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Best Activities
Ranked by verified guest reviews — from lagoon kayaking to WWII wreck diving
Palawan consistently tops lists of the world's best island destinations — for good reason. The island offers the kind of experiences that genuinely cannot be replicated elsewhere: kayaking through cathedral-like lagoons into secret beaches enclosed by 200-metre limestone karsts in El Nido, diving through the cockpits of sunken Japanese WWII warships in Coron's clear 30-metre visibility lakes, navigating a 5-kilometre underground river through a UNESCO cave system in Puerto Princesa, and snorkelling over the Coral Triangle's most biodiverse reefs. Rankings are based on verified guest review ratings.
How are these rankings determined?
Rankings are based on verified guest review ratings submitted through the Island Seeker directory. Businesses are sorted by average rating (highest first), with ties broken by total review count and featured status. The list is updated in real time as new verified reviews are submitted. Only active, verified listings appear.
insider tips
El Nido's lagoon tours are the island's defining experience
The Big Lagoon and Small Lagoon at El Nido require a kayak to enter through narrow passages in the limestone cliff wall — engines cannot fit. Inside the lagoons, 200-metre vertical karst walls rise from impossibly clear water. The Small Lagoon is the more intimate; the Big Lagoon is more open but equally dramatic. Tour A is the standard entry point for both. Weather and sea conditions affect departures — rough seas cancel tours entirely. If your schedule is tight, book Tour A for your first full day in El Nido.
Coron's lakes are freshwater-saltwater halocline wonders
Coron's famous wreck-diving lakes — Barracuda Lake, Kayangan Lake — are halocline environments where fresh and salt water meet, creating distinct temperature and visibility layers. Kayangan Lake (a freshwater lake inside a cliff-ringed caldera) is frequently called the cleanest lake in Asia. Both can be visited on surface snorkelling tours without diving certification. The landscape of Coron's lake system — vertical karst in every direction, crystal clear water — is among the Philippines' most extraordinary.
The Underground River requires forward planning
The Puerto Princesa Underground River is 8.2 km long — one of the longest navigable underground rivers in the world, passing through a vast cave system with formations up to 25 metres high. Entry is by paddle boat with a guide. Only the first 4.3 km are open to visitors. The permit system strictly limits daily visitor numbers — book through the tourism office at least 2 days in advance, more in peak season. The tour takes 3–4 hours from Puerto Princesa including transport.
Palawan requires more planning than most Philippine destinations
Palawan's relative underdevelopment — the feature that makes it so beautiful — also means infrastructure is thinner than in Cebu or Manila. Electricity runs on island generators, Wi-Fi is inconsistent outside towns, ATMs exist only in Puerto Princesa and El Nido town, transport between sites requires organised boats rather than public transport, and supplies take time to arrive. Bring cash (USD and PHP), download offline maps, and carry a portable charger. The additional planning is absolutely worth the result.
questions & answers
What is the number one thing to do in Palawan?
El Nido's Island Tour A — which includes the Big Lagoon, Small Lagoon, and Secret Lagoon accessible by kayak through narrow limestone gaps — is consistently rated among the Philippines' most memorable experiences. The combination of vertical limestone karst scenery, crystal-clear turquoise water, and the sense of discovery in accessing hidden lagoons is extraordinary. WWII wreck diving in Coron (particularly Okikawa Maru and Irako) and the Puerto Princesa Underground River are the other two unmissable activities.
How do the El Nido island tours work?
El Nido's Department of Tourism regulates island tours with four standard routes (A, B, C, D) covering different lagoons, beaches, and snorkelling spots in Bacuit Bay. Tour A covers Big Lagoon, Small Lagoon, Secret Lagoon, and Shimizu Island snorkelling — widely considered the best route. Shared bangka (outrigger boat) tours cost PHP 1,200–1,800 per person with lunch. Private tours run PHP 5,000–12,000 for the whole boat. Book through your accommodation or directly with licensed tour operators in El Nido town.
Is WWII wreck diving in Coron worth it?
Coron is considered one of the world's top WWII wreck diving sites. In September 1944, US aircraft sank a fleet of Japanese vessels in Coron Bay — the wrecks now lie at 10–40 metres depth in Coron's famous freshwater-saltwater lake system with 20–30m visibility and extraordinary marine life colonisation. The Okikawa Maru, Irako, Kogyo Maru, and Olympia Maru are the most-dived. Even non-divers can snorkel the shallower sections of some wrecks. For certified divers, Coron wreck diving is a bucket-list experience.
How do I get around Palawan between El Nido, Coron, and Puerto Princesa?
All three main destinations have airports with direct connections to Manila (1-hour flights on Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines). El Nido and Coron are connected by a 4–6 hour fast ferry (Montenegro Lines or other operators) or 45-minute light aircraft charter. Puerto Princesa is the most accessible with the largest airport. There are no direct flights between El Nido and Coron — the boat or chartering an aircraft are the only options. Most travellers fly into one end and out the other rather than backtracking.
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