The Philippines
Palawan: The Complete Travel Guide
Three destinations, one island province. How they differ, how to combine them, and how to get in since the 2026 flight changes.
Palawan, in one page
This Palawan travel guide is the starting point for the whole province. Palawan is a long, thin island province at the western edge of the Philippines, and for travel purposes it comes down to three places.
El Nido sits at the northern tip of the main island, facing a bay of limestone islands and hidden lagoons. Coron is a separate island group further north, known for brackish lakes and a sunken WWII fleet. Puerto Princesa is the provincial capital in the middle, home to the Underground River and, since 2026, the only airport with direct Manila jet service.
Most trips use two of the three. Almost nobody needs all three unless they have two weeks.
The three destinations compared
| El Nido | Coron | Puerto Princesa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Known for | Lagoons and beaches | Wreck diving and lakes | The Underground River |
| Airport | ENI, from Clark | USU, from Clark or Cebu | PPS, direct from Manila |
| Days needed | 5 | 3 to 4 | 2 |
| Tour prices | PHP 1,200 to 1,800 | PHP 1,200 to 2,200 | PHP 1,500 to 2,500 |
| Fee structure | One PHP 400 pass, 10 days | Per site, PHP 100 to 300 | One PHP 150 city fee |
| Best for | First-timers | Divers and value | A two-day stop in transit |
Getting to Palawan in 2026
This changed in March 2026 and most guides have not caught up. A Department of Transportation ruling pushed turboprop aircraft out of Manila’s NAIA, and on 29 March Cebu Pacific moved every Cebgo and AirSWIFT flight to Clark. Those airlines serve El Nido and Busuanga.
Neither El Nido nor Coron has a direct Manila flight any more. Puerto Princesa, which is jet-served, is unaffected and is now the only Palawan airport you can reach nonstop from Manila.
| Destination | How to fly in | Overland option |
|---|---|---|
| Puerto Princesa (PPS) | Direct from Manila, Cebu, Iloilo, Davao and Clark | n/a |
| El Nido (ENI) | Clark only, about 1h 15m | Van from Puerto Princesa, 5 to 6 hours, PHP 700 to 900 |
| Coron (USU) | Clark or Cebu, or a 40-minute hop from El Nido | Fast ferry from El Nido, 3.5 to 4 hours |
Clark is roughly two hours north of Manila by road, so net that against any time the flight appears to save.
Pricing the Palawan routes
Since March 2026, Puerto Princesa is the only Palawan airport still served by direct Manila jets. El Nido and Busuanga are Clark departures, and Clark is about two hours north of Manila by road.
That makes this a genuine price-versus-time comparison rather than an obvious choice, so it is worth pricing Manila to Puerto Princesa against Clark to El Nido or Busuanga side by side before you commit to a route.
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How to combine them
5 to 7 days: pick one
El Nido, almost always. Fly Manila to Puerto Princesa, take the morning van north, and give the rest to Bacuit Bay. Do not try to add a second hub.
10 days: El Nido and Coron
Five days in El Nido, the morning ferry across, then three to four in Coron. Fly out of Busuanga. This is the classic Palawan trip and it works.
14 days: all three
Two days in Puerto Princesa for the Underground River and Honda Bay, van north for five days in El Nido, ferry to Coron for four, and a buffer day. Only at this length does the capital earn its place.
Direction matters. Puerto Princesa to El Nido to Coron works better than the reverse: the ferry runs in the calmer morning half of the day, and Coron has the wider choice of onward flights.
When to go
The whole province runs on the same two monsoons. Amihan brings the dry months from roughly November to May; habagat brings the wet ones from June to October. February is the driest month in both El Nido and Coron and carries the lowest tour-cancellation risk of the year.
Palawan is the most sheltered major region in the Philippines for typhoons, though the Calamian Islands around Coron have taken direct hits, historically clustering in early September and early to mid November. Nationally, about 70 percent of tropical cyclones develop between July and October.
The practical rule: travel December to March if you can. If you travel June to October, build spare days in, because you will probably lose a boat day.
Sources we checked: the flight transfer is confirmed in Cebu Pacific’s own advisory; cyclone frequency and the July–October peak from PAGASA; monthly rainfall from Climate-Data.org.
Palawan travel guide: common questions
Is there a direct flight from Manila to Palawan?
To Puerto Princesa, yes. To El Nido and Coron, no longer. All Cebgo and AirSWIFT flights moved from NAIA to Clark on 29 March 2026, so those two are reached from Clark or Cebu.
El Nido or Coron?
El Nido for lagoons, beaches, food and luxury stays, and the stronger choice for a first visit. Coron for wreck diving, quieter boats and value. With ten days or more, do both.
How many days do you need in Palawan?
Seven for one destination, ten for two, fourteen for all three. Under a week, pick El Nido and stay put.
Is Puerto Princesa worth visiting?
As a two-day stop for the Underground River, yes. As a destination in its own right, no. The islands north are why you came.
What is the best time to visit Palawan?
December to March, with February the driest and calmest month across the province. June to October is cheapest but you should expect to lose boat days.
How do you get between El Nido and Coron?
Fast ferry, 3.5 to 4 hours, with published fares from about PHP 1,828 to 3,519 depending on operator and class. There is also a 40-minute flight a few times a week.
Start planning
Each destination has its own full guide, and the checklist covers documents, money and connectivity before you fly.