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El Nido

Philippines Travel Guide

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El Nido bay, Palawan island, Philippines.

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Overview

El Nido is the primary base for exploring Palawan’s star attraction, the stunning Bacuit Archipelago. Tiny swiftlets build edible nests out of saliva in the immense limestone cliffs that surround the town proper – hence the name, El Nido (nest in Spanish). The town proper has an ordinary beach, but is home to an emerging restaurant and bar scene. Brooding Cadlao Island looms just offshore.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Nacpan beach in El Nido.

    Nacpan Beach

    El Nido

    For an easy day trip out of El Nido, head north by tricycle or motorbike to this incredible, golden-hued, 3km-long beach. Development has arrived in…

  • Shadows of palm trees on Duli beach, a surfing spot at El Nido.
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Nature Travel Destinations Horizontal Outdoors Southeast Asia Philippines Blue Rippled Tropical Climate Wave - Water Surf Landscape - Scenery Palm Tree Island Sand Rock - Object Day Shadow Beach South China Sea Idyllic Palawan Coastline Incidental People Cloudscape Photography Developing Countries El Nido duli beach

    Duli Beach

    El Nido

    This incredibly beautiful, jungle-backed, stretch of golden sand toward the northern tip of mainland Palawan is the centre of El Nido's surfing community…

  • People watching the sunset on the Maremegmeg beach at El Nido, Palawan, Philippines.

    Maremegmeg Beach

    El Nido

    Often called Las Cabanas Beach after a local resort, this is the closest nice beach to El Nido and has a rockin' sunset bar scene centred around Beach…

  • Balay Cuyonon

    Balay Cuyonon

    El Nido

    You can take a guided tour of this complex of well-preserved traditional Cuyonon houses to learn about ordinary village life. Consider a night in a native…

  • Lio Beach

    Lio Beach

    El Nido

    The wealthy Ayala conglomerate, in conjunction with Ten Knots Travel, are developing this wide white-sand beach 7km north of El Nido proper into a swanky…

  • Nagkalit-kalit Waterfalls

    Nagkalit-kalit Waterfalls

    El Nido

    From a signpost on the National Hwy 3km south of the Nacpan Beach turn-off, it’s a 40-minute walk through several rivers to these gentle falls, with a…

  • Town Hall

    Town Hall

    El Nido

    El Nido's administrative centre.

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