Best things to do in Port Barton, Palawan

Posted on December 3, 2019 | Julie J. |

Last Updated on November 5, 2022

Port Barton, like so many other places in Palawan, is incredibly beautiful. It offers spectacular island-hopping opportunities as well as a few hidden treasures just a couple of kilometers away from the village. Another good side is that it’s way less touristy than El Nido but just as nice. There are so many amazing things to do in Port Barton.

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The village clearly is built around tourism, I think 70% of it is hotels or guesthouses, but it’s far from reaching El Nido’s level. Port Barton is still a small and remote village. The beach is really nice and not overdeveloped. You’ll find there a few nice bars and restaurants, and a couple of hotels offering bungalows on the beach. Don’t forget to watch the sunset, the colors are amazing.

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Things to do in Port Barton :

Island hopping

The island hopping there is amazing, the coast is sparkled with small islands looking like paradise. Like in El Nido, you can choose between different itineraries (A, B, C or D) and they group you with other people. Usually, you’re no more than 10 people on the boat. It cost 700 pesos per person lunch and entrance fee included. If you’re the first ones to book the boat you can make an à-la-carte itinerary. You usually go to 3 islands and 2 snorkeling points.

The snorkeling is amazing, the water is super clear, there’s plenty of healthy corals and many colorful fishes. Near German island, there’s a spot where you can see sea turtles, truly amazing. It’s the perfect opportunity if you haven’t had the chance to swim with turtles yet. You might also go to Starfish Island, it’s probably the tiniest island you’ll see, and it disappears during high tide. It’s a good place to see starfishes, of course.

All the islands are gorgeous, with impressive rock formations, white-sand beaches, everything is really clean and the underwater is truly breathtaking.

If you want to dive, there’s one dive center operating in Port Barton.

Bigaho Fall

Another amazing thing to do in Port Barton is going to Bigaho Falls. This waterfall, surrounded by jungle, is not so easily reached, but the reward is worth it. Not much climbing is necessary though, it’s just a bit far from the city, about 3 kilometers. The fall is really nice, the place is often deserted and the water is perfect for swimming.

You can either walk the 3 kilometers to it or find a habal-habal to take you, there’s a village nearby so you should be able to find someone for the return.

Not far from the waterfall is a small beach with a lot of starfishes hanging out in the shallow water.

White-sand Beach

3,2 kilometers west of Port Barton is the amazing White Beach. It’s a quiet beach with only a few people living nearby and one small resort. Not many tourists are going there so you’ll find peace and quiet.

You can either walk to it or find a habal-habal to take you, you’ll need to arrange for the return as the place is really deserted. Bring water and snacks.

Where to stay in Port Barton:

There’s plenty of accommodations to choose from, the lowest prices are around 600 pesos for 2, a bungalow on the beach is around 1500 pesos. The cheaper accommodations are usually not online so you can just ask around when you get to Port Barton. If you want to treat yourself, check out Parrots Boutique Resort.

Note that there’s only electricity from 6 pm to midnight, so don’t count on AC.

How to get to Port Barton :

Port Barton to Sabang (enchanted river):

There are vans doing the Sabang-Port Barton road twice a day. Book in advance if you can. It cost 700 pesos. A cheaper alternative would be to take a jeepney or bus to Salvation and from there catch a van from Puerto Princessa to Port Barton. Book in advance as well.

Port Barton to Puerto Princesa:

There’s a daily bus leaving at 7 am from the terminal near the new market. Otherwise, there are regular vans leaving from 7 am to 4 pm. Again, book ahead.

From Roxas:

You can catch a jeepney at the terminal, just check the schedule ahead, it should be around noon. You can also catch a bus or van on the main road coming from El Nido.

Port Barton to El Nido or Taytay:

There are vans regularly doing the trip. It’s the easiest route.

Where to eat in Port Barton

Food is pretty expensive there as it’s mostly restaurants from hotels, there’s some street food and you can also find cup noodles if you want to go cheap. There’s an eatery with ok prices but not many choices. It’s located at the intersection of Rizal and Quezon streets.

A super good restaurant I would recommend is Mojitos, it’s a bit far from the center, but the ambiance is super nice and the food just amazing.

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