On a trip to the Philippines it’s very common to include two of the country’s best-known destinations: El Nido and Boracay. However, as we’ve told you several times, one of the challenges when designing travel itineraries is how to distribute your days and connect the destinations you’ve chosen. Until not long ago, going from El Nido to Boracay was a real odyssey. Today you’re in luck because we’re going to tell you how to get from El Nido to Boracay in the simplest way.
The first thing we should warn you is that if you want to save countless hours in transfers, you’ll have to dig a little deeper into your pocket. Right now, there’s only one airline operating direct flights to go from El nido to Boracay. There are intermediate options that we’ll talk about, but if you’re looking for something cheaper, skip straight to the end of this guide.
How to get from El Nido to Boracay by plane
To get to Boracay from El Nido (or vice versa) the best means of transport is the plane. The most direct way is a non-stop flight, but it’s also the most expensive.
How to get from El Nido to Boracay – Direct flights
For the past few years, Air Swift has been the only one that operates direct flights to go from El Nido to Boracay.
As we explain in How to get to Boracay, the closest airport to the island is Caticlan (IATA code: MPH). So, when searching for your flights from El Nido to Caticlan, set your destination to Caticlan instead of Boracay.
Air Swift operates several flights a week to go from El Nido to Boracay. Prices range between 5.000 and 6.000 Philippine pesos (between 80€ and 100€). Keep in mind that booking early is the key to finding a good fare. If you book at the last minute or on peak dates (Christmas, Holy Week, Chinese New Year…), prices increase considerably. These flights used to be daily, but frequency has dropped a bit.
We also recommend booking well in advance for another reason. Air Swift flights use small planes and it’s not uncommon for them to be full.
Book your flight from El Nido to Boracay
By the way, this airline often launches deals for this El Nido–Boracay route and other trips. So you can keep an eye on its website or Facebook page to grab them.
How to get from Caticlan to Boracay?
Once in Caticlan, you’ll need to reach the island of Boracay, as Caticlan Airport is on Panay. It’s very simple—follow these steps:
- Take a tricycle to the port (150 pesos for the whole vehicle).
- Take a bangka (the local boat). They depart every 10–15 minutes, 24 hours a day. The price has 3 parts: boat ticket, 50 pesos; port fees, 200 pesos; and environmental fee, 300 pesos.
- Take a tricycle to your hotel. The price depends on where the hotel you chose to stay in Boracay is located, but estimate around 100 pesos for the whole vehicle. There are also larger tricycles that run along the main road and cost 30 pesos per person.
If you want to avoid headaches, you can also arrange a transfer to your hotel for about 700 pesos per person from THIS LINK (Klook is the best-performing tour company in the Philippines, similar to Civitatis).
How to get from El Nido to Boracay via Puerto Princesa
If you want to go from El Nido to Boracay in a slightly more economical way, take a flight from Puerto Princesa to the two airports near Boracay: Caticlan and Kalibo.
The first thing to keep in mind is that to go from El Nido to Boracay this way, you must first go to Puerto Princesa. To do so, you have 2 options:
- Van: the journey takes between 4.5 and 5 hours and they usually depart between 4:00 and 20:30. Note that many of them take you directly to the airport, which is much more convenient. You can book your seat here.
- Bus: the ride is a bit more comfortable, but keep in mind it takes between 6 and 8 hours and they’ll drop you at the Puerto Princesa bus terminal; from there you’ll need another transfer. The company is Cherry Bus and it operates at 7:00, 9:00, 11:00, 13:00 and 21:00. You can book your seat here.
How to get from Puerto Princesa to Caticlan (Boracay)
From Puerto Princesa you’ll find daily flights to Caticlan, but they connect in Cebu or Manila. So the total flight time will range between 5 and 7 hours.
Prices depend on how far in advance you book and the season, but they usually vary between 50€ and 100€.
Book flights from Puerto Princesa to Caticlan
To get from Caticlan to Boracay, check the steps we detailed in the previous section.
How to get from Puerto Princesa to Kalibo (Boracay)
A slightly cheaper way to go from El Nido to Boracay is flying from Puerto Princesa to Kalibo Airport (IATA code: KLO). It’s 70 kilometers from Boracay, but the transfer is very quick.
As in the previous case, the flights have a stop in Cebu or Manila, so it won’t be unusual for this leg to take between 5 and 7 hours. After that, add 90 to 120 minutes to Boracay.
These flights usually cost between 45€ and 70€.
Transfer to Boracay with Klook
How to get from El Nido to Boracay the cheapest way
If you have plenty of time to travel around the Philippines, you can consider the cheapest but also the slowest option…
To reach Boracay from El Nido you’ll need to follow these steps:
- Go from El Nido to Puerto Princesa by van or bus, as we indicated above.
- Take a ferry from Puerto Princesa to Iloilo. This ferry is operated by two companies: Milagrosa Shipping Lines and Montenegro Shipping Lines, and it doesn’t depart every day (Montenegro’s sailings are on Mondays at 18:00). Contact them via Facebook or here or try calling them. Keep in mind the journey takes around 36 hours and makes a stop at an island called Cuyo. The price is around 1.500 pesos.
- Take a taxi or a jeepney to Tagbak Terminal (the bus terminal).
- Take a bus or a van from Iloilo to Caticlan. The bus takes about 5–6 hours and costs around 450 pesos. Vans have a similar price but take about 4.5 hours.
- Follow the steps we gave you earlier to get to Boracay from Caticlan.
That’s it! We hope we’ve answered your questions about going from El Nido to Boracay, but if you still have doubts, we’ll be happy to reply in the comments.
Take a look at this Boracay Guide and discover much more information about the island.
