El Nido Island Hopping Tour A with Secret Lagoon and Beaches

Big Lagoon, Miniloc Island

The Big Lagoon is the signature stop of El Nido Tour A. A narrow channel between sheer black limestone cliffs opens into a wide basin of shallow, jade-green water, with jungle clinging to the rock above. The limestone of Bacuit Bay is ancient reef rock, lifted and carved by the sea into the jagged karst that makes El Nido famous, and nowhere is that more striking than here.

To protect the lagoon, motorised boats stay outside and visitors enter only by kayak, within daily limits set by the local authorities. Your booking already includes the shared kayak and the Big Lagoon user fee, so you simply climb in and paddle for about an hour. If the daily quota is reached, the guide visits another lagoon instead. Morning light is usually the calmest and clearest.

Secret Lagoon

The Secret Lagoon is hidden behind a wall of rock on Miniloc Island. From a small beach you wade a few steps and duck through a gap in the limestone, then the rock opens into a small, sheltered pool surrounded on every side by cliffs. It is one of the most loved moments of any El Nido island hopping day because it feels truly enclosed and secret.

The opening is low and the rocks are sharp, so water shoes help, and you may wait a few minutes when several boats arrive together. Expect about thirty to forty-five minutes here including the swim from the boat. The water level changes with the tide, which is why the guide sometimes changes the order of the stops during the day.

Shimizu Island

Shimizu Island is a tiny limestone islet with a strip of white sand on its sheltered side and one of the best snorkelling spots on Tour A. Just off the beach the reef drops gently, with hard and soft corals, clownfish, parrotfish and schools of small reef fish in very clear water. Many boats pause here for lunch, served on board or on the sand.

Snorkel gear and fins are not part of this option, so bring your own or rent them in El Nido town before you board. Please do not stand on coral or feed the fish, and use reef-safe sunscreen. With roughly an hour here, there is time to snorkel, eat and rest in the shade before the boat moves on.

Seven Commandos Beach

Seven Commandos Beach is a long stretch of powdery sand backed by tall coconut palms, facing the islands of Bacuit Bay. Local tradition says the name comes from a small group of soldiers who were stranded here in wartime. Today it is the relaxed last stop of the day, with shallow, calm water that is ideal for children and a gentle swim.

Most boats spend about an hour here. You can swim, rest under the palms, take photos of the karst islands across the bay or buy a fresh coconut from the small beach stall. It is also a lovely place to watch the light soften in the afternoon before the short ride back to El Nido town.

El Nido, Bacuit Bay and how to get there

El Nido sits at the northern tip of mainland Palawan, wrapped around Bacuit Bay and its dozens of limestone islands. Tours A, B, C and D are the official island-hopping routes, and Tour A is the one most visitors choose first because it combines lagoons, snorkelling and beaches with short boat rides between stops.

How to get to El Nido: fly from Manila or Cebu to the small El Nido airport (ENI) in Lio, about twenty minutes from town, or drive about five to six hours from Puerto Princesa. The best time to visit El Nido is the dry season, December to May. From June to November typhoons and strong winds can cancel boat trips, and the coast guard decides each morning whether boats may sail.