Puerto Princesa Guide
Puerto Princesa is many travelers’ gateway to the fabulous island of Palawan, named one of the most beautiful islands in the world. If you feel like getting off the beaten path, you can take several excursions from the city, such as a trip to Honda Bay or the hugely popular tour of the Underground River, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In this Puerto Princesa Guide, you’ll find everything you need to enjoy a few days in this part of Palawan.
Although it isn’t the prettiest city in the Philippines, there’s a good chance you’ll pass through Puerto Princesa at some point during your trip. Palawan’s capital is a good base for a couple of interesting excursions and also offers a huge selection of hotels, restaurants, and shops to make things easy for you. In this Puerto Princesa Guide, we’ll share the tips we wish we’d had the first time we set foot there. From recommendations on things to do to restaurants worth checking out, keep reading—we’ll tell you everything.
THINGS TO DO IN PUERTO PRINCESA
Puerto Princesa may not have a huge number of sights, but it’s a pleasant city where you can take a walk, watch the sunset, and go out to dinner. Even so, it makes a great base for tons of activities like these:
- Walk around Puerto Princesa: discover remnants of the city’s history and enjoy the atmosphere along the Baywalk at sunset.
- Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park: explore one of the longest underground rivers in the world by canoe.
- Take a trip to Sabang Beach.
- Go island hopping in Honda Bay.
- Swim with whale sharks: Puerto Princesa is one of the places where you can do so most responsibly. The season runs roughly from April to October.
- Visit little-known Nagtabon Beach.
- Be blown away by the fireflies on the Iwahig River.
- Discover Puerto Princesa’s Vietnamese heritage by trying chaolong.
How many days should you spend there? How long you’ll need to stay in Puerto Princesa depends on what you’re planning to do. If you’re short on time, our advice is to head straight to El Nido or Port Barton. If you want to visit the Underground River from Puerto Princesa, you’ll need to set aside at least one full day.
To get a better idea, read our Things to Do in Puerto Princesa article:
VISITING THE PUERTO PRINCESA UNDERGROUND RIVER
Although it is located in Sabang, almost 2 hours from Puerto Princesa, plenty of daily tours head to this site, which has been named one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World. All you have to do is hop in the van and enjoy the ride. You’ll take in impressive limestone scenery and white-sand beaches. Most importantly, you’ll travel along the world’s second-longest underground river aboard a small canoe propelled by paddles.
Although you only travel along the first 1.5 kilometers of the Underground River, which is more than 24 kilometers long, the tour will impress you. The journey through the heart of the earth will reveal impressive stalagmites, stalactites, columns, and enormous chambers, as well as wildlife typical of one of the most biodiverse areas in the Philippines.
In this Puerto Princesa Guide, we’re only giving you a brief preview. Find out much more in our article How to Visit Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park:
HOW TO GET TO PUERTO PRINCESA
It’s very easy to get to Puerto Princesa from almost anywhere in the Philippines, as the city boasts a modern airport. You’ll also find overland connections (vans, jeepneys, and buses) to other destinations in Palawan, such as Port Barton and El Nido. Since the options are endless and we can’t cover them all in this Puerto Princesa Guide, you can read about them in detail here:
WHERE TO STAY IN PUERTO PRINCESA
Puerto Princesa has improved a lot in recent years, going from a chaotic town to a more orderly city with no shortage of restaurants, shops, and, of course, hotels to meet the needs of an ever-growing number of tourists. Whether you’re just passing through and looking for somewhere affordable to spend the night or planning to stay for a few days at a nice resort with a pool, you’ll have tons of options to choose from! In our Where to Stay in Puerto Princesa article, you’ll find options for every budget:
TIPS FOR VISITING PUERTO PRINCESA
- HOW MANY DAYS TO SPEND IN PUERTO PRINCESA: this largely depends on your plans. You can skip it altogether, spend one day there and visit the Underground River, or spend 2 full days taking other excursions, such as the whale shark tour (in season).
- BEST TIME TO VISIT PUERTO PRINCESA: the dry season runs roughly from November to May.
- WHERE TO EAT IN PUERTO PRINCESA: Bona’s Chaolong (for Vietnamese food), Kalui (the most famous restaurant in Puerto Princesa), Palaweño Brewery (Palawan’s only craft brewery), and Ver De Plant-Based Café (an incredible vegan restaurant). Read more in our Where to Eat in Puerto Princesa guide.
- SHOPPING IN PUERTO PRINCESA: if this is your last stop in the Philippines, great! You’ll find tons of places to buy handicrafts and souvenirs in Puerto Princesa. At SM City (downtown), you’ll find a KULTURA branch and several pearl stores. Puerto Princesa is also a great place to buy sunscreen or other products you may need during your trip, since prices are lower than in tourist areas.
- ATMS IN PUERTO PRINCESA: you’ll find tons of ATMs and banks along Rizal Avenue.
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HEALTHCARE IN PUERTO PRINCESA: this is where you’ll find the island’s hospitals. To receive treatment at the best hospitals without having to pay anything, it’s essential to travel with good insurance. Here you can get 5% off the insurance we use.