El Nido 3-Day Essentials — Tour A, Tour C & Nacpan Beach

Activities

1. 11:00 Arrive in El Nido (Lio Airport or Puerto Princesa van) 1h

   If you fly AirSWIFT to Lio Airport (ENI), it's a 10-minute drive into town. If you come from Puerto Princesa (PPS), the shared van is a 5-6 hour ride north — tiring and winding, so plan a relaxed afternoon.

   Cost: AirSWIFT $100-180 / van PHP 700-900 TIP: The van road is bumpy and vans drive fast — take a motion-sickness tablet and sit near the front. Withdraw plenty of pesos before arriving; El Nido's ATMs are unreliable. Book your inbound flight or van early in peak season.
2. 12:30 Hotel check-in + lunch in town 1h30

   Check in (town grid, Corong-Corong, or Las Cabanas) and grab lunch at a local grill. Maa's Grill does honest Filipino home cooking — adobo, sisig, grilled fish — at good value.

   Cost: Lunch $4-9 TIP: Confirm your hotel has a backup generator — brownouts are common. Drink only bottled water. Carry a power bank. Town is walkable in 15-20 minutes; tricycles cover anything farther.
3. 14:30 Book tomorrow's tour + walk the town 1h30

   Stop by your hotel desk or a town tour office to book Tour A for the next day, pay the one-time Eco-Tourism Development Fee (PHP 200, valid 10 days), and wander the small grid of shops, cafés, and the pier.

   Cost: ETDF PHP 200 + tour PHP 1,200-1,800 TIP: Book a day ahead — daily tourist numbers are capped and popular dates fill up. Keep the ETDF receipt for all your tours. Bring a dry bag, reef-safe sunscreen, and reef shoes for tomorrow.
4. 16:30 Las Cabanas Beach + sunset + zipline 2h

   Tricycle south to Las Cabanas Beach, El Nido's best sunset stretch — nicer sand than the town beach, casual beach bars, and a zipline running over the water. Settle in for the sunset over Bacuit Bay.

   Cost: Tricycle PHP 150-300 + drinks; zipline extra TIP: Arrive 45 minutes before sunset for a good spot. Agree your tricycle return fare and waiting time first. The zipline is a separate fee. A San Miguel or cocktail in the sand is the classic move.
5. 19:00 Dinner — Sea Slugs or Trattoria Altrove 1h30

   Back in town, choose Sea Slugs for grilled-in-the-sand seafood, or Trattoria Altrove for the town's best Neapolitan wood-fired pizza near the pier (expect a wait at peak times).

   Cost: $8-22 per person TIP: At Sea Slugs, seafood is by weight — confirm the price before grilling. Trattoria Altrove fills up fast, so go early. Cash is safest. Verify hours ahead, as they shift seasonally.

Meal Recommendations

Activities

1. 08:30 Boat departure for Tour A 30min

   Tour A is the classic, most-popular route. Boats gather at the town beach and head out to the Bacuit Archipelago's signature lagoons. Pickup is usually mid-morning after the fee check at the pier.

   Cost: Included in tour TIP: Take the earliest boat you can to beat the crowds at the Big Lagoon. Wear a rash guard and reef-safe sunscreen. Keep electronics in a dry bag. Life vests are provided and often required.
2. 09:30 Big Lagoon — kayak through the karst walls 1h30

   The iconic stop: kayak (or wade at low tide) into the Big Lagoon, where sheer limestone cliffs rise from shallow emerald water. The most photographed spot in El Nido.

   Cost: Lagoon fee PHP 200 + kayak ~PHP 150 TIP: In peak season (Mar-May) it gets very crowded with boats — an early start helps a lot. Kayak rental and the lagoon entrance are small extra fees. Conditions change with the tide; follow your guide.
3. 11:30 Secret Lagoon + Shimizu Island lunch 2h

   Squeeze through a small opening into the enclosed Secret Lagoon, then stop at Shimizu Island for the included beach barbecue lunch — grilled fish, chicken, rice, and fresh fruit.

   Cost: Lunch included TIP: The Secret Lagoon entrance is a low gap in the rock — easy with care. Tell your guide in advance if you're vegetarian. Snorkel the reef off Shimizu while lunch is prepared.
4. 14:00 Small Lagoon + Seven Commandos Beach 2h30

   Snorkel and kayak the Small Lagoon, then finish at Seven Commandos Beach — a long white-sand stretch with palm trees and a coconut stand — before heading back.

   Cost: Included in tour TIP: Small Lagoon is best explored by kayak. Seven Commandos is a relaxed finale — grab a fresh coconut. The boat usually returns to town by late afternoon (16:00-17:00).
5. 18:30 Sunset drink + dinner in town 2h30

   Rinse off, then a sunset cocktail at Republica Sunset Bar on Corong-Corong, followed by dinner. Happiness Beach Bar is great for a Mediterranean change of pace.

   Cost: $10-25 per person TIP: Republica is a short tricycle south of town — arrive before sunset. Happiness Beach Bar is strong for vegetarian/vegan. Verify hours ahead. Cash is safest.

Meal Recommendations

Activities

1. 08:30 Choose: Tour C boat OR Nacpan Beach tricycle 30min

   For more adventure, take Tour C (Hidden Beach, Secret Beach, Matinloc Shrine, Helicopter Island) — the most scenic route with the best snorkeling. For a relaxed day, tricycle 45 minutes north to the quieter 4km Nacpan Beach.

   Cost: Tour C PHP 1,400-1,800 / Nacpan tricycle PHP 1,000-1,500 RT TIP: Tour C is quieter than Tour A and arguably more beautiful. Nacpan is the antidote to busy lagoons — golden sand and far fewer people. Pick based on whether you want one more boat day or a beach day.
2. 10:30 Tour C: Hidden Beach + Secret Beach 2h

   Tour C reaches beaches tucked behind the karst — Hidden Beach and Secret Beach are accessed through narrow gaps in the rock, sometimes only at the right tide. Excellent snorkeling along the way.

   Cost: Included in tour TIP: Secret/Hidden Beach access depends on the tide and a short swim through a rock opening — follow your guide. Reef shoes help on the sharp limestone. (If at Nacpan: relax, swim, and hike to the Twin Beaches viewpoint.)
3. 12:30 Matinloc Shrine + Helicopter Island lunch 2h30

   Visit the Matinloc Shrine, a former religious retreat with a dramatic clifftop viewpoint (small paid entry), then beach lunch and snorkeling around Helicopter Island, named for its profile.

   Cost: Lunch included; shrine small fee TIP: The Matinloc Shrine viewpoint is a short climb with a great panorama. Helicopter Island has good snorkeling. (At Nacpan: lunch at a beach shack like Twin Beach.)
4. 15:30 Return + last town stroll 1h30

   Back to town by late afternoon. Pick up souvenirs, a final mango shake at Art Café, or fresh bread from Midtown Bakery, and pack up.

   Cost: $3-10 TIP: If your flight or van is tomorrow, confirm the time and arrange a transfer. If departing today, leave a generous buffer — schedules here run on flexible 'island time'.
5. 18:00 Farewell dinner OR departure 1h30

   A final Filipino seafood dinner or wood-fired pizza, or head to Lio Airport / catch the van back to Puerto Princesa if leaving today.

   Cost: $8-22 per person TIP: For a same-day departure to PPS, remember the van is 5-6 hours — only do it if your onward flight is late. AirSWIFT from Lio is far easier. Keep some pesos for transfers.

Meal Recommendations