Palawan North to South: The Complete Route Guide

Palawan is long. Stretched out on a map it looks like a thin green sliver pointing toward Borneo, and travelling it from the northern Calamian Islands all the way down to Balabac in the deep south is one of the great Southeast Asian road-and-boat trips. Most visitors only see one slice of it. This guide stitches the whole thing together: Coron, El Nido, Port Barton, Puerto Princesa with its famous Underground River, and the wild far south. Here is how the pieces connect, what each stop is really like, what it costs, and a sensible 10-14 day route.

Why travel Palawan north to south?

Starting in the north and working down has practical logic. Coron and El Nido are the headline acts, so you hit them fresh. Transport then flows naturally southward toward Puerto Princesa, the province's only major airport for jet aircraft, which makes a clean exit point. You can absolutely reverse it, but north-to-south means you finish near your flight home rather than backtracking. Before you lock dates, check the best time to visit — the dry season runs roughly December to May, and the August-October typhoon window brings real ferry cancellations.

Stop 1: Coron (2-3 days)

Coron town sits in the Calamian group, technically a separate island chain from mainland Palawan. It is famous for two things: Japanese WWII shipwreck diving and impossibly clear lakes. Kayangan Lake and Barracuda Lake are the postcard shots, ringed by limestone karst.

• Getting there: Fly into Busuanga (USU) from Manila or Cebu on Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines or AirSwift. A van transfer to Coron town is about ₱150-300.
• Island-hopping tours: Group tours run ₱1,200-1,800 per person including lunch and gear; private bangka boats from ₱4,000.
• Stay: Hostels from ₱600, mid-range guesthouses ₱1,500-3,000.

Stop 2: El Nido (3-4 days)

From Coron to El Nido you take a fast ferry — Montenegro Lines or similar operators run the 3.5-4 hour crossing for around ₱1,800-2,200. This stretch of open water gets rough in bad weather, and cancellations happen, so build a buffer day. If the seas look ugly, weigh your options on ferries vs flights; AirSwift also flies the short hop.

El Nido is Bacuit Bay: towering cliffs, hidden lagoons, and four lettered island-hopping circuits (Tours A, B, C and D). Tour A with the Big and Small Lagoons is the classic. Tours cost ₱1,400-2,200 plus a ₱200 eco-tourism development fee valid for 10 days.

Stop 3: Port Barton (2 days)

Between the El Nido frenzy and Puerto Princesa lies Port Barton, a slow, sandy village that still feels like Palawan did twenty years ago. Vans from El Nido take about 3 hours for ₱500-700. There is no big nightlife and the power can be patchy, which is exactly the point. Snorkelling tours to find turtles and reefs run ₱1,200-1,500. Skip it only if you are tight on days.

Stop 4: Puerto Princesa & the Underground River (2-3 days)

Vans from Port Barton to Puerto Princesa (PPS) take roughly 3 hours (₱500). The city is your transport hub and the gateway to the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. You navigate a navigable underground cave river by paddle boat.

• Permits: The Underground River requires an advance permit; book through a tour operator (full day trips ₱1,500-2,500 including the Sabang boat transfer and ₱400 entrance/environmental fees).
• Also worth it: Honda Bay island-hopping and the firefly watching tour on the Iwahig River.

Stop 5: Balabac, the far south (3-4 days, optional)

This is the adventurous finale most travellers never reach. Balabac is a remote cluster of islands at Palawan's southern tip, with sandbars and pink-tinged beaches that rival the Maldives. It is genuinely hard to get to: a long van ride south from Puerto Princesa to Rio Tuba (5-6 hours, ₱500-800), then a boat onward. Because of its proximity to sensitive maritime borders, security advisories sometimes apply — check current guidance and go with an established multi-day tour operator (packages ₱8,000-15,000). Malaria precautions are sensible here. If Balabac feels like too much, end your trip in Puerto Princesa instead.

A suggested 10-14 day route

• Days 1-3: Fly into Busuanga, base in Coron, dive and lake-hop.
• Days 4-7: Ferry to El Nido, island-hop Bacuit Bay.
• Days 8-9: Van to Port Barton, slow down.
• Days 10-12: Continue to Puerto Princesa, do the Underground River and Honda Bay.
• Days 13-14: Optional Balabac expedition, or fly home from Puerto Princesa.

What it costs and what to expect

Mid-range budget travellers should plan for ₱2,500-4,000 per day including a guesthouse, one tour, meals and local transport — flights and the Balabac add-on sit on top. For a fuller breakdown you can model the whole thing on our trip costs planner. Carry cash: ATMs exist in Coron, El Nido and Puerto Princesa but run dry, charge fees, and barely exist further south.

Honest caveats before you go

Ferries and boat tours are cancelled for weather without much notice, especially the Coron-El Nido crossing and anything in the south. Never plan a tight connection to an international flight on a boat day. Roads are improving but vans are cramped and drive fast. And Palawan is a victim of its own beauty in peak season (Christmas, Easter, July-August), so book Coron and El Nido accommodation ahead.

Travelling Palawan from north to south is more committing than a single-base beach holiday, but it rewards you with the full arc of the island: shipwrecks and lakes up top, the cathedral cliffs of Bacuit Bay, a sleepy village in the middle, a wonder of the natural world, and finally those near-empty southern sandbars. Pad your itinerary with a buffer day or two, watch the weather, and let the boats decide the pace. For more on tying it together, browse our destination guides.