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Photo by Mario von Rotz on Unsplash
If there is one destination in the Philippines that has consistently stopped the world in its tracks, it is El Nido. Located at the northern tip of Palawan Island — repeatedly voted one of the world's best islands by publications from Condé Nast Traveler to Travel + Leisure — El Nido is a small coastal town surrounded by one of the most dramatically beautiful seascapes on the planet. Towering limestone karst formations rise from impossibly turquoise water. Hidden lagoons are accessible only by kayak. Secret beaches appear and disappear behind cliff walls. And the marine life beneath the surface is as spectacular as everything above it.
El Nido is the gateway to the Bacuit Archipelago, a protected seascape made up of approximately 45 islands and islets, most of which are uninhabited and untouched. This is not a destination you visit once. It's one you keep coming back to.
The most iconic way to experience El Nido is through its four organized island hopping tours. Each covers a different cluster of islands and caters to a range of interests:
All tours include lunch and hotel pickup. For a more exclusive experience, private tours follow the same itineraries but give you full control of the schedule — the captain moves when you're ready to move.
El Nido's appeal extends beyond the boat tours. Some of the best experiences are found on the mainland:
El Nido and the Bacuit Archipelago offer some of the finest diving in Southeast Asia. The underwater landscape mirrors the drama above — coral gardens, dramatic drop-offs, sea turtles, reef sharks, and schools of tropical fish in exceptional visibility. Multiple dive schools in El Nido town offer PADI courses for beginners and guided dives for certified divers. Most island hopping tours also include snorkeling stops where the marine life is easily accessible without tanks.
El Nido means "The Nest" in Spanish, named after the edible nests of swiftlets that were collected from the limestone cliffs and sold for significant sums to Chinese traders — these nests, used in bird's nest soup, were once worth up to $3,000 per kilo. Human remains found in the area date back to 2,680 BC, and the region has been a crossroads of cultures for centuries. It was known to Spanish settlers as Bacuit before being renamed El Nido in 1954.
The ideal time to visit El Nido is during the dry season from November to May, with March to May offering the calmest seas, clearest skies, and best conditions for island hopping and diving. June through October is wetter and can see rough seas that disrupt boat tours, though visiting in the shoulder months of November and May often means fewer crowds at a fraction of the peak-season prices.
The fastest way to reach El Nido is a direct flight to Lio Airport (ENI) from Manila or Cebu, operated by AirSWIFT with up to four daily departures. Note: as of March 2026, Manila flights now depart from Clark International Airport (CRK). Alternatively, major airlines like Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines fly to Puerto Princesa, Palawan's capital, from where El Nido is a 5 to 6-hour van or bus journey north along the coast.
El Nido town is small and largely walkable. For exploring beyond town — beaches, viewpoints, and northern Palawan — the best options are motorbike rental or tricycle hire. Most tour operators are based in the town center and offer easy online or in-person booking.
El Nido offers accommodation at every price point, from budget guesthouses to high-end beachfront resorts. The main areas are El Nido town (convenient, close to restaurants and tour operators), Lio Beach (quieter, more upscale), and Las Cabañas Beach (relaxed beachside setting). For an ultra-luxurious experience, Pangulasian Island Resort and the El Nido Resorts properties offer private island stays that rank among the best in Asia.
El Nido is the kind of place that lives up to — and exceeds — the hype. The lagoons really are that blue. The cliffs really are that dramatic. And beyond the Instagram moments, there's a warmth to the place, a sense that you've stumbled into somewhere genuinely extraordinary, that stays with you long after you've returned home.
Go before the rest of the world catches up. Go now.
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