Where should you stay in El Nido? That is the first question most people ask once the boat tours and the Taraw Cliff hike are booked, and it is a trickier call than it looks. El Nido Town, Corong Corong, Maremegmeg Beach or one of the remote island resorts – each one feels like a completely different trip. We spent a full week in El Nido in April 2022 and, instead of settling on one hotel, we moved around and stayed in all four areas, five hotels in total, so we could compare them firsthand instead of just guessing from photos. We add one luxury pick in El Nido Town that we have not tried ourselves, and we say clearly which is which.
In this guide we show you how the areas compare, where we would book again, and the hotel we would pick for every budget. If you still need to fill your days, our guide to the best things to do in El Nido is the perfect companion.
Last updated: October 2026
In a Rush? Our Favorite Hotels in El Nido
Short on time? These are the hotels we would look at first:
Best luxury hotel: S Resort El Nido in El Nido Town (our recommendation) – Click here for rates & availability*
Best boutique hotel: Fisheye Hotel in El Nido Town (where we loved staying) – Click here for rates & availability*
Best budget stay: Frendz Hostel El Nido in El Nido Town – Click here for rates & availability*
Where We Stayed in El Nido
Over one week we stayed at five hotels across all areas of El Nido, mostly to be able to write this guide from real experience rather than from Booking.com reviews alone. Our favorite base was the Fisheye Hotel, a small Bali-style guesthouse tucked into a quiet backyard right in the middle of El Nido Town. We never heard the noise of the main street, breakfast was genuinely good, and everything in town was a short walk away.
We also spent nights in Corong Corong. Other options are the Maremegmeg beach or remote resorts that can only be reached by boat. Each area has a genuinely different character, which is exactly why we think a quick area comparison is more useful here than in most destinations.
Where to Stay in El Nido: The Best Areas Compared
El Nido is small, but the four areas feel surprisingly different from each other. These are the ones that matter for visitors:
| Area | Best for | Vibe & evenings | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Nido Town | First-timers: restaurants, tour offices and the boat-tour beach on foot | Busy and full of life, lively but manageable at night | $ to $$ |
| Corong Corong Beach | A quieter base, a short tricycle ride from town | Calm and local, long sunset beach, quiet evenings | $$ to $$$ |
| Maremegmeg Beach | Swimming right outside your hotel | Beach bars, clear water, music until late | $$ to $$$ |
| Remote island resorts | A castaway-style escape and honeymoon trips | Isolated, boat access only, nothing but the stars at night | $$$ to $$$$ |
Price levels are rough indications. Rates in El Nido change a lot with the season, especially from December to April, so always compare current rates before you book.
Where to Stay in El Nido Town
El Nido Town puts you right in the middle of the action: tour offices, restaurants, souvenir shops and the beach where every boat tour starts, all within a few minutes on foot. The trade-off is that you will not find a swimmable beach right here, and some parts of town are genuinely noisy at night. Pick a hotel set back from the main street if you want quiet. We have three recommendations here: two places we stayed ourselves and one luxury pick we have not tried.
Fisheye Hotel (Best Boutique Hotel in El Nido Town)
Fisheye Hotel sits right in the middle of the hustle and bustle of El Nido Town, but you would not know it from inside. The whole small complex is decorated in a relaxed Bali style around a quiet backyard, and it only has a handful of rooms.
We stayed here ourselves and were genuinely surprised by how quiet it was given the location. Breakfast is included and was one of the better ones we had in El Nido, the air-conditioned rooms come with Netflix, and there is a small in-house shop selling jewelry and clothes. Everything in town is a five-to-ten-minute walk away.
Because it only has a few rooms, Fisheye books out quickly in high season, so reserve well ahead if you want to stay here between December and April. Light sleepers should still ask for a room furthest from the street, just to be safe.
Frendz Hostel El Nido (Best Budget Stay in El Nido Town)
Frendz Hostel is the easy pick if you want to meet other travelers fast. It is a large hostel right in town, built around a big common area with a pool table and bar, and a rooftop terrace with a pool that has a great view out over the bay.
