Where Will Your ₱550 Take You in El Nido?

Contributed by Laag ni Josh

Are you visiting El Nido anytime soon? Is in-land day tour included in your itinerary? If your answer is a YES, please read on.

There are many travel companies in El Nido that offer inland tours for about ₱1,200 per tour. The tours will let you discover waterfalls, cliff, hot springs, caves, and beaches on a limited time. If you want to enjoy these tourist attractions without being timed, you can actually DIY (do-it-yourself). Did you know that for only ₱550, you can visit these attractions? How? I rented a motorbike in the town (rental price ranges from ₱400 to ₱500) and loaded ₱150 worth of gasoline.

Also read: El Nido Travel Guide: What You Need to Know Before Your Island Getaway

My trip started late, at around 1pm, so I was only able to visit three beach spots. My plan was to only visit Nacpan and Maremegmeg, but ended up to three beautiful beaches.

LiO Beach

As I was heading to Nacpan Beach, I saw a signage at the entrance of El Nido Airport stating to turn left to LiO Beach. I haven’t heard of this beach so out of curiosity, I checked it out. Located in Lio Eco-Tourism Estate, the beach is pristine and beautiful, and still not yet commercialised.

If your time permits, the estate is worth checking out as it also offers shops, boutique hotels, and a lagoon, among others. Constructions of some buildings are still ongoing though. You need to visit this beach before the masterplan of the Ayala Land-owned property is completed. I only spotted less than ten tourists that time. And oh, the entrance to the said estate is FREE.

Nacpan Beach

After roaming around the Lio Eco-Tourism Estate, I headed to Nacpan Beach located in Sitio Calitang, around 17 km north of the town of El Nido. Minutes before arriving at the beach, I saw several signs of Nagkalit-Kalit Falls. This was also not part of my plan but I didn’t stop this time as I had to travel back to the eastern part of El Nido for the sunset. From the highway, the beach is still about 10 to 15-minute drive. The road is a little bit challenging since it is still not paved.

After an almost hour ride, I was welcomed by a very beautiful view of a long stretch of white sand beach. Unlike LiO, there were many tourists at this beach since it is one of the famous beaches in El Nido. Christian LeBlanc, a world-renowned Canadian blogger, also declared this beach on his blog as the ‘World’s Most Beautiful Beach’.

Also read: 4 Days 3 Nights El Nido, Palawan Itinerary for Your Summer Getaway

Maremegmeg Beach

I drove to Maremegmeg Beach in Corong-Corong, located in the eastern part of El Nido, to catch the sunset. Some tour guides and locals refer to this beach as Las Cabanas as it was the first resort built here, which is well-known for its beautiful sunset view. Now, the beach has a few resorts where you can still watch the sunset with a perfect view.

I watched the sunset at the Beach Shack Café with a few bottles of beers. The crowd here is almost the same as the crowd at Nacpan Beach. Tourists don’t frequent the other side of the beach.

Corong-Corong also has bars and resorts such as Outpost Beach Hostel and Republica Sunset Bar where you can also watch the sunset. These places, which I visited a day after this trip, are located before Maremegmeg Beach.

So this is how I was able to visit three beach spots in El Nido for only ₱550. Start your trip early so you will make the most out of it.

Furthermore, days before this trip, I trekked to Taraw Cliff for only ₱500. Safety gears, however, were not included. So if you are a risk taker, just approach people on the streets who offer tours in the town. My guide was a tricycle driver. But if you prefer safety, there are many companies in the town that offer Taraw Cliff adventure with safety gears. I am not sure on the price, though.

Also read: How We Travelled 5 Days in El Nido for Only PHP 6,730.66 (All-in)

If you are considering these three beach spots and a Taraw Cliff adventure, below is my suggested itinerary. Everything will cost you a total of ₱1,050 (₱500 for the Taraw Cliff Climb and ₱550 for the motorbike and gas):

1. Taraw Cliff Climb
2. LiO Beach
3. Nagkalit-Kalit Falls
4. Nacpan Beach
5. Maremegmeg Beach

Trusting this suggestion helps. ☺

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