Hidden Beach, El Nido

Hidden Beach lives up to the name more convincingly than most places that use it: approaching Matinloc Island by boat you see only a continuous wall of limestone, and the beach behind it appears only once you have swum through a narrow break in the rock. Inside is a short crescent of coarse white sand enclosed by cliffs on three sides, with clear shallow water, coral heads out from the shore and enough enclosure that the sound of the open sea drops away. It sits on Tour C, El Nido's cliff-and-cove circuit, together with Matinloc Shrine, Secret Beach and Helicopter Island, and it is usually the stop people rate highest on that day. Swells make the entrance awkward - boats cannot enter and the swim through the gap is against surge when the sea is up, which is why the tour operators reshuffle stops or skip it in rough conditions.

What you actually see

• The rock gap - the swim-through that hides the beach.
• The enclosed crescent - coarse white sand under cliffs.
• The coral shallows - snorkelling straight off the sand.
• The Matinloc walls - limestone rising on three sides.

When to go

November to May for the calmest entry. Early or late in the day for fewer boats; Tour C runs later than Tour A and is often quieter.

Honest expectations

Getting in means swimming through a gap with surge - not for weak swimmers, and life jackets are standard. The beach is small and fills quickly. Tours skip it when the sea is rough.

Nearby

Secret Beach, Matinloc Shrine, Helicopter Island and Star Beach make up the rest of Tour C.