We stayed here for a couple of nights and it is exactly what you would expect from a sociable backpacker hostel: dorms and simple private rooms, a lively common area, and an evening pool party on the roof that gets going most nights.
If you are after peace and quiet, this is not the hotel for you – the whole point of Frendz is the social scene. If you want a budget bed and ready-made company for a boat tour or a beer, it is hard to beat.
Frendz Hostel El Nido | Check Prices*
S Resort El Nido (Our Pick for Luxury in El Nido Town)
We have not stayed at S Resort El Nido ourselves, but it is the hotel we would look at first if we wanted more comfort than a guesthouse or hostel without leaving town. It sits on Rizal Street in El Nido Town, about a two-minute walk from the main beach, and is managed by H Hospitality Group.
The resort has several on-site restaurants, including a vegan one, a lift, free Wi-Fi and nine room types up to an Executive Suite with ocean view. Many rooms come with a balcony or terrace. Because it is right in town, you can walk to the tour offices and restaurants, but the same location means some street noise is possible, so ask for a higher floor.
Details such as facilities and room types can change, so check the current listing before you book.
S Resort El Nido | Check Prices*
Where to Stay in Corong Corong Beach
Corong Corong is, in our opinion, the best middle ground in El Nido: close enough to town that you can walk in if you really want to (though a tricycle is easier), but already noticeably calmer. The beach itself has a lot of boat traffic, so it is better for sunset walks than for swimming.
Moringa Resort (Best Pool Resort in Corong Corong)
Moringa Resort is built around a large pool, with simple but nicely furnished double rooms rather than bungalows. From the upper floors you even get a glimpse of the sea, which is only a short distance away.
We stayed a few nights here and liked having the big pool to come back to after a boat tour. Breakfast is included and the hotel restaurant does a decent dinner too, so you do not always have to go out. Wi-Fi worked reliably in our room, which was not true everywhere we stayed in El Nido.
The main trade-off is distance: you are a short tricycle ride from the restaurants and tour offices in town, so factor that into your evening plans.
Moringa Resort | Check Prices*
Where to Stay on Maremegmeg Beach
Maremegmeg is the farthest beach that still counts as El Nido, and it is the one we would pick if swimming right outside your hotel matters most to you. The first stretch is lined with beach bars and restaurants, so there is a pleasant background buzz and occasional music in the evenings; walk further toward Las Cabañas and it gets quieter.
Maremegmeg Beach Club (Best Beachfront Stay in Maremegmeg)
Maremegmeg Beach Club sits directly on the beach and has exactly the relaxed beach-club feel its name promises. There is a good restaurant with vegan options, chill music in the evenings, and a large infinity pool right outside the stylishly furnished rooms.
We stayed here toward the end of our week and it was a welcome change of pace: step out of your room, and you are already on the sand. Sunsets from the beach in front of the hotel were some of the best we saw in El Nido.
Keep in mind this is one of the more lively hotels on the beach, with a beach bar right in front, so it suits travelers who enjoy some ambient noise more than those chasing total silence.
Maremegmeg Beach Club | Check Prices*
Where to Stay at a Remote Island Resort near El Nido
A handful of hotels near El Nido sit on their own small islands or stretches of coast with no road access at all, reached only by the resort’s own boat. You trade convenience – no quick trip to a shop, no choice of restaurants for the evening – for complete isolation and a beach that is yours alone. We tried this kind of escape at one resort.
Isla – The Island Experience (Best Castaway-Style Stay near El Nido)
Isla – The Island Experience is about as back-to-basics as El Nido accommodation gets: simple bamboo huts on a small, genuinely deserted island, with only two other similar properties anywhere nearby. There are no shops, no roads and no real noise beyond the sea.
We stayed in one of the beachfront huts and it delivered exactly the Robinson Crusoe feeling the name promises – a few steps from the hut to the water, and nothing else around. Meals are arranged through the resort, since there is nowhere else to eat.
This is not the place for creature comforts or a backup plan if you do not like the food that day, so go in knowing you are fully dependent on the resort for the length of your stay.
