Quick facts: El Nido vs Coron vs Puerto Princesa at a glance
Best for | Flight from Manila | Getting between them | |
|---|---|---|---|
El Nido | Lagoon hopping, limestone cliffs, beach resorts | Around 1 hour 15 minutes direct | Ferry to Coron: 3.5–5 hours |
Coron | Shipwreck diving, Kayangan Lake, hot springs | Around 1 hour direct to Busuanga Airport | Flight to El Nido: 40 minutes |
Puerto Princesa | Underground River, airport hub, city comforts | Around 1 hour 15 minutes direct | Van to El Nido: 5–6 hours by road |
If you're short on time, pick one base. El Nido and Coron are both reachable by direct flight from Manila, but there's no road between them, so hopping between the two means a ferry ride or a short flight. Puerto Princesa works well if you're adding the Underground River to your trip or need a wider choice of city-style hotels.
El Nido vs Coron vs Puerto Princesa: Where to base yourself
El Nido is your pick if lagoon-hopping and dramatic limestone cliffs are the whole point of your trip. The town itself is compact and walkable, with most guesthouses and restaurants clustered a few minutes from the beach.
Coron suits divers and anyone chasing the postcard shot at Kayangan Lake. It's a bit more spread out than El Nido, with Coron town on the mainland and several resort islands a short boat ride away.
Puerto Princesa is Palawan's main airport hub, so plenty of travellers pass through even if they don't stay long. It's a practical base if you want city conveniences, a wider range of budget hotels, or you're combining Palawan with the Underground River before heading north.
El Nido budget to mid-range: social stays and easy-access guesthouses
If you want to meet other travellers and keep costs down, El Nido town has you covered.
Frendz Hostel
Frendz Hostel opened in 2019 and quickly became one of El Nido's most social stays, known for its rooftop pool, sky bar, and nightly events that get solo travellers and groups mixing over drinks and DJ sets. Rooms range from shared dorms to private aircon rooms, all just a couple of minutes' walk from El Nido Beach.
Amenities/What's Included:
✅ Rooftop swimming pool and sky bar
✅ In-house restaurant and coffee bar
✅ Nightly events and resident DJ on selected dates
✅ Air-conditioned rooms, private or shared
✅ 24-hour front desk and tour desk
💬 What Travellers Say: Guests describe it as a highly social hostel with a lively rooftop pool, helpful staff, and a prime location close to the beach. Some note the rooms can be noisy at night given the party atmosphere, so light sleepers may want to request a room further from the bar.
📍Address: El Nido town proper, a short walk from El Nido Beach
🔑Check-in: 2:00 PM
🧳Check-out: 12:00 NN
Guesthouses in El Nido town
For a quieter alternative to the hostel scene, El Nido town has a solid stretch of small guesthouses and mid-range hotels within walking distance of the pier. Spin Designer Hostel - El Nido is a repeat favourite among guests, who mention the clean rooms and noticeably improved service on return visits. El Nido Garden Resort offers a step up in space and greenery while staying close to town.
Both are solid picks if you want easy access to island-hopping tour desks and restaurants without the higher price tag of a beachfront resort.
El Nido luxury resorts: Private islands with a boat ride to match
If your idea of El Nido involves a private beach rather than a shared one, the El Nido Resorts group runs several island properties across the Bacuit Archipelago.
El Nido Resorts Miniloc Island
El Nido Resorts Palawan
El Nido Resorts Miniloc Island sits in a quiet cove designed like a small village, with cottages built from local materials, thatched roofs, and wooden floors. It's the more rustic and accessible of the group's island resorts, and it puts you right next to the Big and Small Lagoons and Snake Island. Guests consistently mention the personalised service and how much of the day-to-day resort staff go out of their way to make tours and transfers easy.
Amenities/What's Included:
✅ Private cove beach with water, garden, and cliff cottages
✅ On-site game room and wellness spa
✅ Guided island tours included in most packages
✅ Airport transfer coordination from El Nido Airport
💬 What Travellers Say: Reviewers highlight the friendly, attentive staff and the resort's rustic-village feel as a highlight of their Palawan trip, with several calling out specific tour guides by name for going above and beyond.
📍Address: Miniloc Island, El Nido, Palawan
🔑Check-in: 2:00 PM
🧳Check-out: 12:00 NN
Rates start from around ₱14,500 per night, and access is by boat transfer arranged directly with El Nido Resorts, since there's no public ferry stop on the island.
El Nido Resorts Pangulasian Island
El Nido Resorts Pangulasian Island
El Nido Resorts Pangulasian Island is the group's most upscale property, set on its own private island with a longer stretch of beach and more spacious villas than Miniloc. It's a good match for travellers who want the full private-island experience without the flight-only access of somewhere like Amanpulo.
