Snake Island, El Nido

Snake Island - properly Vigan Island - takes its name not from any snake but from the shape of the sandbar that links it to the Palawan shore: a long, narrow ribbon of sand that curves in an S when the tide is out and vanishes under the water when the tide is in. Boats land at one end and people walk the bar with sea on both sides, which is a peculiar and rather good sensation, then climb a short marked path up the hillside for the view straight down the curve. There is a small mangrove area at the back, shallow water for swimming on either side, and usually a lunch stop somewhere on the Tour B circuit that includes it, alongside Cudugnon Cave, Pinagbuyutan Island and the Entalula beach. The whole thing depends entirely on the tide - come at high water and the famous sandbar is simply not there.

What you actually see

• The S-shaped bar - the sand curve between the shores.
• The hill viewpoint - the short climb for the top-down view.
• The two-sided shallows - water on both sides of the walk.
• The mangrove edge - the greener back of the island.

When to go

November to May, and around low tide - the sandbar is exposed only at lower water. Tour operators plan the stop around it, but confirm when booking.

Honest expectations

At high tide there is no sandbar to walk. The viewpoint climb is short but steep and hot. There is no shade on the bar itself.

Nearby

Pinagbuyutan Island, Cudugnon Cave and Entalula Beach are the other Tour B stops.