Isla – The Island Experience | Check Prices*
Other Areas Near El Nido: Lio Beach and Nacpan Beach
Two more areas come up in many guides, but we did not stay in either of them, so we only mention them briefly. Lio Beach is a more upscale resort area next to the El Nido airport, which makes it convenient for arrivals by plane. Nacpan Beach is a four-kilometer stretch of golden sand roughly 17 kilometers north of town, a good choice if you want to escape the crowds and do not mind the ride into El Nido. We cover how to get there in our Nacpan Beach guide.
Which area is right for you?
- First time in El Nido and you want everything within walking distance: El Nido Town.
- You want a calmer base that is still close to town: Corong Corong Beach.
- You want to swim right outside your hotel: Maremegmeg Beach.
- You are on a tight budget or want to meet other travelers: Frendz Hostel in El Nido Town.
- You want more comfort in town: S Resort El Nido in El Nido Town.
- You want a special, away-from-it-all couple of nights: a remote island resort like Isla – The Island Experience.
Getting Around El Nido from Your Hotel
El Nido Town itself is small enough to cover on foot. To reach Corong Corong or Maremegmeg Beach, a tricycle is the easiest option and usually costs between 50 and 150 pesos per ride, depending on the distance. If your hotel is on a remote island, the resort arranges a boat transfer for you, so there is nothing to organize yourself beyond agreeing on a pickup time.
El Nido does not have a convenient airport connection for most travelers: flights into El Nido’s Lio Airport are limited and usually pricier than flying into Puerto Princesa and taking the five-to-six-hour van from there, which costs roughly 600 to 800 pesos each way according to suroy.ph. We cover both routes, along with the 3-day boat trip option between Coron and El Nido, in our Coron to El Nido boat trip guide.
Is It Safe to Stay in El Nido?
Yes, El Nido is generally safe for tourists, and the areas in this guide are all well used to visitors. The usual big-city precautions barely apply here, since El Nido Town is small, but keep valuables out of sight at night and use a tricycle rather than walking the darker stretches between Corong Corong and town late at night. If you stay at a remote island resort, be aware you will have no mobile signal and limited options if something goes wrong, so let someone know your plans.
FAQ: Where to Stay in El Nido
What is the best area to stay in El Nido for first-timers?
El Nido Town is the easiest choice for first-timers: restaurants, tour offices and the boat-tour beach are all within walking distance. If you want more quiet without losing convenience, Corong Corong Beach is a close second.
Should I stay in El Nido Town or on one of the beaches?
Stay in town if you want everything on your doorstep and do not mind some noise. Stay on Corong Corong or Maremegmeg Beach if you would rather swim near your hotel and do not mind a short tricycle ride into town for dinner or tours.
Are the remote island resorts near El Nido worth it?
If you want a genuinely quiet, away-from-it-all couple of nights, yes. Just remember you will be fully dependent on the resort for food and activities, and your arrival and departure depend on boat transfers rather than your own schedule.
How many nights do you need in El Nido?
Three to four nights are enough to fit in one or two boat tours and a hike. If you want to add a remote-island stay or the Nacpan Beach day trip, plan for five to seven nights.
When should you book your hotel in El Nido?
Book as early as you can for travel between December and April, which is both the driest and the busiest season, and when prices and availability are tightest. Outside that window, a few weeks’ notice is usually enough.
Final Thoughts on Where to Stay in El Nido
If you only remember one thing from this guide: El Nido Town is the easy, convenient choice, but the areas around it each offer something town cannot, whether that is a quiet beach outside your door or a night with absolutely no one else around. We would happily go back to the Fisheye Hotel in town, but we do not regret a single night we spent testing the others. If you have stayed in El Nido yourself, let us know in the comments which hotel or area we missed.
Planning more of the Philippines? Here are our other travel guides:
- Philippines Backpacking | Best Itinerary for 2-3 Weeks
- Palawan Philippines | The 12 Best Things To Do In Paradise
- Palawan Travel Itinerary | 2 Epic Weeks in Paradise
- Coron Palawan | The Complete Travel Guide
- The 9 Best Beaches of El Nido Palawan
- Taraw Cliff Hike El Nido | Prices, Danger & Tips
- Canopy Walk El Nido Palawan (Taraw Cliff)
- Kayaking in El Nido Palawan | Everything You Need To Know
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