Congratulations! You’re finally visiting one of best (if not the best) islands in the world! With over 1,700 islands in Palawan, deciding on an entry point can be overwhelming. You can start in Puerto Princesa where flights are the cheapest and travel north to Port Barton, El Nido, Linapacan and Coron, or start in Coron and travel south to Puerto Princesa.
Let me share with you some tips on how to get to Palawan by air and sea, as well as some travel hacks after visiting this island paradise for over a dozen times.
By Air
El Nido (Lio Airport)
You can reach El Nido via domestic flights from Boracay (Caticlan), Coron (Busuanga), Manila, Cebu, Clark, and Puerto Princesa.
This airport is served exclusively by Air SWIFT, the boutique airline of El Nido Resorts (Pangulasian, Miniloc, Matinloc, Lagen and Apulit).
Plenty of tricycles await you in the airport for a 15-minute ride to El Nido town proper.
Pro Tip: There’s a fixed tricycle fare from the airport to town. Ensure that you are shown the tariff prior to boarding.
Coron- Busuanga (Francisco Reyes Airport)
You can reach Coron-Busuanga via domestic flights from El Nido, Boracay (Caticlan), Manila, Cebu, Clark, Puerto Princesa and Port Barton (San Vicente).
This airport is served by the following airlines : (i) Skyjet via Manila; (ii) Air SWIFT via El Nido; (iii) Air Juan via Boracay (Caticlan), Puerto Princesa and Port Barton (San Vicente); (iv) Cebu Pacific via Manila and Cebu; and (v) Philippine Airlines via Manila, Cebu, and Clark.
Plenty of vans await you in the airport for a 25-minute ride to Coron town proper.
Pro Tip: Get your camera ready before landing. Plenty of instagram-worthy reefs and white sand islands will greet you as the plane descends on an equally picturesque runway surrounded by rolling hills.
Puerto Princesa (Puerto Princesa International Airport)
You can reach Puerto Princesa, the capital of Palawan, via direct international flights from Busan, Seoul, and Taipei, and via domestic flights from El Nido, Coron, Manila, Cebu, Iloilo, Port Barton (San Vicente), Boracay (Caticlan) and Cuyo.
This airport is served by the following airlines : (i) Philippine Airlines via Busan, Seoul, Taipei, Manila, and Cebu (ii) Air SWIFT via El Nido; (iii) Air Juan via Boracay (Caticlan), Coron, Port Barton (San Vicente), and Cuyo; (iv) Cebu Pacific via Manila, Cebu, and Iloilo; and (v) Air Asia via Manila and Cebu.
Plenty of vans await you in the airport for a 6-hour ride to El Nido, 3-hour ride to Port Barton (San Vicente), and tricycles for a 10-minute ride to Puerto Princesa city proper.
Pro Tip: Do your travel shopping here for your trip up north to El Nido. There’s a lot more choices for a more reasonable price in Puerto Princesa.
Port Barton (San Vicente Airport)
You can reach this latest addition to the airports in Palawan via domestic flights from Puerto Princesa and Manila.
This airport is served by the following airlines : (i) Air Juan via Puerto Princesa; and (ii) Philippine Airlines via Manila (commercial flights commencing on October 2018).
Pro Tip: Explore Long Beach. Spanning 14km, this is the longest stretch of white sand beach in the Philippines.
By Sea
El Nido
You can reach the port of El Nido via a ferry ride from Coron.
Montenegro Fast Ferry leaves Coron at 1200 every day, while Phinmal Fast Ferry leaves Coron at 0820am and 1300 every day. Travel time is about 4 hours. Montenegro can be booked onsite and through its authorized online agents, while Phinmal can only be booked onsite.
Plenty of tricycles await you in the port. If your accommodation is in town proper, most are walking distance from the port.
Pro Tip: Ensure that your tickets are booked in advance. Seats sell off way ahead of the departure date, as the El Nido-Coron and Coron-El Nido route are famous (and busy). In the unlucky event that tickets are sold out, be on the port two hours prior to departure and ensure your name is recorded by the ferry staff on the chance passenger list (I’ve done this a couple of times).
Coron
You can reach the port of Coron via a ferry ride from El Nido, Manila and Puerto Princesa.
Montenegro Fast Ferry leaves El Nido at 0600, while Phinmal Fast Ferry leaves El Nido at 0820 and 1300 every day. Travel time is about 4 hours.
2GO leaves Manila at 1900 every Friday, and reaches Coron at 0600 the following day. It leaves Puerto Princesa at 0700 every Sunday, and reaches Coron at 1800 same day.
Plenty of tricycles await you in the port. Most accommodations are not within walking distance from the port, so a tricycle ride may be required.
Pro Tip: 2GO offers a reasonable price with free 60kg baggage allowance. If you are not pressed for time, this is the more relaxed and economical way to reach Palawan from Manila.
Puerto Princesa
You can reach the port of Puerto Princesa via a ferry ride from Coron, Cuyo, and Iloilo (via Cuyo).
2GO leaves Coron at 0800 every Saturday, and reaches Puerto Princesa at 1900 the same day.
Montenegro leaves Cuyo at 2200 every Saturday, and reaches Puerto Princesa at 1000 the following day.
Milagrosa Shipping departs from Iloilo at 1900 every Monday and Thursday , and reaches Cuyo at 0800 the following day. It then leaves Cuyo at 1500, and reaches Puerto Princesa at 0800 the following day.
Pro Tip: This is our ideal place to explore the 2 UNESCO World Heritage sites found in Palawan - (i) the world’s longest underground river in Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, which takes about three hours by land and sea, and (ii) the world-class diving site Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, which takes about 10 hours by sea.
Now it’s time to top up on that tan! Whether you start in Puerto Princesa or Coron, don’t forget to look at your windows as you travel across Palawan. Be prepared for your breath to be taken away by the surreal beauty of this island paradise!