Tourist Attractions and Best Things to do in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, Philippines
Puerto Princesa is the capital city in Palawan which is also the jump-off point to El Nido, Coron, and other parts of the province. There are many things that you can do in this island which ranges from island hopping to enjoying the delicious local cuisines on this island. Some of the top things to do in Puerto Princesa are listed below.
Top things to do in Puerto Princesa Palawan
Go Island Hopping at Honda Bay
Island Hopping is among the top things to do in Puerto Princesa and going on Honda Bay is a must place to visit. You can explore Luli, Starfish, and Cowrie island which offers swimming opportunity. Another activity that you can do here is to go on a snorkel trip where you will get to be close to marine life or you can just simply relax on the beach.
Go on Puerto Princesa City Tour
Going on a guided tour of this city is a perfect way that you can explore the island and you will enjoy as you will be pedaled around the city in a comfy tricycle taxi as you visit historical sites like WWI Plaza Cuartel, immaculate conception cathedral, and many more exciting attractions. You will also enjoy local cuisines and also goon shopping spree.
Go on Underground River Tour from Puerto Princesa
This is a tour that you should not miss and it is among the top thing to do in Puerto Princesa. You can go on a half-day tour of an underground river where you will get to explore a cave system and you will get to see coastal wildlife and paddle along the Puerto Princesa underground river.
Relax at NAGTABON BEACH
Nagtabon beach is a local hotspot and it is just 45 minutes’ drive from Puerto Princesa. This is the perfect place to go people watching as you will meet plenty of locals here. This beach is also the best place to have a picnic and you can also visit the Nagtabon Viewdeck which is close by and you will be mesmerized with the magnificent view of the Nagtabon cove and also see the stunning sunset.
Go on Ugong Rock Adventures
This is a natural formation which is just north of Puerto Princessa which is stunning and you will hear a funny noise when you tap it. There are multiple tour companies which will take you around the city and some of the activities that you can do here is to crawl in and out of the rock caves, climb up to the zip line or stroll through the jungle where you will get to see magnificent views.
Visit Palawan Special Battalion WW2 Memorial Museum
This is the best place to go if you want to learn about the country’s darkest moments and it was built in memory of Dr. Higinio Mendoza who is a local hero that sparked the first guerilla warfare against Japanese forces. You are going to see various war memorabilia like artillery, uniforms, and also vehicles were displayed along the markers which honor the brave men that died in action.
Explore Cowrie Island
This can be found in Honda Bay which is just 8km northeast of Puerto Princesa and this island was named after diverse sea snail, marine gastropod mollusks that are known as cowrie. You can go on a day tour on this island and there will be many attractions that are waiting for you on this island.
Visit Palaweno Brewery
This is the first Philippine Microbrewery and there are many tour groups which offer a trip here. On the trip here, you will get to enjoy the fusion of crafts, flavor, and culture. This is also the only brewery in Palawan and the highlight of the tour here is food pairing and cultural show.
Go sightseeing at Palawan Butterfly Ecological Garden and Tribal Village
This is an ecological garden which reflects the stunning beauty of the province and it is widely known as the Last Frontier of the Philippines. You will get to see diverse tropical butterflies on the southern region of the country and also live exhibits of green-crested lizards, scorpions, mantis, phasmid and so on. There is also some endemic wildlife that you will see here like Palawan bearcat, peacock pheasant.
Visit Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center
This is a 20-minute trip from Puerto Princessa and it is a refuge for endangered and abandoned animals. The work of this center is to mainly for the education and the progression of the animal’s species here. The highlight of this attraction is the crocodile farm where dozens of young crocodiles are raised until they reach adulthood. If you are lucky you will also get to see how the feed these massive beasts. You are also going to see diverse species of birds which includes hawks, eagles, hornbills, and many more and there is an educational museum that you can also explore.
Starfish Island
The island comes by its name because of the groups of starfish that inhabits this islands and you should try to be careful and watch your steps as you walk on the shores or swim in the water for them. You will love as these diverse and colorful species lounge around you. On your trip to this island, you are going to see wide diversity of starfish-like skinny royal blue starfish known as Blue Linckia, pebbled sea star and many more species of starfish on this island.
Buy Souvenirs and Pasalubong
Handicrafts, Souvenir T-Shirts, Dried Fish, Cashew Nuts, Hopia Ube are among the favorite pasalubong of most vacation goers. If you want a freshly baked Hopia, you can visit the Bakers Hill while you can get the rest of your pasalubong fix at MCA Pasalubong Center. There are also Souvenir shops at the airport.
The Island of Puerto Princesa has many attractions that you can explore and it has many top things that you can try out while you are here. You cannot explore this island only on a visit here as you will be tempted to come back here for another vacation.
Find Hotels in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan according to your budget via Agoda.
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