El Nido and Palawan

El Nido, on the island of Palawan, is one of the most beautiful places in the Philippines and often rated among the finest island destinations on earth. Its waters are dotted with dramatic towering limestone karst cliffs rising sheer from turquoise lagoons, hidden coves and white-sand beaches, reached on island-hopping boat trips through the Bacuit Archipelago. Nearby Coron adds wreck diving and shimmering lakes, making Palawan a paradise of sea, stone and jungle.

What's there

• The lagoons - the Big and Small Lagoons ringed by karst cliffs.
• Island-hopping - the boat tours to hidden beaches and coves.
• The karst cliffs - the towering limestone rising from the sea.
• Coron - the nearby wreck diving and shimmering Kayangan Lake.

When to go

November to May, the dry season, for the calmest seas, sunniest weather and best island-hopping; the wet season from June brings rain and rougher waters that can disrupt boat trips. The peak of the dry season is busiest.

Things to know

El Nido town itself is small, congested and has become quite developed, so the magic is out on the water, not in town. Island-hopping tours are the way to see it, but the popular ones get crowded, and some lagoons cap visitor numbers. It is remote, reached by flights and then rough roads. The wet season can wash out boat trips.

Nearby

Coron, the Puerto Princesa Underground River and the rest of Palawan are within reach.