El Nido: One Of The Natural Reserves Of The Philippines

In the archipelago of the Philippines is one of the marine sanctuaries with the greatest diversity of fauna and flora on the planet: El Nido. This little corner of paradise has become one of the most valued destinations for lovers of nature and adventure tourism.

Next, we suggest you learn a little more about this very particular place: its history, what we can enjoy there and other important recommendations to take advantage of the visit.

El Nido, one of the most beautiful corners of the Philippines

The island of Palawan, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, is the largest province in the Philippines and has been named for two consecutive years as the best island in the world by the travel magazine Travel + Leisure . It is made up of more than 1000 small islands; almost in the center of this great archipelago, is El Nido.

El Nido, also known as “the last frontier of the Philippines” is a group of islands and islets that occupy, in their totality, more than 96,000 hectares. This was named a World Heritage Site in December 1993.

In this sanctuary, we will find very diverse ecosystems rich in marine life. We can appreciate there from coral reefs, cliffs and white sand beaches to mangroves and tropical jungles.

Tourist enclave of the province and a must for lovers of sustainable tourism, the El Nido marine sanctuary maintains strict regulations. The desire of the local authorities to protect it is so strong that they prohibit taking sand or depositing garbage.

In fact, there are many conservation associations that care about the sustainable development of tourism on the islands. In addition, these associations create new programs every day to promote the conservation and prosperous development of their endemic species, among which is the manatee.

Visiting the El Nido nature reserve

Undoubtedly, the greatest tourist attraction of the El Nido islands is its unspoiled nature. In the sanctuary you can find different ecosystems. Coral reefs stand out, where more than a hundred species of them coexist, and even some completely unique and typical of the region. These species also share a habitat with a varied marine fauna.

Among the protected animal species that we can see in the marine sanctuary, are the dugongs. This is the way that the inhabitants of the region call manatees.

We can see these animals swimming in the crystal clear waters of the reserve, where visibility reaches up to 20 meters from the surface. We will also find dolphins, manta rays, whale sharks and five of the seven existing species of sea turtle. As you can see, diving in these waters is quite an experience.

On its islands, most of them with limestone cliffs, more than 200 species of birds coexist. Among them, the salangan swallow and other curious animals, such as the pangolin, stand out. We can also observe more than 600 species of butterflies.

For tourists, several visiting tours are organized daily around the most important islands in the area. However, if we want to take a more extensive or personalized tour, we can negotiate the price with some of the local boatmen.

Useful tips to enjoy your visit

One of the first things we must bear in mind when traveling to El Nido is that it is a protected area of ​​incalculable ecological value, and both the authorities and the local inhabitants work to maintain such a treasure of biodiversity, in which they constantly new animal and plant species are discovered.

Another important detail is that in El Nido there are no ATMs, and it is very difficult to find places that accept payment by credit card. Therefore, it is better to carry all the money in cash whenever we can. In case of need, there is also the option of traveling to Puerto Princesa, the capital of the island of Palawan, where there are ATMs.

When it comes to choosing accommodation, El Nido offers everything from heavenly high-class resorts to humble hostels where it is possible to spend the night for very little money. In any case, it is important to mention that the electricity grid in the area is still very unstable; blackouts are very common and routine.

Finally, there are two ways to get to El Nido. The most direct is to fly to its small airport from Manila, although this trip can be expensive.

The other option is to fly instead to Puerto Princesa, where flights depart from various Philippine cities, and from there take the journey of up to eight hours to El Nido. The latter, although it involves many more hours of travel, can be significantly cheaper.