Skydiving in Palawan: How to Get There - A Travel Guide
San Vicente, home to the famous 14-kilometer Long Beach, is where the Philippines' most scenic dropzone operates. A tandem jump here means a scenic flight over the coastline followed by a freefall from up to 10,000 feet, with the beach and the South China Sea below you. The jumps are operated by Skydive Palawan at San Vicente Airport (SWL) — no experience needed, you are harnessed to a certified tandem instructor the whole way down.
The most common question we get: how do I actually get to the dropzone? San Vicente sits between Puerto Princesa and El Nido on Palawan's west coast, and there are no commercial flights into San Vicente Airport at the moment. Here are your options from each major starting point.
The Easy Way: All-In Skydiving Packages
If you want everything arranged in one booking, our skydiving packages bundle the round-trip transfer and the tandem jump into one price — the included jump is Skydive Palawan's Island Selfie package, with 4K handcam photos and video, equipment, briefing, taxes and fees all covered (Island Buddies and Island Paparazzi upgrades available on request). Choose a shared seat or a private vehicle for your own group:
- Skydiving Package from Puerto Princesa (Shared Van) — about 4 hours each way.
- Skydiving Package from El Nido (Shared Van) — about 2.5 hours each way.
- Skydiving Package from Port Barton (Tuktuk) — about an hour each way by tricycle, the shortest route to the dropzone (no shared vans run this route).
- Private groups: from Puerto Princesa, from El Nido (private van) or from Port Barton (private pickup truck) — your own vehicle, flexible departure time, and the driver waits while you jump.
- Moving between the hubs? Book a one-way connection instead: Puerto Princesa to El Nido with a skydive stopover, El Nido to Puerto Princesa with a skydive stopover or Sabang to El Nido with a skydive stopover — your luggage rides with the driver while you jump, then you continue to your destination. No backtracking.
By Land, On Your Own
From Puerto Princesa
Puerto Princesa International Airport (PPS) is the main gateway to Palawan. The drive to San Vicente takes around 4 hours. We offer a Private Van Transfer from Puerto Princesa to San Vicente with pickup at the airport or your hotel lobby in the city center.
From El Nido
El Nido is about 2.5 hours north of San Vicente. Our Private Van Transfer from El Nido to San Vicente picks you up at your hotel and drops you at San Vicente Town Center — many travelers jump on their way between El Nido and Puerto Princesa.
From Port Barton
Port Barton is part of the same municipality as San Vicente, about an hour away by tuktuk (45 minutes by private pickup truck) — if you are already staying there, you are practically at the dropzone. There are no shared vans on this stretch; transfers run by tuktuk or private pickup truck. The Port Barton skydiving package is the quickest way to jump.
From Sabang (Underground River)
Staying near the Underground River? Sabang is about 3 hours from San Vicente by private van. Book the Sabang skydiving day trip, or pair Palawan's two bucket-list experiences in one route with the Sabang to El Nido connection — Underground River one day, skydive the next morning on your way north.
By Air
Prefer to skip the road entirely? Avian arranges private charter flights within Palawan and can land you directly at San Vicente Airport (SWL) — the same airstrip the jump plane takes off from.
Good to Know Before You Jump
- Weather-dependent: jumps can be moved by wind or rain. If the operator cancels, you can rebook free of charge or get a full refund on our packages.
- Book ahead: jump slots are limited — reserve at least 48 hours in advance so your slot can be confirmed.
- Requirements: tandem jumps have a passenger weight limit and basic health requirements, and you will sign a waiver at the dropzone. See the Skydive Palawan travel guide for more detail straight from the dropzone.
- Photos and videos: 4K handcam photos and video are included with the Island Selfie jump; Insta360 360° video and outside camera flyer upgrades are sold at the dropzone.
- Other dropzones: curious how San Vicente compares to Cebu and Siquijor? See the guide to skydiving dropzones in the Philippines.
Conclusion
Skydiving over Long Beach is one of the most unforgettable things you can do in the Philippines, and getting there is easier than it looks: pick a package with transfers included, or book any of our vans to San Vicente and arrange the jump yourself. The jump slots neatly into Day 5 of our 10-day Palawan itinerary as a Port Barton side trip. For all transportation options and bookings, check the listings on our website: Diskubre Palawan.