Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DIVING AND SNORKELLING AROUND EL NIDO
The waters off El Nido are popular with
divers
, especially those looking to do a PADI course.
Snorkelling
is good, too, though much of the reef system has been killed off over the years
due to crown of thorns starfish, bleaching and dynamite fishing. There are a few reliable
dive operators
in El Nido, who can also advise about trips to the Tubbataha Reef (p.376) and
Apo Reef (p.258):
El Nido Marine Club
Middle of the beach
T
0916
668 2748,
W
elnidomarinediving.com.
Dives from
P2800; PADI from P19,000.
Palawan Divers
Calle Hama
T
0939 958 1076,
W
palawan-divers.org.
Two dives from P3100; PADI
from P21,900.
Sea Dog Diving
Serena St
T
0916 777 6917,
W
sea
dogdivingpalawan.com.
Similar rates and services to
the other operators in town.
El Nido beaches
The El Nido bayfront has ravishing views, but the
beach
itself is average and not
especially attractive for swimming because of the number of bangkas coming and
going.
Caalan
or
Corong-Corong
, just a short walk north and south of town
respectively, are much better. An even better option is
Nacpan Beach
, a vast swathe of
usually empty white sand a 35-40-minute tricycle ride north of El Nido; take insect
repellent, though, because the sandflies can be voracious.
7
The Bacuit archipelago
The main reason most people visit El Nido is to go
island-hopping
around the
enchanting
Bacuit archipelago
, 45 limestone outcrops riddled with karst cliffs,
sinkholes and idyllic lagoons.
Cadlao Island and Helicopter Island
The dramatic tower of rock just off El Nido is
Cadlao Island
(640m). The star here is
Ubugon Cove
at the back of the island, hemmed in by jagged rock, where you can
snorkel, but this is also one of the few islands you can also explore on land. One-hour
trekking tours (P2300 for three people) take in the unusual saltwater Makaamo
Lagoon. Near Cadlao Island,
Dilumacad Island
(aka
Helicopter Island
) has a gorgeous
300m-long beach smothered in rare blue coral and lots of multicoloured shells.
Miniloc Island
Miniloc Island
, 45 minutes by boat from El Nido, boasts one of the area's greatest
treasures, the
Big Lagoon
, surrounded by towering limestone cliffs that look like a
cathedral rising from the water. The lagoon is spectacular at any time, but even more
so during a full moon, when light pours in from the top illuminating the water.
Bangkas take a spin around the lagoon, but usually don't stop. Nearby, the similarly
awe-inspiring
Small Lagoon
is only accessible by swimming (or sometimes kayaking)
through a small gap in the rocks.
Matinloc Island
One of the largest islands in the group,
Matinloc Island
takes a bit longer to reach
(around an hour from El Nido), but is well worth the journey, with several intriguing
targets tucked away along its jagged shore.
Hidden Beach
lies around a tight bend in
the rocks, a gorgeous cove hidden from view. On the other side of the island is the
Matinloc Shrine
, completed in 1993 - this Catholic shrine is usually quiet and
windswept other than on May 31, when it's mobbed by believers for the Feast of the
Lady of Matinloc.
Matinloc's main draw is
Secret Beach
, reached by a tiny gap you can swim through;
on the other side is a spellbinding cove facing a white sand beach surrounded by steep
