Island Hopping And Sunset BBQs In El Nido

The little town of El Nido is the destination on the lips of any traveller you encounter in the Philippines. A five-to-seven-hour bus ride from Puerto Princesa on the island of Palawan, El Nido translates to ‘the nest’ in Spanish, and has gained fame as the gateway to the breath-taking natural beauty of Bacuit Bay.

El Nido is a rough and ready type of town with plenty of basic budget digs to choose from as well as cool bars, places to eat and small, bustling streets lined with tourist offices and useful amenities. Sheltered by majestic, limestone cliffs that tower above the town, the scenery is just an appetiser to the treasures of the Bacuit archipelago located a short boat ride away from the town bay.

What To Do In El Nido

It’s rumoured that El Nido, with its surrounding secret beaches and hidden lagoons, provided Alex Garland with his inspiration for The Beach and it’s not too hard to imagine that when you’re amongst the magnificent limestone outcrops with the perfect beach tucked just out of sight.

Most people come to El Nido for the island hopping – think Vietnam’s Halong Bay before the hordes of tourists descended. However, the most popular tour routes in town are simply labelled Tour A, B, C and D. Each tour takes in slightly different sights with A being the tour that showcases aquamarine lagoons and C focusing on a couple of excellent snorkelling spots. All tours usually include a delicious lunch consisting of BBQ meat and seafood with some refreshing, exotic fruit for dessert. Make sure to bring your own water and plenty of sun-cream.

If an organised tour isn’t your sort of thing and you have a larger group or some money to burn, why not consider negotiating with one of the numerous boatmen located at the town beach to charter your own tour? Perhaps you want to lounge on a deserted beach, camp overnight or find more peaceful snorkelling spots where you can see more fish in undisturbed waters… Although El Nido is a popular destination, it is certainly not packed to bursting or spoiled by tourism and there is still plenty of space in the bay for all.

Beach lovers may be initially disappointed with the look of the town beach – it is not advisable to swim due to the boat traffic and the likelihood of the town’s waste getting pumped out into the waters. However, with sandy, undeveloped beaches such as the glorious stretch on Helicopter Island just a boat ride away, any frowns will turn upside down pretty quickly.

El Nido also provides easy access to one of the most beautiful beaches on Palawan. A tricycle will take you to Las Cabanas beach, also known as Marimegmeg, for 150 pesos ($4AUD) one way. This short ride takes you through the low-key, sleepy village of Corong-Corong to a truly magnificent golden crescent of sand fringed by coconut trees. With just a couple of tiny, rustic bars where you can pick up a fresh coconut or a sunset cocktail, the main establishment in the centre of the beach is a bar called The Beach Shack. Here you can grab a chair in the sand and taste some of the tastiest fruit shakes in the Philippines. Early in the morning, this beach is all but deserted, the shadows of the palms casting gorgeous reflections across the smooth, rippling water, whilst the evening show presents a sunset of mind-blowing perfection.

Eating And Drinking In El Nido

Although things are not noticeably cheap here in El Nido compared to other parts of the Philippines and South East Asia, you can still eat and drink like a king. Happy Hours are not as delightfully long as they are on the holiday island of Boracay, but most places do at least one or two hours starting at around 4 or 5pm, where you can pick up some half price or discounted drinks.

You’ll love the shady, colonial style upper level of Mezzanine Bar for quality cocktails (two-for-one at Happy Hour) and a breezy sea view out across the bay. A little further into town, Alofa offers the best Wi-Fi signal and a long list of interesting cocktails that offer great value for money i.e. they were STRONG.

Seafood aficionados will enjoy the beach BBQs that hot up in the evening. Aplaya is a popular choice with a huge range of prizes from the deep waters laid out for perusal. You find your table, choose your dinner and then order drinks and sides from the menu. Expect chunky steaks of mahi-mahi and barracuda as well as red snapper and shellfish in abundance. L’Jodec is another cute eatery with a friendly, relaxed atmosphere and delicious coconut curries, while Art Café provides lazy, late breakfast in a bright and spacious setting.

Keep your eyes and ears open in town for full moon or late night parties going on at various beaches not too far away, or pay a visit to Pukka Bar on the beach; the only reggae bar in El Nido, an excellent live band plays a couple of sets here each night. Who can say no to the sweet sound of reggae in paradise?

Places To Stay

The town itself specialises in low-key, budget accommodation. It can get pretty sweltering in this sheltered bay, so a decent fan or air con can be something of a lifesaver in the hot season. Be prepared for electricity or water to occasionally fail – the price of island life!

Biolina Guesthouse and Bulskamp Inn come highly recommended from the heart of El Nido, close to all the action, whereas others might prefer something a little way out of town where you can relax in peace in the evenings and commune with nature from the comfort of a beachside hammock. Staying in Bacuit Bay itself, a boat ride from town, is also possible; Tapik Beach Park Guest House with its thatched roofed cottages promises the ultimate in rustic, beach living.

In such an exotic location as El Nido, you’ll be hard pressed not to fall in love with island life.

By Alex Saint