El Nido on the island of Palawan is one of the most visited islands in the Philippines. There are beautiful lagoons, hidden bays and islands and of course dream beaches with white powdered sugar sand and palm trees hanging above you. If you are in El Nido on one of the numerous beaches then this comes very close to paradise.
But which El Nido beach is the most beautiful? Did you know that you can’t swim at some beaches in El Nido? Where exactly you should go to spend a relaxing beach day and which is the most beautiful beach of El Nido, we tell you in our travel report.
Note: We have explicitly excluded beaches that can only be reached as part of a beach tour and therefore not on your own. First of all, there are too many of them and secondly, we only want to list beaches that you can drive to yourself for a beach day.
Hi Guys!
We are Sabrina and Andreas, two adventurous travelers who never miss an opportunity to discover the world. Whether by plane to distant countries or with our campervan Bruno, we just love to travel. We hope to give you helpful tips for your next trip on our blog.
Sabrina & Andreas Globetrotters, Travelers, Adventurers
Our Hotel Recommendation in El Nido
Coco Resort | Large Bungalows in a beautiful garden
The Coco Resort consists of many small and large detached bungalows in a garden-like complex with a large pool and private beach access. In the large bungalows you even have your own small whirlpool, your own terrace and enough space for privacy.
We really felt very comfortable here and we could walk to the beach in 2 minutes.
- own bungalow with a lot of space around it
- big hotel pool
- breakfast included
- own access to the beach
The Best Beaches in El Nido, Palawan
There are many different beaches in El Nido, but unfortunately many of them are not at all suitable for swimming and chilling on the beach. There is actually only one beach that is not too far away and where you can just go to swim and lie on the beach. But there are still other options, some of them reachable by scooter, some by kayak.
#9 El Nido Beach
The El Nido beach is located, as the name suggests, directly in El Nido Town and is nevertheless on the last place of our list. Why? Well, this beach doesn’t invite you to go swimming or to relax in the sand. Every day dozens of boats dock here and also all boat tours in El Nido start from here.
So you won’t see any tourists who ram their umbrellas into the sand to spend a few relaxing hours. We would not advise you to do that. But it is suitable for a beach walk or to enjoy the sunset.
#8 Corong Corong Beach
The Corong Corong Beach is located about 2 km outside of El Nido and here are a lot of high priced hotels, which are located directly or close to the sea. There are also hundreds of boats on the beach and in the sea, so you can’t really swim here.
Also, the beach is not really wide and even narrower at high tide, so Corong Corong beach is also not the perfect beach for a beach day. If you just want to jump into the cool water or enjoy the spectacular sunset, then the Corong Corong Beach is already well suited. But for a real beach you should work your way down our list.
#7 Nacpan Beach
Nacpan Beach is the first in this list that actually deserves the name beach. Almost 4 km long and 50 meters wide, this cream-colored beach is located in the north of El Nido. There are hardly any hotels here and little else to disturb your beach peace. The disadvantage is that the beach is located about 20 km north of El Nido and is therefore not easily accessible.
You can rent beach chairs with umbrellas and your physical well-being is taken care of. Actually everything is perfect for a relaxing day at the beach. The beach is really endless long and offers powder sugar fine sand, but still it did not convince us completely. Because we found it just too “boring” compared to the other beaches in El Nido.
Quite a strange assessment for such a beautiful beach, but that’s just how we felt. In addition, we were bitten by countless sand fleas. Therefore, we have not really felt comfortable, although the beach itself is really very nice.
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How to get to Nacpan Beach
It takes about 45 minutes to get there by scooter (500 pesos/day). Alternatively you can take a tricycle (1000 pesos) or an air-conditioned van (800 pesos/person). The first part of the way is on paved roads and is good to drive, but the last kilometers are really tough. The road is one big pothole and it is really no fun to drive over it. If you are on the road with the scooter then you should really drive very carefully.
#6 Las Cabanas Beach
Las Cabanas Beach is directly connected to the Maremegmeg Beach and is actually just as beautiful and therefore on our list of the best beaches in El Nido. Las Cabanas Beach is quite remote and can only be reached on foot via Maremegmeg Beach.
The beach starts at the tip where the small island Depeldet is located. The beach is really super quiet, there are few hotels here and only one beach bar where people gather for the spectacular sunset. You can walk hundreds of meters along the pristine beach and go swimming in the water.
Unfortunately, we discovered some large jellyfish in the sea during our visit. In addition, the beach and water here were not as clear and clean as the neighboring Maremegmeg beach, which is why we ranked this one higher.