Amenities/What's Included:
✅ Private island beachfront villas
✅ Multiple dining options included in stay packages
✅ Spa and wellness facilities
✅ Complimentary non-motorised water activities
💬 What Travellers Say: Guests consistently describe the staff and grounds as some of the best they've experienced in the Philippines, with several calling out the level of hospitality from the general manager down to the groundskeeping team.
📍Address: Pangulasian Island, El Nido, Palawan
🔑Check-in: 2:00 PM
🧳Check-out: 12:00 NN
Rates for Pangulasian typically run well above Miniloc, often from around ₱97,000 per night and up depending on season. Both resorts are reached the same way: fly into El Nido Airport, then transfer by resort boat.
Coron hotels and resorts: Town base or private island
Coron splits neatly into two styles of stay: hotels in Coron town, close to the pier and restaurants, and resorts on nearby islands reached by boat.
Tag Resort
Tag Resort
Tag Resort is one of Coron's newer eco-conscious properties, with 112 rooms built around lagoon-style pools and a strong sustainability angle, including farm-to-table dining and electric shuttle transport around the grounds. It's set back from the town centre, so it feels calmer than some of the waterfront options, while still being a short tricycle ride from the pier.
Amenities/What's Included:
✅ Two lagoon-style outdoor pools
✅ Buntag restaurant and poolside bar
✅ Free WiFi and complimentary breakfast
✅ Conference facilities and grand ballroom for events
✅ Free shuttle service to Coron town
💬 What Travellers Say: Guests frequently praise the peaceful setting, live music in the evenings, and the friendliness of the staff, though some reviews mention extra charges on top of the room rate and occasional maintenance issues to watch out for.
📍Address: National Highway, Sitio Dipulao, Barangay Poblacion 6, Coron, Palawan
🔑Check-in: 2:00 PM
🧳Check-out: 12:00 NN
Two Seasons Coron
Two Seasons Coron Bayside Hotel
Two Seasons actually runs two properties here, and it's worth knowing the difference before you book. Two Seasons Coron Bayside Hotel sits right in Coron town on the water, making it the practical pick for island-hopping tours and diving trips. Its sister property, Two Seasons Coron Island Resort, is a private island stay on Bulalacao Island reached by a roughly 35-minute speedboat transfer, and it's built as a turtle and giant clam sanctuary.
Many travellers split their trip between the two: a couple of nights on the island for the scenery, then a cheaper stretch at Bayside Hotel to explore town and save on the return trip.
Amenities/What's Included:
✅ Bayside Infinity Pool with Coron Bay views (Bayside Hotel)
✅ BAYA Resto Lounge and Skydeck Jacuzzi Lounge (Bayside Hotel)
✅ Private beach, house reef, and turtle sanctuary (Island Resort)
✅ Complimentary breakfast at both properties
✅ Gym and fitness centre on-site
💬 What Travellers Say: Guests describe the Bayside infinity pool and breakfast buffet as standout features, with several mentioning the short, cheap tricycle ride into town. A few reviews flag that standard rooms facing the street can be noisy, so it's worth requesting a pool- or bay-facing room.
📍Address: Coron Town, Palawan (Bayside Hotel); Bulalacao Island, Coron, Palawan (Island Resort)
🔑Check-in: 2:00 PM
🧳Check-out: 12:00 NN
Zuri Resort
Zuri Resort
Zuri Resort is one of Coron's largest luxury properties, with 118 rooms across four buildings overlooking Coron Bay. It's built around four pool areas, including an adults-only infinity pool and a heated jacuzzi pool, plus a full spa.
Amenities/What's Included:
✅ Four pool areas, including an infinity pool facing Coron Bay
✅ Z Bistro and Zia Café on-site dining
✅ Grove's Point Tapas Bar & Lounge
✅ Cattleya Spa
✅ Airport shuttle from Francisco B. Reyes Airport
💬 What Travellers Say: Reviewers highlight the friendly front desk and restaurant staff, the convenience of booking Coron tours directly through the hotel, and a breakfast buffet with plenty of variety. A few guests note that the on-site restaurant and shop close earlier than expected, so it's worth planning dinner around that.
📍Address: Brgy. Poblacion 5, Sitio Jolo, Governors Drive, Coron, Palawan
🔑Check-in: 2:00 PM
🧳Check-out: 12:00 NN
Where to eat near Zuri Resort Coron?
