What to see in Palawan, itinerary for holidays on the island of the Philippine archipelago, parks and protected areas to visit, diving, excursions between caves and coral reefs.
Tourist information
Palawan is an island in the Philippine archipelago that is part of the homonymous province together with the island of Dumaran, the Calamian islands, the Cuyo islands and the Balabac islands, located between the South China Sea to the north and the Sulu Sea to south.
The island of Palawan is very rich from a naturalistic point of view, it has two sites included in the lists of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Tubbataha Reef marine park and the Puerto Princesa underground river National Park.
The Tubbataha Reef marine park in the Sulu Sea includes a spectacular coral reef, characterized by unspoiled nature with large lagoons and coral islands, where many marine species and seabird colonies live.
It is a site highly appreciated by marine diving enthusiasts, one of the most interesting destinations in the world, reachable with about 10 hours of sailing from Puerto Princesa.
The dives are to be carried out in the best period for the monsoon season, from mid-March to mid-June.
What see
The Puerto Princesa underground river national park is one of the most famous protected areas in the Philippines, it preserves an interesting natural heritage consisting of a karst landscape formed by a splendid system of caves.
From the bowels of Mount St. Paul, the river emerges 200 meters off the coast of the South China Sea, after an eight-kilometer stretch of underground.
The influence of the tides, to which the lower part of the river is subject, creates a unique natural phenomenon of its kind.
The park protects a forest rich in rare and endemic species, the fauna that inhabits it and its extraordinary natural environments.
The park is located about 70 km north-west of Puerto Princesa, the provincial capital.
