As we already told you in Things to do in El Nido, coming to this corner of Palawan and not doing island hopping would be a real shame. However, around El Nido there are plenty of beaches to explore, and we encourage you to devote one or two days of your trip to the Philippines to them. Therefore, in this article we’re going to tell you about the best beaches in El Nido to visit without having to take a boat. You can reach them by renting a motorbike, hiring a tricycle or a van, or, if you’re more active, grabbing a kayak and paddling to them. You’ll be spoiled for choice!
On the other hand, if you prefer quieter places to stay and don’t mind that it will take more effort to reach “civilization,” we’ll leave you some accommodation recommendations for each of them. As happens in El Nido, hotels here are also selling out weeks in advance, so we recommend booking as soon as possible.
Stick with us and discover the best beaches in El Nido.
Beaches accessible from El Nido by motorbike/tricycle/van
Whether near the town’s “hub” or a little farther away, there are many beautiful beaches in El Nido that you can access without much trouble. If you know how to ride a motorbike and have a license (we have an agency that rents them for 450 pesos or cheaper if you take them for several days. They are also in very good condition and the owners are lovely.
If you want to avoid hassles, you won’t have any problem getting a tricycle. This is one of the typical forms of transport in the Philippines and 3 or 4 people can fit more or less comfortably. You can pay per ride or negotiate a price for it to accompany you all day, which usually runs around 1.200 pesos.
Meanwhile, for farther beaches like Nacpan Beach, there are agencies that run round-trip van services at specific times. Since the service is more comfortable and faster than a tricycle, you’ll need to consider that prices are higher, around 600 pesos per person for a round trip. You also have the option to do what’s called the “inland tour”, which combines El Nido’s beaches Nacpan, Lio, Duli and Las Cabañas and, if you wish, some waterfalls like Bulalacao. We also have a van contact.
Don’t worry, we’ll tell you how to get to each of them later. Here we talk to you, in order of preference, about the best beaches in El Nido.
Las Cabañas / Maremegmeg Beach / Vanilla Beach
Las Cabañas is one of the most beautiful beaches in El Nido and, without a doubt, the most convenient for a swim among those close to El Nido Town. Since it’s deeper at the shore, it’s much less affected by the tides and, therefore, even at low tide you can take that dip you’ve been wanting ever since you set foot in town.
Located about 10–15 minutes by tricycle from the center of El Nido Town, it’s a long stretch of blonde sand washed by crystal-clear waters and backed by tall palm trees. And although it has changed dramatically in recent years (they’ve even built a shopping mall and an infinity-type pool resort), it’s still a beautiful and relatively quiet beach. The most frequented part is the one you find to the right of the entrance, which has the finest sand and is most comfortable for swimming, but in our opinion there’s nothing like walking a little to enjoy a gorgeous panorama.
Trust us and discover what may become one of your favorite corners on your trip to the Philippines. If you walk to the left, past the various bars and restaurants and around the corner, you’ll be able to enjoy a little slice of beach to yourself with incredible views of the islets of Bacuit Bay. It’s an intimate spot that becomes more and more interesting as the light fades. If you go for it, you’ll confirm right here that sunsets on Las Cabañas Beach are epic.
If you like a relaxed vibe, you can stay in this area we’ve told you about; but if you need more atmosphere, you can order a San Miguel at any of its bars, listen to some music, and meet people. It’s up to you!
At Las Cabañas, also known as Maremegmeg Beach or Vanilla Beach (we hate this new name they want to give it!), you’ll also find the most famous zipline in El Nido. It runs from a corner behind the beach to Depeldet islet, which you’ll see at all times if you visit this El Nido beach. In our opinion, it’s not a very thrilling adventure, since it’s only 750 meters long, but it’s a fun option and a different way to enjoy the scenery. Prices are a bit pricey: 600 one-way and 1.100 if you also return. You book right there; it can’t be done online.
If you’re convinced to sleep here, keep in mind that there isn’t much accommodation. With the exception of the super Mua Tala El Nido, there aren’t many decent hotels to choose from. Don’t worry, as you’ll see, you can easily get to Las Cabañas from El Nido or Corong Corong, where there is plenty on offer. You can read more about this topic in Where to stay in El Nido, Best resorts in El Nido and in Best hostels in El Nido.
