Park (named for the Palawan cherry blossom, Cassia nodosa, which blooms pink every February-March) along the waterfront promenade of Puerto Princesa bay — the clean waterfront (one of the cleanest in the Philippines due to the city's environmental laws), the sunset over the bay and the casual Filipino evening stroll with bibingka (rice cake) and halo-halo (the Filipino shaved ice dessert with ube, jackfruit and condensed milk).