On most routes Puerto Princesa is a one night stopover, and that is exactly why so much here gets missed. Almost everything worth doing is outside the city and takes half a day to a full one, so with one or two days you end up choosing whether you like it or not. That is fine, as long as you choose the right things.
A few things really belong on the list: the Underground River, one trip out to sea and an evening by the bay. Others are easy to book and fill half a day nicely, although this is also a great place to just get on a scooter. Because the sea decides what runs here, the order you plan things in matters more than in most cities.
So the real question is: what do you fill those one or two days with, and what do you save for next time?
Want the practical side first, like how many days you need, where to sleep and how to get there? That is all on our Puerto Princesa page.
Nagtabon Beach by scooter
This is our own favourite in Puerto Princesa, and at the same time the place almost nobody visits. Nagtabon is on the west coast of Palawan, about an hour’s ride from the city: a long golden beach with palm trees, waves you can surf and usually more locals than tourists. While everyone races north, this is just sitting there waiting on the other side of the island.
You need a scooter for it, which you can hire from about €7 a day. Allow half a day including the ride. Wear a helmet, because they check for it here, and the fine is not worth it.
Bring some snacks and water and stay until the sun drops behind the mountains. That last half hour is why you go.
Our verdict: this is why you end up staying a day longer than you planned
The Underground River
A river 8.2 kilometres long that runs right under a mountain, on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1999 and one of the longest navigable underground rivers there is. The trip starts in Sabang, where a boat takes you across open sea to the entrance. From there you go about a kilometre and a half into the mountain, past rock formations and under the bats. For a lot of travellers this is the absolute highlight of their time on Palawan.
The day tour from Puerto Princesa fills your whole day: first the road to Sabang, then the boat, and back again in the afternoon. Sort out your permit at least a day ahead.
Put it on your first day, not your last. That boat crosses open sea, and when the waves are too high the trip is cancelled. In the rainy season that happens regularly, and then you want a day left to shuffle things around.
Our verdict: absolutely, and on day one
Swimming with wild whale sharks
Whale sharks are the largest fish in the sea, and here you swim right next to them in the open ocean. The difference from the best known spot in the Philippines is in how it is run: at Oslob on Cebu the animals are fed so they stay in one place, while here off the coast of Palawan these are wild animals you meet if you are lucky.
The boat takes you along the coast and you snorkel in open water. Kinder to the animals, then, but with no guarantee: you can simply miss them. Before you book, ask whether the operator works with wild animals and not with feeding.
In the water, keep four metres away, never touch a whale shark and never swim in front of one. That is not only better for the animal, it also saves you a lot of hassle on the boat.
Our verdict: go when the sea is calm, and let it surprise you
Island hopping in Honda Bay
Honda Bay lies on the east side of the city and is the beach part of Puerto Princesa that the city itself does not have. The boat stops at a handful of little tropical islands, including Starfish, Luli and Cowrie, and in between you float over the reef with your snorkel. White sand, crystal clear water and enough colour below you to happily stay in all day.
It is a full day, and lunch is included on most trips. May is the hottest month of the year, but that is also when the bay lies still and glassy.
Use sunscreen without oxybenzone and do not stand on the coral for a quick rest. That reef is exactly what you came for, and it grows back a lot more slowly than you think.
Our verdict: the best second day you can have here
The Baywalk at sunset
The promenade along the water is when the city itself really comes alive. From sunset the grills are lit and half of Puerto Princesa sits at plastic tables along the bay, with the sea behind them and smoke everywhere.
It costs nothing to be there. You point at your fish, it is charged by weight and goes straight on the grill. Fresh catch, shellfish, and twenty minutes later you are eating.
Do ask the price before your fish goes on the grill. What costs backpackers money here is almost never a scam, just not being clear up front about what a kilo costs.
Our verdict: every evening you are here
A plate of adobo at a karinderia
Puerto Princesa is the biggest town on Palawan, which also gives it the best food on the island. You do not notice that in the restaurants but in the karinderias: simple eateries where the food sits in trays behind the counter and you just point at what you want.
A meal here costs about €2.50, so it is easy to try something different every day. Go for adobo, braised in vinegar and soy sauce, or sinigang, the sour tamarind soup. If you come across someone serving lechon, slowly roasted suckling pig, you will not need to eat anything else that day.
Finish with halo-halo: shaved ice with everything in it. It does not look like much, and it is exactly what you need after a day in the sun.
Our verdict: a must, and much better than anything off a Western menu
The firefly cruise through the mangroves
Once it is dark, a boat takes you up the mangrove river, and thousands of fireflies fill the trees along the banks. It sounds like something out of a brochure, but it is one of the things backpackers here mention most often as a surprise.
Dinner is included on most cruises. It is an evening activity, so it does not clash with your trips during the day: it fits nicely after your day in Honda Bay.
Keep your phone in your pocket. It will not show up in a photo anyway, and the boat goes slowly enough for you to just let it happen.
Our verdict: a lovely one if you have an evening spare
Got time to spare in Puerto Princesa?
Baker’s Hill
A park-like spot six kilometres out of the centre, known for its hopia and the view over the area. Entry is free and it makes a nice, green break in your day. Half an hour there is plenty, plus the tricycle there and back, so it slots easily into a spare afternoon or evening.
Honda Bay or the whale sharks
Both leave early in the morning and both fill your whole day. If you have two days, pick one of them alongside the Underground River and keep your evening for the Baywalk or the fireflies. With three or four days, they both fit easily.
How to choose your whale shark trip
Ask up front how it works. Off the coast of Palawan these are wild animals you meet with a bit of luck, and that is exactly what makes this place so special. If an operator promises you will definitely see them, pick a different one: that usually means the animals are being fed to keep them in one place.
Evenings on the Baywalk
The centre of Puerto Princesa is mostly practical: hostels, places to eat, terminals and an airport ten minutes away. The best moment comes as it gets dark on the Baywalk, with stalls, grilled skewers and a view over the bay. During the day you are best off getting out of town on a scooter.
Our top five in Puerto Princesa
Only got a few days? These are the five we would do no matter what:
- The Underground River, booked for your first day with your permit sorted a day ahead
- Nagtabon Beach by scooter, staying until the sun drops behind the mountains
- Island hopping in Honda Bay past Starfish, Luli and Cowrie Island
- The Baywalk as soon as the grills are lit, with fresh fish by weight
- The firefly cruise through the mangroves, to round off a day at sea
Still got a morning after that, and is the sea calm? Then the whale sharks are the best gamble you can take here. One without a guarantee, though, so do not plan anything straight afterwards that you need to be on time for.
So what do you really have to do in Puerto Princesa?
Everything on this list is worth your time, and most backpackers have one or two days here that fill up by themselves: every trip takes a whole day and the sea decides the rest. This list is here to help you choose between trips that do not fit side by side.
If we had to pick just one thing: the Underground River. Gliding a kilometre and a half into the dark, with bats above you and little more than the sound of the water, is the reason most people get off the bus here at all. Lock in your permit on the day you arrive, and you keep room to shuffle if the sea does not play along.
And keep one afternoon free for the scooter. Ride out of town towards the west coast, find a spot in the sand at Nagtabon and stay put until the light is gone. That is the part of Palawan hardly anyone talks about, and it costs you seven euros.