You don't have to leave Zuri Resort Coron for a good meal. Z Bistro covers international dishes for lunch and dinner, Zia Café is set up for light bites and coffee, and Grove's Point Tapas Bar & Lounge is the spot for evening cocktails and tapas. If you do want to wander into town, Coron has a short strip of well-reviewed spots nearby serving Filipino comfort food, wood-fired pizza, and craft beer from the local Coron Brewery taproom.
Puerto Princesa: Where to stay if you need the airport hub
Puerto Princesa won't have the lagoon or shipwreck scenery of El Nido and Coron, but it's where most Palawan trips start and end, and it's worth a night or two if you're adding the Underground River to your itinerary.
Hue Hotels and Resorts Puerto Princesa
Hue Hotels and Resorts Puerto Princesa
Hue Hotels and Resorts Puerto Princesa is a 122-room hotel right in the city centre, a few minutes from Robinsons Place Palawan and the Palawan Heritage Center. It's a practical, well-reviewed base if you want city conveniences before or after heading north to El Nido or Coron.
Amenities/What's Included:
✅ Outdoor swimming pool and rooftop pool bar
✅ LA-UD Restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner
✅ Spa and fitness centre
✅ Airport shuttle service (surcharge applies)
✅ Free WiFi and private parking
💬What Travellers Say: Guests consistently mention the convenient city-centre location next to Starbucks and Robinsons Mall, the generous buffet breakfast, and accommodating staff. A couple of reviews flag that the hotel enforces check-out times strictly, so it's worth planning your last morning accordingly.
📍Address: Km. 3 Puerto Princesa North Road, Brgy. San Manuel, Puerto Princesa, Palawan
🔑Check-in: 2:00 PM
🧳Check-out: 12:00 NN
Costa Palawan Resort
Costa Palawan Resort
If you'd rather stay closer to the water than the city centre, Costa Palawan Resort sits on the coast in Barangay San Pedro, a short drive from the city. It's a large, 114-room property with two pools and a family-friendly layout, and it's a common target-query match for "costa palawan resort" that many travellers mistakenly assume is in El Nido or Coron.
Amenities/What's Included:
✅ Two outdoor swimming pools
✅ On-site restaurant and day spa
✅ Beachfront setting
✅ Family-friendly rooms with balconies
💬 What Travellers Say: Guests highlight the food and attentive staff as the standout of their stay, with one reviewer specifically calling out the service as a reason to recommend the resort.
📍Address: F. Ponce De Leon Road, Brgy. San Pedro, Puerto Princesa, Palawan 5300
🔑Check-in: 2:00 PM
🧳Check-out: 12:00 NN
FAQs about hotels in El Nido and Coron
El Nido or Coron: where should I stay first?
Choose El Nido if lagoon hopping and beach resorts are your priority, and Coron if diving, shipwrecks, and Kayangan Lake matter more to you. Most travellers with time for both spend three to five days in each and connect them by ferry or a short flight, since there's no direct road between the two towns.
What are the best hotels in El Nido?
For budget and social stays, Frendz Hostel and Spin Designer Hostel are popular with backpackers and solo travellers. For a private-island splurge, El Nido Resorts Miniloc Island and Pangulasian Island are the top picks, both reached by boat transfer from El Nido town after a direct flight from Manila.
What are the best Coron resorts?
Tag Resort and Zuri Resort are strong choices if you want to stay in Coron town near the pier and tour operators. Two Seasons Coron Island Resort is the pick if you'd rather base yourself on a private island and take a short speedboat into town when needed.
Where to eat near Zuri Resort Coron?
Zuri Resort has three on-site dining options: Z Bistro for lunch and dinner, Zia Café for light bites and coffee, and Grove's Point Tapas Bar & Lounge for evening drinks. Coron town, a short tricycle ride away, adds more variety if you want to explore beyond the resort.
Is Amanpulo Resort bookable through Klook?
Not currently. Amanpulo, on Pamalican Island in the Cuyo Archipelago, is an ultra-luxury private-island resort reached only by a private charter flight from Manila, and it isn't listed in Klook's Philippines hotel catalog at the moment. If it's on your list, you'll need to book directly through the resort.
Where exactly is Costa Palawan Resort located?
Costa Palawan Resort is actually in Puerto Princesa, not El Nido or Coron, on F. Ponce De Leon Road in Barangay San Pedro. It's a solid pick if you're basing yourself in Puerto Princesa for the Underground River before heading north, with 114 rooms and two pools on-site.
Ready to book your Palawan stay?
El Nido and Coron each reward a slower visit, so pick the one that matches what you want most out of Palawan and build your trip around it. Once your hotel's sorted, lock in your island-hopping tours early since the best slots fill up fast in peak season.
More Palawan travel guides for you
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