Where to Stay in Palawan: El Nido, Port Barton, San Vicente, Puerto Princesa and Coron Compared
Palawan has five areas most visitors choose between. El Nido is the spectacle and the busiest. Port Barton is the quiet beach village. San Vicente is 14 kilometres of near-empty sand. Puerto Princesa is the gateway city, with the main airport and the Underground River. Coron is a separate island of lakes and shipwrecks that you reach by air or by ferry. They differ most in two things: how busy they are, and how much travel it takes to reach them.
| Area | Feels like | Getting there | Usual stay | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puerto Princesa | Working city, the gateway | The main airport (PPS) is in the city | 1–2 nights | Underground River, Honda Bay, first and last nights |
| Port Barton | Sleepy beach village | 3–3.5 hrs by van from Puerto Princesa, about 4 from El Nido | 2–3 nights | Slow days, sea turtles, small-boat island hopping |
| San Vicente | Long, quiet beach | About 4 hrs from Puerto Princesa or 2.5 from El Nido by private vehicle | 1–2 nights | Space, sunsets, tandem skydiving |
| El Nido | Dramatic and busy | 5–6 hrs by van from Puerto Princesa, or a flight into Lio Airport | 3–4 nights | Lagoons, island hopping Tours A–D, restaurants |
| Coron | Island town for lakes and wrecks | Flight to Busuanga, or the morning ferry from El Nido | 2 full days or more | Kayangan Lake, WWII wreck diving |
Puerto Princesa: The Gateway
Most Palawan trips start here, because Puerto Princesa International Airport is in the city itself. It is the easiest area to reach and the least beachy: a working city, good for one or two nights. The Underground River takes most of a day, since Sabang is about 2 hours away by road and daily permits are capped. Honda Bay island hopping, the city tour and an evening of firefly watching fill another. 24–48 hours in Puerto Princesa covers the city in detail.
Stay here if: you land late, fly out early, or want the Underground River without a long transfer on the same day.
Port Barton: The Quiet One
Port Barton is a small beach village in San Vicente municipality, about halfway up the coast between Puerto Princesa and El Nido. There is no airport and no ferry link, so everyone arrives by road: 3 to 3.5 hours by direct van from Puerto Princesa, or about 4 hours from El Nido. The day to plan around is island hopping: reefs, sandbars and Turtle Point, where you snorkel with wild green sea turtles. ATMs are few and often empty, so bring cash. Two or three nights is the usual stay.
Stay here if: you want a slow pace and fewer boats, and can live without nightlife. Getting in is covered in the Puerto Princesa to Port Barton guide.
San Vicente and Long Beach: The Empty One
San Vicente is home to Long Beach, 14 kilometres of sand on Palawan's west coast, and to Palawan's dropzone at San Vicente Airport. Private vehicles reach it from Puerto Princesa in about 4 hours and from El Nido in about 2.5 hours. It is the least developed of the five, which is the reason to come. The signature experience is a tandem skydive over Long Beach, which our skydiving packages bundle with round-trip transfers so it also works as a day trip. Staying a night or two? San Vicente beyond Long Beach covers the quiet coast.
Stay here if: you want a long beach nearly to yourself, or you are jumping.
El Nido: The Spectacle
El Nido is the end of the road north: 5 to 6 hours by van from Puerto Princesa, or a short flight into Lio Airport. It has the lagoons, the tour fleet, the restaurants and the crowds that come with all of it. Three or four nights is the usual stay, enough for two boat days, a beach day and a spare day for the weather. The four island hopping tours each cover a different corner of Bacuit Bay, and Tours A, B, C and D compared tells you which to book first. El Nido is itself several areas, from the town to Corong-Corong, Las Cabanas, Lio and Nacpan: where to stay in El Nido compares them.
Stay here if: it is your first trip and you only have time for one base.
Coron: The Separate Island
Coron town sits on Busuanga, a separate island north of mainland Palawan, so there is no road in. You fly to Busuanga airport and ride 30 to 45 minutes into town, or take the morning ferry from El Nido across the Linapacan Strait. A private flight from El Nido to Coron takes about 30 minutes. The draw is the freshwater lakes, the twin lagoons and the Second World War wreck fleet. Allow at least two full days after the day you arrive. Coron vs El Nido helps if you only have time for one, and ferry vs flight covers the crossing.
Stay here if: you dive, or the lakes are the picture that made you book.
How the Areas Fit Together
Four of the five sit on one road. Fly into Puerto Princesa and travel north in short hops: Port Barton, San Vicente, then El Nido, with Coron as a ferry or flight extension at the end. Going south to north means every transfer is a few hours, not one long day. Our 10-day Palawan itinerary lays the route out day by day, and every leg is bookable on the Palawan transportation page.
Pick by Traveller
- First trip, one base: El Nido.
- First trip, a week or more: Puerto Princesa, Port Barton, then El Nido.
- You want quiet: Port Barton, or San Vicente for quieter still.
- Divers: Coron.
- Three or four days only: Puerto Princesa with the Underground River, or fly straight to El Nido.
- Travelling with children: read Palawan with kids before choosing boat days.
Good to Know
Which area of Palawan is best for a first trip?
El Nido, if you only have time for one base. It packs the most variety into one town. With a week or more, add Port Barton on the way north for contrast.
Which area of Palawan is easiest to reach?
Puerto Princesa, because the main airport is in the city. El Nido and Coron each have a smaller airport with fewer flights. Port Barton and San Vicente are reached by road.
Can I stay in more than one area in a week?
Yes. One or two nights in Puerto Princesa, two in Port Barton and three or four in El Nido is a common week, with transfers of 3 to 4 hours between each.
Do I need to book transfers between the areas in advance?
In high season (December to May), yes: morning vans sell out a day or more ahead, and the El Nido–Port Barton leg runs only twice a day. Booking ahead costs nothing extra.