- How to get to Las Cabañas: you can walk from El Nido Town along the shore past Corong Corong Beach. It takes a little less than an hour, depending on the pace you want to set. You can also rent a motorbike or take a tricycle. A private one from El Nido to Las Cabañas costs 150 pesos (official fare); this is called a “special trip.” You can also share a tricycle, that is, take a “regular” one with other Filipinos and, in that case, the fare is 20 pesos per person. However, it’s a difficult option to get, since many tricycles don’t go that far or don’t want to take tourists. Another alternative is to go to El Nido’s bus station and hop on a bus or jeepney heading toward Puerto Princesa and get off as you pass Las Cabañas. The latter won’t cost you more than 20 pesos, but keep in mind you’ll have to wait.
- Viajar por Filipinas discovery: if you walk from Corong Corong Beach to Las Cabañas, right here, there’s a small beach we’ve dubbed Viajar por Filipinas Beach, where there’s absolutely nothing and no one. It looks like a small resort is being built, but it still has a long way to go and it’s a great spot to relax under the palms. Tell us what you think if you visit!
- Recommended restaurants in Las Cabañas: The Beach Shack and Hayahay Cafe.
- Recommended hotels in Las Cabañas: Mua Tala El Nido / El Nido Bayview Hotel
Lio Beach
The hotly contested number 2 spot among the best beaches in El Nido goes to our beloved Lio Beach. It’s located a little under 6 kilometers from the center of El Nido, that is, about 15–20 minutes by tricycle or motorbike. And although it has always been there, it has taken center stage since one of the big Filipino business corporations took the reins of its tourist development, turning it into a pleasant place to spend the day.
Lio Beach is still a wild beach, not at all crowded and very beautiful. As soon as you arrive, you’ll see a small pier, which serves as access for guests heading to the luxury hotels in Bacuit Bay (such as El Nido Resorts Lagen Island). If you stand there and look to the left, you’ll enjoy a panoramic view of this uninhabited beach dominated by Cadlao Mountain. You can’t access this area, as it’s right next to the airport and therefore the impressive entry and exit for Air Swift planes, the airline you can use to fly directly to El Nido.
In contrast, everything you have to the right is yours to enjoy. This is an enormous strip of blonde sand with lots of palm trees and other trees that provide shade from the Filipino sun—it’s a true paradise.
The area closest to the parking lot has several shops (very cute, by the way, and before reaching the beach you have Kalye Artisano, a collection of craft shops, which we included in What to buy in the Philippines), bars and restaurants, as well as free hammocks and beanbags (you read that right!). Therefore, it won’t be unusual to find other travelers like you enjoying the vibe. If you keep walking, past the luxurious resort Seda Lio, you can enjoy a 100% virgin area with elegant palm trees where there will very likely be no one. So you can choose your own adventure.
Depending on when you visit El Nido’s beaches, you’ll find Lio Beach’s waters more or less calm. Generally, Lio has a bit more swell than Las Cabañas, but nothing that will keep you from swimming. However, during Habagat months, that is, the southwest monsoon, it’s a great El Nido beach for surfing. Therefore, if you come between June/July and October/November, you can rent a board and go catch some waves.
In our opinion, Lio Beach is a perfect place to stay if budget isn’t a big concern (hotels aren’t cheap) and you want peace and quiet. Decent restaurants and gorgeous sunsets add to the hotel offering, and it’s close enough to El Nido Town to enjoy the tours without going far.
If we have to give this El Nido beach a “but,” it’s that you often see sandflies here. These, also called nik nik in the Philippines, are tiny flies that live in the sand and bite to reproduce, leaving you with extremely annoying bites. Avoid them with repellent or coconut water. If you get badly bitten, ask for “calamine” at any pharmacy and it will help a lot.
- How to get to Lio Beach: tyou’ll need to go by motorbike (the road is completely paved) or by tricycle. A tricycle should cost you about 300 pesos or so.
