Things to Do in El Nido: 21 Ideas Beyond Island Hopping

El Nido was my 30th birthday trip, and between the boat tours and motorbike ride out of town, I still think it’s the most beautiful place I’ve been in the Philippines. Here’s the full list: what I actually did, what changed since 2016, and what I’d add if I made it back.

Already know how many days you have and just need a plan? Check out our full El Nido Itinerary for a 3, 4, and 5-day schedule.

1. Watch the Sunset at Las Cabanas Beach

A short tricycle ride from town, and one of the easiest, best evenings you’ll have in El Nido. We showed up, grabbed drinks, and watched local fishermen bring in the day’s catch while the sky turned orange over Bacuit Bay. No booking required.

2. Kayak the Big Lagoon and Secret Lagoon

These two are usually booked together as part of one route (operators call it Tour A), and they’re the reason most people come to El Nido in the first place. You kayak into Big Lagoon between towering limestone walls, then continue on to Secret Lagoon, Shimizu Island for lunch, and Seven Commandos Beach. This is where the postcard shots come from, water so clear it looks edited.

3. Snorkel Bacuit Bay’s Reefs

Snorkeling is built into most of the island hopping routes already, but it earns its own spot on this list since the water clarity around El Nido is some of the best in the Philippines. Gear is usually included on the boat tours, or rentable in town if you want to snorkel off a beach on your own schedule.

4. Visit Snake Island and Cudugnon Cave

Snake Island is a sandbar that shifts and appears with the tide, paired on this route (Tour B) with Entalula Island and a stop at Cudugnon Cave. Quieter and more snorkeling-focused than the lagoon route.

5. Explore Secret Beach and Helicopter Island

Secret Beach and Hidden Beach anchor this one (Tour C), along with a stop at Helicopter Island where you’ve got a real shot at spotting turtles. This is the one I’d pick if I could only add a second day of island hopping.

6. See Small Lagoon and Cadlao Island’s Beaches

Didn’t get to this route myself (Tour D), which covers Small Lagoon, beach hopping around Cadlao Island, Pasandigan Cove, Nat Nat Beach, and Bukal Island. It’s generally considered quieter and less crowded than the other three.

7. Spend a Few Days Doing All Four Routes

Every one of these four routes earns its spot on the list, and there’s no rule against booking all of them across a few days if you have the time. What you can’t do anymore, as of current regulations, is combine multiple routes into one custom private day the way I did back in 2016, when we chartered a private speedboat and hit stops from three different routes in a single afternoon. The local ordinance separating the lettered tours was passed specifically to address overcrowding at the two most-visited lagoons, and daily visitor caps now apply on top of that. The upside is that spacing them out over four separate days isn’t really a downgrade, it just means four full days instead of one long one, and you get to see all of it either way.

8. Dive Bacuit Bay’s Deeper Sites

Beyond what snorkeling shows you at the surface, El Nido has real dive sites worth a dedicated trip if you’re certified, or a beginner-friendly intro dive if you’re not.

9. Rent a Motorbike and Ride Out to Nacpan Beach

This is my fuzziest memory from the whole trip, in a good way. We rented motorbikes in town, rode maybe 20 to 30 minutes out (I want to say there was a left turn somewhere off the main street, but don’t hold me to that), and ended up at a long, quiet beach that felt nothing like the boat-tour crowds. Almost certainly Nacpan Beach, which is still the classic motorbike day trip out of El Nido town, so ask around and you’ll find it even if my directions won’t get you there.

10. Hike to Nagkalit-Kalit Waterfalls

If I go back, this is going on the list. The falls sit just off the road to Nacpan, so it pairs naturally with the motorbike ride, a short hike in from the road leads to a pool you can swim in.

11. Climb Taraw Cliff

Didn’t attempt this one, but it’s the classic land-based challenge in El Nido: a steep, rocky climb up the limestone peak that looms over town, rewarded with a view over the whole bay. There’s reportedly now a guided Canopy Walk route with a suspension bridge as a safer alternative to the original scramble, worth asking about locally since the classic trail has a real reputation for being tough and exposed.

12. Try Rock Climbing

El Nido’s limestone cliffs aren’t just scenery, they’re also home to established climbing routes for both beginners and experienced climbers. A different way to see the same rock formations everyone else is only looking at from a boat.

13. Kayak to Cadlao Lagoon

Unlike the lagoons on the boat routes, Cadlao Lagoon is reachable by kayak directly from town, a 30 to 45 minute paddle to a quieter, less crowded lagoon ringed by mangroves and cliffs.

14. Rent a Kayak and Explore on Your Own

Beyond a set route to Cadlao, plenty of places in town rent kayaks by the hour or the day if you’d rather just paddle around near Corong Corong or the town beach at your own pace, no guide, no schedule, just you and the water.

15. Surf at Duli Beach

A lesser-known spot for surfing, with more consistent swells and far fewer people than most beach breaks in the Philippines. Good for beginners and experienced surfers alike.

16. Relax at Marimegmeg Beach

A quieter alternative to the town beach, a short distance south of El Nido proper, with beachside bars and coconut trees for shade.

17. Zipline at Las Cabanas Beach

Since you’ll likely already be at Las Cabanas for sunset, the zipline there is an easy add-on, a long ride across the water with the same view you’d otherwise just be sitting and watching.

18. Swim the Dilumacad Tunnel at Helicopter Island

A separate excursion from the standard stop at Helicopter Island, this one takes you underwater through a long natural tunnel in the rock. Worth looking into if you’re comfortable snorkeling or diving below the surface.

19. Eat and Drink Around El Nido Town

The town itself has a low-key, reggae-bar kind of charm, with beachfront restaurants and casual spots for a drink after a long day on the water. Worth wandering rather than sticking to one place the whole trip.

20. Try Tamilok, Palawan’s Woodworm Delicacy

Didn’t try this myself, but it’s the specific Palawan food dare worth knowing about if you want the full story: tamilok is a mangrove woodworm, usually served raw with vinegar and chili, similar in texture to oysters. It shows up on menus around Palawan more than in El Nido specifically, but it’s worth asking about if you want a genuine local specialty rather than just seafood. If food trivia like this is your thing, our Philippines Facts post has a lot more of it.

21. Browse the Local Market for Pasalubong

Pasalubong is the Filipino tradition of bringing something home for family, friends, or coworkers after a trip, and El Nido’s market stalls have plenty of options for it. Palawan is a real cashew-growing region, so cashew products, along with pearl jewelry and dried mango, are common picks. Small shops around El Nido town carry most of this.

FAQ

What’s the best free thing to do in El Nido?
Watching the sunset at Las Cabanas Beach. Costs nothing and it’s one of the best evenings you’ll have on the trip.

Can I still combine multiple island hopping routes into one day?
Not anymore. Regulations introduced in 2019 restrict each boat to a single route per booking, though nothing stops you from doing all four across separate days.

How many days do I need to do most of this list?
5 to 6 days comfortably, especially if you want all four island hopping routes plus the motorbike trip out to Nacpan. Our El Nido Itinerary lays out how to sequence it.

Planning beyond El Nido? Our full Philippines Itinerary guide covers how to combine it with Boracay, Cebu, and more.