The Most Epic Boat Trip between El Nido and Coron
You can expect:
paradise islands- unique snorkeling experiences
- Overnight stays directly on the beach
- stunning views of the sea
- relaxed boat life
#5 Maremegmeg Beach
Maremegmeg is really one of the best beaches in El Nido and is easy to reach and also one of the only two where you can really swim nicely and relax on the beach. You can swim wonderfully, the water is crystal clear and the sunsets are simply fantastic.
The name, by the way, comes from an old bony tree that stretches safely across the sand and looks really very strange. The beach is lined with beach bars and hotel restaurants for the first few hundred meters. So there’s always a pleasant background chatter going on here, and sometimes party music in the evening. The Maremegmeg beach is really well suited for a relaxing beach day and if you like it a little quieter then you walk a little further to Las Cabanas beach.
How to get to Maremegmeg Beach
To get to Maremegmeg Beach you have to take a trike to the local McDonalds and then walk through the (currently deserted) shopping area. The cost for the trike is 150 pesos if you want to get here from El Nido Town.
TOP 4 Best Beaches in El Nido
Now we come to our TOP 4 best beaches in El Nido Palawan. But there is one small restriction. To reach these best beaches in El Nido you have to rent a kayak at Corongcorong Beach and paddle hard. You can reach the beaches within 15 to 40 minutes by kayak.
But what is so special about these best beaches in El Nido? First of all, they look like you would imagine a dream beach in paradise. Powder sugar fine sand, palm trees bending over the beach and turquoise blue water as you know it only from movies.
How to get to these beaches?
You can simply rent a kayak at Corong Corong Beach (daily rate 400-700 pesos) and go to the best beaches in El Nido in 15-40 minutes. Alternatively, you can paddle from El Nido Town, but since there is much more boat traffic, the trip could be a bit uncomfortable. Alternatively, you can take a boat tour to these beaches (e.g. Tour A* will take you to Seven Commando Beach), but then you should be aware that you will not be alone at these dream beaches.
Boat Trip to the most Beautiful Beaches in El Nido | Check Prices*
#4 Seven Commandos Beach
The Seven Commandos Beach is only on the third place of th best beaches in El Nido. Even though it is one of the most famous beaches in El Nido and is even included in the boat tour A. But this is exactly the “problem”. Because the boat tours stop at this beach and there is a hotel, so that there are always relatively many tourists on the road, so you can not enjoy the beach in peace.
If you like the hustle and bustle, maybe even want to play beach volleyball and have a bar, you are right here. You can reach the beach by kayak within about 25 minutes from Corongcorong Beach.
#3 Papaya Beach
Papaya Beach is located right next to Seven Commandos Beach and is separated from it by a thick rock. Since it was quite crowded at Seven Commandos Beach we paddled directly to Papaya Beach and had a little break.
The beach, the sea and the view were really beautiful here which makes it one of the best beaches in El Nido. There is also a small swing on a palm tree, which is a great photo motif. As with Seven Commandos Beach, you need about 25 minutes by kayak to arrive at Papaya Beach.
#2 Lapus Lapus Beach
Lapus Lapus Beach is the fastest beach to reach by kayak. In only 15 minutes you will be at this small dream beach. Part of the beach is private property, so it’s best to stay to the right side. Here you can go ashore, unpack your beach towel under the tree and enjoy the great beach with the beautiful view. We spent our last day in El Nido here and especially discovered the tree as a great photo motif and took lots of pictures.
#1 Ipil Ipil Beach – The most Beautiful Beach in El Nido
And now for the #1 place among the most beautiful beaches in El Nido, Palawan. The really special thing about Ipil Ipil Beach (and the others on this small peninsula) is the quietness and seclusion. You just can’t get there “just by chance”.
Ipil Ipil Beach was the farthest beach from Corongcorong Beach. Here once was a hotel which is currently (April 2022) closed. That means we were really all alone on this dream beach. We had an incredibly nice time here and have enjoyed the impressive scenery.
We really felt like we were in paradise, all alone on these beautiful beaches around El Nido in the Philippines. And the best thing is, if you are on the way with the kayak, you can choose the beach where nothing else is going on. And if other people should come, then you just paddle to the next beach. On 2 days we rented a kayak and went to these beautiful beaches and we really could have pitched a tent and stayed longer. That’s how comfortable we felt.
I like the aesthetic and values you bring to your evaluation of these beaches. Thanks
Thank you 🙂