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There is no doubt that island hopping is the main activity to do in El nido. However, there are plenty of other activities that can also be done in El nido! So if you're taking a break from island hopping, then check out the following things to do in El nido:
4. Rent a kayak
1. Climb Taraw peak
Where to book
You would only know about this from blogs or word of mouth as the Taraw peak climb is not advertised in town.
The booking office is also quite hidden from the main road as you walk down a path, through a basketball court full of teenagers practicing their 3-point shots, up some stairs to the booking desk! If you ask a tourist office in town, they’ll show you where it is.
How much does it cost?
It is 700 pesos pp and you get a private guide who goes up and down 3 times a day! His name is Mark Santos, check him out on Instagram - .markchristian.santos (he will sing you Disney songs!)
What to expect
Be prepared that this is not just a hike up a hill, it was literally climbing up the sharp limestone cliff to the highest point. Oh and you ascend in pitch black darkness as you meet him at 4:30am so you can be at the top for sunrise!
Don’t worry, he gives you a head torch and gloves and shows you exactly where to place your hands and feet.
If you’re not so daring but still want to do a climb, opt for the ‘Canopy walk’, which involves walking along suspension bridges through the jungle to a viewpoint. This is around 400 pesos pp.
How long does it take?
It only takes about 30 minutes to get to the top but Mark is adamant on getting there first for the best possible viewing spot of El nido main beach, before anyone else!
Right enough, we were first up there waiting for an hour for the sun to rise. Although the jagged cliff wasn’t the most comfortable of seats to wait, other tourists slowly started to turn up (about 30 in total) and the peachy sunrise over El nido town was one of the coolest sights of the whole trip (and definitely worth the early start!).
After you’ve had your fair share of inspiring ‘We made it’ victory shots on top of the cliff, it’s time to head back down. At least you can actually see on the way down as the sun is way overhead by now. It’s actually scarier now that you can see just how steep some of the cliffs are!
The good thing about the Taraw peak climb is that you can do the climb and be back in time for an island hopping tour!
2. Explore the island by motorbike
Most hotels will offer motorbike rental or will be able to direct you to a motorbike rental shop as it is the most popular way to explore the island’s beautiful beaches (and waterfall).
It should only cost 500 pesos to rent a motorbike for the whole day, which is cheaper than hiring a tricycle all day and gives you the freedom to choose where you want to go and when!
Make sure you pin all your destinations on google maps before leaving the wifi of your hotel or if you have mobile data then even better!
As some beaches are way up north and some down south, the most efficient route to take if you’re starting from El Nido town is:
1. Nacpan beach
It’ll take about 45 minutes to get to Nacpan beach, cruising alongside verdant countryside away from the bustling, tricycle-ridden town. The turn off from the main road is easy to miss so keep your eyes peeled and follow your google map closely.
The last 10 minutes is a sandy dirt road so don’t ride too slowly or you’ll stack it. Also beware of tourists who have clearly never ridden a motorbike before as we saw quite a few accidents involving tourists not looking before reversing out of parks or riding too slowly over sandy sections.
When you arrive, expect to pay a 50 pesos entrance fee to park your motorbike. Even the parking area looks like paradise!
Ranked the 10th most beautiful beach in the world according to TripAdvisor, Nacpan beach is the first image that would come to mind if you were to close your eyes and think of ‘paradise’.
Apart from the waving palm trees, soft white sand, palm-thatched huts selling overpriced coconuts and turquoise waves that constitute 'tropical paradise', Nacpan beach is famous for its twin beach – Catilang beach.
If you walk to the southern end of Nacpan towards Catilang, you’ll pass a small fishing village with cows grazing on the green hill. If you walk up the hill, you can stand between the beaches and compare the surfing waves of Nacpan beach with the fishing boats that bob up and down in the calmer waters of Catilang beach.
2. Nagkalit-kalit Waterfall
Now, as it was dry season and we'd already been to the spectacular Kawasan falls, we skipped this waterfall because it had a 300 pesos entrance fee and had barely any water at that time (mid-February) anyway. A couple emerged from the waterfall and said it was a little underwhelming so perhaps it is way more awesome in wetter months…
3. Lio beach
About half an hour south from Nacpan beach is Lio beach. The sign is huge so you won’t miss the turn!
