Big Lagoon, El Nido

The Big Lagoon is the picture most people carry away from El Nido: a broad, shallow arm of green water running back into Miniloc Island between limestone walls that rise a hundred metres or more on both sides. Boats now moor at the mouth and visitors go in by kayak, a rule introduced to stop propellers churning the shallow seagrass and coral - which also makes the experience quieter than it once was, the sound reduced to paddles and birds off the cliffs. The water is shallow enough in places to stand, shading from pale jade over sand to deeper blue in the channel, and the cliffs carry the tufted vegetation and swiftlet nests typical of Palawan karst. It sits on the standard Tour A circuit with the Small Lagoon, Secret Lagoon, Shimizu and Seven Commandos, which means the middle of the day here is busy: boats queue, kayaks bunch at the entrance, and the calm arrives only early or late.

What you actually see

• The karst walls - cliffs rising straight from the water.
• The shallow jade water - sand and seagrass under the paddle.
• The kayak channel - the only way into the inner lagoon.
• The moored boat line - the tour fleet waiting outside.

When to go

November to May for calm seas; the earliest boats out of El Nido reach the lagoon before the crowd. Tours are cancelled in rough weather and during habagat squalls.

Honest expectations

This is a high-traffic site - expect many kayaks and boats mid-morning to mid-afternoon. Kayak hire is charged separately, environmental fees are collected in town, and there are no facilities inside.

Nearby

Small Lagoon and Secret Lagoon are on the same circuit; Cadlao Island and Nacpan Beach are the other El Nido staples.