Last Updated on September 7, 2021 by Tina
Nacpan Beach in El Nido, Palawan is a 4 km stretch of pristine cream-colored sand beach, lined with coconut trees and surrounded by beautiful blue water. It is one-half of the famous Twin Beach, the other being Calitang Beach. It ranked 18th at the Trip Advisor’s Traveler’s Choice Awards 2021 for the Top 25 Beaches in the Continent.
When I was planning my trip to El Nido, my sister told me I should include Nacpan Beach on my itinerary. And so after two days of island hopping, I decided to spend the day in Nacpan Beach. I spent most of the day just chilling there.
Related Post: Why El Nido in the Philippines is a Good Destination For Your First Solo Travel Trip
How to Get to Nacpan Beach El Nido
Nacpan Beach is a 45-minute drive from El Nido town proper. You can either take the shuttle service that goes to Nacpan Beach, hire a tricycle to take you there, or you can hire a scooter and drive to the beach.
Prior to the pandemic, the shuttle service costs Php 600 per person. It’s an aircon van and you can ask the receptionist of your accommodation to help you book. This is the best way to get to Nacpan Beach because from the main road, the road to the beach is super bumpy.
However, I decided to just hire Kuya Norly, the guide from the El Nido Tour A I went to the previous day, to drive for me. Not because it’s cheaper (his rate was the same as that of the shuttle service, and I gave him tip) but because I wanted him to have extra income to repay him for assisting me during the island hopping tour. If you haven’t read my post about that tour, Kuya Norly was the one who paddled the kayak for me in Small Lagoon and Big Lagoon. He was one of the best guides I have ever met in my solo travels (the others are Mr. Zaw, my guide in Mandalay, Myanmar, and Wai, my guide in Inle Lake, Myanmar).
Related Post: El Nido Tour A: Lagoons and Beaches
What to Expect in Nacpan Beach
Nacpan Beach is a perfect place to go to if you just want to chill. It is not crowded at all, and it is surrounded by coconut trees. It has cream-colored, powdery sand. There are restaurants along the coast, and if you plan on staying here for a few nights, Mad Monkey Hostel, a popular party hostel is located here.
The waves were big when I was there so I didn’t go swimming. What I did was I walked northwards. As I’m a very curious person, I wanted to check what’s at the end of the beach. When I told Kuya Norly that I will just go for a walk, he told me not to go too far.
While walking, I saw a sea snake. It wasn’t moving so I thought it was dead. I went near to take a picture. Good thing I didn’t go too close because when I started walking, it moved. From what I have read, sea snakes are venomous.
I don’t remember anymore how long it took me to get to the end. There are no tourists and establishments on that side, just a few houses. When I was on my way back, I was surprised to see Kuya Norly walking towards me. He said he got nervous because it has been too long already and I haven’t gotten back yet so he came to check on me. (Best guide ever.)
We had lunch in one of the restaurants there. It rained while we were eating. Good thing I brought a book with me.
When the rain stopped, I walked southwards to check out Calitang Beach. There is also a hill at the southern end of the beach and I was planning to climb it earlier because I have read that you get a good view of the beach from the top. However, I’m afraid of snakes and after that encounter with the sea snake, I was a bit paranoid so I decided not to go.
Nacpan Beach is a perfect beach to visit if you want to relax. You should not miss it when you visit El Nido. Much as I wanted to stay there to watch the sunset, the weather wasn’t good that day. So when it stopped drizzling, I decided to leave. Here are some more photos in Nacpan Beach to convince you not to miss it when you visit El Nido.
Need more information about traveling to El Nido? Check out El Nido, Philippines Complete Travel Guide and My Six Days Solo Travel Itinerary.
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