- Recommended restaurants in Lio Beach: PLNT + HRVST, L’Asiette and The Clay Kitchen.
- Recommended hotels in Lio Beach: Seda Lio / Piece Lio / Huni Lio
Nacpan Beach
Nacpan Beach is one of the best beaches in Palawan and also, in our opinion, one of the best beaches in the Philippines. If it were closer to town, it would undoubtedly take the number one spot on this list of the best beaches in El Nido. However, its location, 17 kilometers or about 50 minutes from El Nido Town, means we put it in third place.
It’s a spectacular 4‑kilometer‑long beach. With fine golden sand, what we like most is the abundance of coconut palms that characterize it, as well as its tranquility. Almost everyone tends to concentrate in the area closest to the parking lot, where most hotels and restaurants are; so if you like peace and quiet, you just have to walk to the right (north) and enjoy kilometers of calm. Although more and more businesses are springing up on this El Nido beach and it won’t be long before it starts to change, Nacpan is still not crowded at all.
The water at Nacpan is clear and, like Lio, can have more or less swell depending on the wind. In fact, you could also grab a surfboard if you’re a beginner or want to learn to catch waves.
Plus, Nacpan’s surprises don’t end there, as it has a neighboring beach. Calitang Beach is the less attractive sister, as it doesn’t have much depth at the shore for swimming and is a bit neglected, but don’t miss the chance to climb the small viewpoint (marked on Google Maps as Twin Beach) and enjoy the beautiful panorama of both.
The only problem we see with Nacpan is that, as with Lio Beach, you have to be extremely careful with sandflies. Claudia, for example, is quite allergic and on one of our visits to this El Nido beach she took home “as a gift” hundreds of bites that caused a fever.
On the other hand, it’s a perfect place to stay for one or two nights if you simply want to enjoy a quiet beach and not do much else. In recent years, some hostels with tents, bungalows and even very glamorous glamping sites have sprung up. We wouldn’t choose this beach as a base to explore El Nido, as it’s inconvenient for doing the island hopping, but it is for a disconnect. Below we recommend some hotels.
The entrance to Nacpan costs 60 pesos per person and is valid for multiple visits if you keep the ticket.
- How to get to Nacpan Beach: since there’s no public transport, the most common way to get to Nacpan is by motorbike. The road leading to the main parking lot is completely paved (except for the last stretch, which has some dirt). However, the stretch leading to the glamping area or Angkla beach club is quite awful, so be very careful if it has rained and/or you’re not skilled on a motorbike. You can also hire a tricycle to take you and wait for you. This usually costs 1.200 pesos, and keep in mind it will take you about 75 minutes to get there, as they are slower. Finally, there are plenty of agencies in El Nido Town and Corong Corong (even hotels offer it) that take you by van to Nacpan. It costs 600 pesos per person round trip.
- Recommended restaurants in Nacpan Beach: Nacpan Beach Sunmai Restaurant, Beach Banquet Bar & Restaurant and Mad Monkey.
- Recommended hotels in Nacpan Beach: Eco Sanctuaries Nature Lodge Nacpan (we highly recommend it; it’s the cabin in the photo on the right) / Mad Monkey Hostel Nacpan Beach / Nacpan Beach Glamping
Duli Beach
Another El Nido beach you can visit is Duli Beach. Even less known than all the above, it won’t be unusual to have it all to yourself, especially at the northern end.
Duli is very similar to Nacpan: 2 kilometers of fine blonde sand, coconut palms, clean water… It’s a perfect place to simply spend a couple of hours enjoying total peace, but it’s also the most famous spot in Palawan for surfing, especially in the rainy season. So if you’re looking for where to surf in the Philippines, don’t hesitate to come here. You can rent a board at lots of places along the beach.
As you might guess, there isn’t much tourist infrastructure in Duli, except for a couple of restaurants and the Duli Beach Resort, with lovely bungalows overlooking the sea.
By the way, Duli takes its name from a type of turtle that nests here. So on some occasions (around early February), you can see little hatchlings leaving their nest and heading to the sea. Duli Beach Resort has a project related to this.