As Lio beach has a massive resort, you will drive through this first before reaching the beach. Parking is free and manned by a security guard.
As you walk out towards the beach, you will pass a row of modern restaurants consisting of acai breakfast cafes, Italian or Chinese restaurants and only one or two selling Filipino food. These restaurants are all very pricey so expect a meal to cost an average of 300-600 pesos ($10-$20 aud).
This beach is a lot windier than Nacpan and close to the airport so walk along the jetty and look out for low-flying planes!
4. Las Cabanas beach
We chose to finish off with Las Cabanas beach as was just a 10 minute ride from El nido town and I’d heard the sunset here was unreal.
You park your motorbike at McDonald’s (probably the fanciest McDonald's you will ever see...everything is white!) and walk through the modern development of expensive shops and cafes until you get to Las Cabanas beach.
Since this meticulously clean, outdoor mall of shops and cafes (resembling factory outlets in the US) is targeted at tourists, this beach is where you will find all the westerners to be hanging out.
In our opinion, Las Cabanas beach was overrated. The overly-packed beach with minimal shade, or even just a metre of sand space to yourself in limited supply, along with polluted, foaming water floating around as you try to refresh…a bit of an anti-climax to end our beach day. I’d spend more time at Nacpan if I could redo that day!
This is why we didn’t waste too much time in this tourist bubble and headed back to our beloved Corong Corong beach to enjoy yet another sunset cocktail!
3. Corong Corong beach
I would highly recommend staying at Corong corong beach. It's a perfect escape form the bustling El nido main town but still close enough to it (a 5 minute tricycle ride or 20 minute walk).
Things to do at Corong Corong beach
1. Enjoy the views of the towering cliffs
2. Stroll along the beach at sunset (it has by far the best sunset views than anywhere on the island)
3. Go for a morning jog on the beach
4. Enjoy a sunset cocktail during happy hour at one of many beach front bars
5. Enjoy a romantic meal at one of the beach front restaurants (mainly serves Western food)
Where to stay on Corong corong beach:
Accommodation options in El nido seem to be either dirt cheap or luxury, there is no in between.
If you're willing to splurge a little, even for just 1 or 2 nights then I would highly recommend staying at 'Doublegem beach resort'.
It is right on the beach with perfect sunset views of the water, which can be enjoyed from the massive swimming pool or from the bar with a Mai tai in hand!
4. Rent a kayak
Renting a kayak and heading to the nearby Cadlao island is my idea of a perfect day trip and isn't too pricey either.
As Cadlao island is the closest island to El nido, it is the only feasible one to get to by kayak and you do need a decent level of fitness to make it back as it gets pretty choppy!
Expect to get absolutely soaked too...purchasing a water bag for your belongings is probably not a bad idea. You will find them being sold all over El nido main town as you're pestered by street vendors left, right and centre!
Renting a kayak is not only a great way to break up your island hopping days but allows you to actually tick off island hopping tour D on your own as you can kayak to all the stops on this tour.
Where to rent a kayak from
You can rent a kayak from a bunch of places in town including Asia Kayak Tours, El nido Boutique Art cafe or Aqua travel lodge…600 pesos for a half day (~4 hours) on a double kayak or 500 pesos for a single kayak.
You might want the double as it gets super choppy especially on the way back to El nido island so make sure you have a decent level of fitness first!
How to get to Paradise beach, Cadlao island
Paradise beach is the easiest place on Cadlao island to get to and you can actually see it from El nido main beach so you won't miss it.
Paradise beach definitely lives up to its name! Bring a snorkel as this is where we found a turtle, bright blue starfish and hundred of tropical fish!
If you kayak further up the island into the next little bay, you’ll find another tropical beach with nothing more than a small stretch of sand, a set of rickety stairs leading up to a viewpoint and plenty of little fish to see when snorkelling – paradise beach version 2!
Spend a couple of hours having a picnic, sunbathing, relaxing in the shade and making underwater friends.
If you’re feeling adventurous, you can kayak even further up around the island to Pasandigan cove, otherwise head back to El nido island when you feel ready!
So if you're taking a break from island hopping, rest assured that there are plenty of other activities that you can do during your stay on El nido island!
