Top Things To Do in El Nido, Palawan

When you hear the province Palawan, you would definitely think about El Nido and Coron. I will write a different post on what is better among the two. Right now, I want to share the top things to do when you’re in El Nido. These are based on my personal experiences and travel styles. Anyone would have different ways on how to spend their trip in El Nido but these are the things I recommend;

1. Taking a swing in 7 Commandos Beach.

7 Commandos Beach

7 Commandos Beach

It somehow gives you the feeling of freedom, forgetting everything and concentrating on the goodness of life. Your mind goes back to being a kid again, worry free, being able to appreciate simple things. It is very therapeutic, a simple thing which gives anyone a moment of bliss and peace of mind.

2. Kayaking, SUP in Small and Big Lagoon

Kayaking in Small Lagoon

Big Lagoon El Nido

Kayaking and SUP in Small Lagoon El Nido

These activities shouldn’t be missed. If you do an island hopping to Small and Big Lagoon, you should rent a kayak to go inside the lagoons. You can also swim but the shallow waters are not safe for swimming as you might step into some sharp corals and sea urchins. Kayaking also gives you the chance to explore the deepest part of the lagoons so it is very advisable. The rent is only P300.00 so I think it is fair enough considering the beauty you would see.

3. Snorkeling and Finding Nemo in Shimizu Island

Shimizu Island

Finding Nemo in Shimizu Island

Yay! So here comes snorkeling. This is one of my favorite activities, maybe I was a mermaid in my previous life. I just love looking at different kinds of marine life, I like the feeling of being one of them. Looking at the wonderful colors gives me some kind of happiness and contentment, makes me think that life is very beautiful and everything is in its right place. Makes me want to protect these things living underwater.

4. Surviving the waves and Swimming through a small hole to see the Secret Beach

Secret Beach El Nido

This is how it looks like inside. Behind this photo is a wall of big rocks, the only entrance is the hole located in the middle of those two rocks. It was dangerous to go inside without the help of the boatmen and guides. They are very good at assisting tourists to go inside. The waves here are crazy, you really need extra strength to get through this beach. But once you are inside, you would soon realize that it’s all worth it. The beach itself is beautiful, it’s serene and unique.

5. Visiting Caves and Snake Island (Tour B)

Tour B cave

Snake Island

Most of the tourists who travel to El Nido skip Tour B simply because Tour A and C are the best destinations. Well, I couldn’t argue with that. If I needed to choose I would also choose Tour A and C and drop Tour B. But I’m lucky enough to see them all. Tour B highlights the Snake Island, it looks like a long snake connecting two islands. It looks good from above. You should be here early in the morning when the tide is low or else the sandbar won’t be visible enough. The caves are also awesome but we were able to see just two of them due to schedule restriction. We combined Tour B and C in a single day since we rented a private boat.

6. Snorkeling and Freediving in Matinloc Shrine.

Matinloc Shrine El Nido

Freediving at Matinloc Shrine

amazing coral reefs of Matinloc Shrine

Freediving at Matinloc Shrine

Maybe I haven’t seen much but it’s safe to say that Matinloc Shrine has one of the best coral reefs I’ve seen so far. It’s just well preserved, full of colors. I wished I bought a dome for my gopro before coming here, I’ve seen some dome shots taken here and it’s really amazing. This site is one of the highlights of my El Nido tour, this is my favorite actually. We spent almost the whole day just playing here. Such a bliss! I want to go back to El Nido because of Matinlock Shrine.

7. Climbing Taraw Cliff

Taraw Cliff, photo courtesy of http://www.nomadicpinoy.com

Well, I don’t have any photo to show you since I didn’t have the chance to climb Taraw Cliff. I just chose a random photo from google, the owner of the photo is http://www.nomadicpinoy.com. This is one of my reasons to go back to El Nido. Climbing Taraw Cliff is one of the things that shouldn’t be missed when you visit El Nido Palawan.

 

So there you go folks, those are the top things to do when you are in El Nido according to me. If you plan to travel to Palawan soon and you need some advice, just hit me a comment. See you next time.