- How to get to Duli Beach: there are no vans to Duli Beach, so, as in the case of Nacpan, you’ll have to opt for a motorbike or a tricycle. Keep in mind that the road to Duli Beach is much more dangerous than the one to Nacpan; it basically ends in a fairly slippery dirt track where even the most experienced need to be careful. A tricycle usually charges 1.500 pesos per day.
- Recommended hotels in or near Duli Beach: Duli Beach Resort / Bucana Beachfront Guesthouse (on Bucana Beach, nearby)
Corong Corong Beach
Without reaching the level of the above, we wanted to include it among El Nido’s best beaches for its beautiful scenery. From Corong Corong Beach, located just a 10‑minute walk from El Nido Town, you get an ideal panorama of the islands and islets of Bacuit Bay, including distinctive Helicopter Island.
The beach combines coarse golden sand with some stones and swimming is a little difficult, as it’s very affected by the tides. Even so, Corong Corong is still a great place to stay in El Nido, as it has every comfort, plenty of bars and restaurants, and it’s also the place from which many agencies depart for island hopping. In addition, when you return from them, you can enjoy some epic sunsets with an ideal panorama at one of its many beach bars.
- How to get to Corong Corong: since it’s so close to El Nido Town, you can walk in about 15–20 minutes or also take a tricycle, which will cost you 50 pesos. You can take a shared one for 10 pesos per person.
- Recommended restaurants in Corong Corong: Bella Vita, Nanay’s El Nido, Sip Sunset Lounge.
- Recommended hotels in Corong Corong: Last Frontier Beach Resort / Mahogany Resort & Spa / Maligaya Beach Bungalows
Calaan Beach
As in the previous case, Calaan is also greatly affected by the tides and isn’t very comfortable for swimming, but reaching it on foot from El Nido won’t take you even 10 minutes and it’s a very pretty seaside walk.
From Calaan Beach you get lovely views of Cadlao Island, which dominates the landscape, and the rest of El Nido’s islands. Therefore, staying at one of its new resorts isn’t a bad idea.
Recommended hotels in Calaan: Cadlao Resort / Bella Athena Garden / Hutch Lodging House
El Nido Town Beach
Finally, we end with El Nido Town’s own beach. Although it has lost a lot of sand and sea levels have risen dramatically in recent years, don’t miss the chance to walk along it and admire the scenery. That said, it’s better not to swim, as the level of E. coli bacteria was very high just a few years ago due to the town’s poor waste management. Swimming was banned for a while, and although you may be able to do it, we recommend that you avoid it.
At certain times of year (November/December), in the northernmost area, you can see the sun set between the two mountains, making for a beautiful spectacle. Several cool bars have sprung up here—such as The Treehouse, AP Kala Beach Bar or Havana—to watch the sunset if you don’t want to go as far as Las Cabañas or Corong Corong.
- How to get to El Nido: you have everything detailed in our article How to get to El Nido.
- Recommended restaurants on El Nido Town Beach: Big Bad Thai, Angel Wish and Jeje El Nido.
- Recommended hotels to enjoy El Nido Town Beach: Inngo Tourist Inn / Sea Cocoon Hotel / Happiness Hostel
El Nido beaches accessible by kayak (or boat)
If you’re more active, there are even more El Nido beaches you can access by kayak or by hiring a bangka (the traditional Filipino boats). The ones we’re going to introduce below are beaches close to Corong Corong Beach and, therefore, this will be your starting point for paddling.
The farthest is Seven Commandos, which you can reach in just under 1 hour of paddling, depending on sea conditions. We advise you to set off early in the morning, which is when the sea tends to be calmer, and always paddle as close to the coast as possible.
You can rent a kayak in the Corong Corong area for around 400/500 pesos per day. Alternatively, you can negotiate a boat if you head to the northern part of this beach, where there are lots of fishermen. A fair price to go to Seven Commandos or Papaya Beach is 1.500 pesos round trip, although it also depends on the size of the boat.
If you’d like a contact to rent a kayak at a good price, you can leave us a comment and we’ll send you the information we have.
Keep in mind that there are a few drinks stalls on these beaches, but they don’t sell “real” food except for some chips or instant noodles. So it’s advisable to bring a sandwich in your dry bag. We already talked about it in Backpack for the Philippines. Don’t forget sunscreen and clothing to protect you from the sun.
Lapus Lapus Beach
The first beach you’ll reach with your kayak is this deserted wonder all for you. In just 10 minutes of paddling, you can enjoy El Nido’s tranquility and what characterizes this corner: limestone walls, turquoise waters and white sand. What more could you ask for?
Papaya Beach
This is the second El Nido beach you can access by kayak. It’s a pretty bay sheltered by huge karst cliffs that will win you over and washed by very clear waters where you can snorkel. There usually aren’t many people, although it depends on when you visit, as it’s part of some of the island hopping routes. Boats typically arrive first thing or at the end of the day, so if you go around 11:00, there shouldn’t be many boats around.
If you’re already thirsty, you’ll find a small bar where you can buy drinks. As a curiosity, this has been the camp for several editions of Russia’s Survivors program.
Keep in mind that if you go by boat (not by kayak), they charge 300 pesos for mooring the boat. For this reason, it’s less visited than its neighbor 7 Commandos.
Seven Commandos Beach
Almost as beautiful as the previous one—or even more—Seven Commandos is one of the most popular beaches on El Nido’s island hopping tours because, in addition to having gorgeous sand and elegant coconut palms, it offers an epic panorama of Bacuit Bay. It’s usually the final stop on the excursions, as here you can relax, snorkel or have a cocktail at the bar. Therefore, it’s not unusual to find it packed with people around 14:30–16:30, although many agencies also choose to visit it in the morning, so it’s better to go around 11:00.
We’ve spent several hours there calmly enjoying the sea, so if you have a day in El Nido and want a relaxing plan, don’t hesitate.
Recommended hotels on this beach: there’s only one, Vellago Resort.
If you’re up for more, you can keep paddling to Ipil Ipil Beach, another beautiful El Nido beach. From Seven Commandos it’s about 10 minutes more.
Other beaches in El Nido
If you have even more days in El Nido or want to explore, you won’t run out of beaches! Here are even more options:
- Mariposa Beach: located farther north of Duli Beach, which you can reach on foot or by motorbike via a “road,” it’s very similar to it in landscape.
- Verde Safari (Dagmay Beach): the next beach after Mariposa and it also shares a landscape of blonde sand and turquoise waters. Be very careful because the track is dirt and with a scooter it’s quite slippery.
- Bucana Beach: many lodgings are springing up here due to the lack of hotel supply in El Nido and it still feels like an “old” Philippines, with a few little seaside hotels that have relaxed restaurants for dinner. The beach is quite beautiful and, as in Duli, you can see turtles hatch (we were lucky) in February. We stayed here and for food we strongly recommend The Bucana Grill Beach Restobar.
- Sibaltan: we head to El Nido’s east coast, where this non‑touristy village is. Although the beach isn’t the most comfortable for swimming due to its shallow depth, it’s a quiet place to spend a few days and also offers the chance to do island hopping to pretty neighboring islands like Maosonon or Pical. It’s about 1 hour from El Nido and is accessible by van (only 1 or 2 a day). If you visit between November and March, keep in mind it’s windy season and therefore a paradise for kitesurf addicts. There are several beaches in this area: Bulang Beach, Bayong Beach and Sibaltan Beach. It has several small little hotels such as Ursula Beach Club, which we highly recommend. You can read all about it in What to do in Sibaltan.
- Bulang Beach / Toratod Beach: also on El Nido’s east coast, this is also a 0‑developed beach, great for relaxing. Like the previous one, it also gets a lot of wind between November and March.
Map of El Nido’s beaches and recommended accommodation
Here is a map of the best beaches in El Nido and the accommodation we’ve recommended in them:
Remember that this article is part of our El Nido Guide, where you’ll find many more tips on things to do, where to eat, where to sleep, or which island hopping is most worthwhile.
Would you like to ask us something about El Nido’s beaches? We’ll read you in the comments!
