Where to Stay in El Nido, Palawan: Best Areas & Where We Stayed
Choosing where to stay in El Nido is an important part of planning your trip. There are a few different areas to choose from, each with a very different feel — from lively El Nido Town to quieter, laid-back beach areas.
Where to Stay in El Nido: Quick Guide
If you just want the quick answer:
🌅 Corong Corong — Our Pick: Best for a beachside stay while still being close to El Nido Town. Close to beach bars & restaurants and day tours.
🍹 El Nido Town — Best for Convenience: Night life, restaurants, bars, shops and island-hopping tours right on your doorstep.
🏖️ Las Cabanas / Vanilla Beach — Best for the Relaxing/Quiet area: A more laid-back area with a beautiful beach and great sunsets.
🌴 Lio Beach — Best for a Resort-Style Stay: Quieter and more polished, with beachfront resorts close to El Nido Airport.
🌊 Nacpan Beach — Best for Getting Away From It All: A beautiful but much more remote option, better suited to travellers who want to slow down and stay by the beach.
If we went back to El Nido, we'd stay in Corong Corong again.
Corong Corong Beach
This is where we stayed, and if you're travelling with kids, I'd choose Corong Corong every time.
Located just a short tuk tuk ride from El Nido Town, Corong Corong has a much more relaxed atmosphere while still being close to everything you need.
We loved the beachfront restaurants, incredible sunsets and easy access to cafes and local eateries. Some of our favourite spots included Blend & Grind and Lion's Sunset Lounge. Beach View Lane, AKA Pops Street, also has plenty of great places to eat and travel agents where you can organise island tours.
The main road has ATMs, pharmacies, convenience stores and local restaurants, making it a really practical place to base yourself.
For us, Corong Corong offered the perfect balance between convenience and a quieter, more family-friendly atmosphere. Day tours to the islands also depart from here, which made things really easy.
El Nido Town
If it's your first visit to El Nido, staying in town puts you right in the middle of the action.
You'll find plenty of restaurants, bars, tour operators, shops and cafes all within walking distance, and most island-hopping tours also depart from here, making it a really convenient base.
The downside is that it can feel busy, particularly in peak season, and it's definitely the liveliest part of El Nido.
If you like having everything right on your doorstep, El Nido Town is a great choice. For us, though, we preferred staying somewhere a little quieter and just catching a tuk tuk into town when we wanted.
If you're looking for somewhere a little more peaceful, Las Cabanas Beach is worth considering.
Located a little further from El Nido town, this area is much quieter and more laid-back. The beach itself is beautiful, with soft sand, calm water. There is not a lot of shops or restaurants in this area - so location isnt ideal at times.
Even if you don't stay here, I'd highly recommend visiting for a morning swim or sunset drink. It was one of our favourite spots to escape the crowds and simply enjoy the scenery. We loved Happy Birthday Beach. And there's an epic Zip Line (go early to avoid the hour long queue!)
Other Areas to Stay in El Nido
You'll also see accommodation around Lio Beach and Nacpan Beach when searching for somewhere to stay.
Lio Beach is worth looking at if you're after a quieter, more resort-style stay close to El Nido Airport, while Nacpan Beach is much further from town and better suited to travellers who really want to get away from it all.
We didn't stay in either of these areas - but they're worth knowing about when comparing your options.
Budget Accommodation in El Nido
If you're travelling on a budget, don't worry — there are plenty of affordable accommodation options in El Nido and Corong Corong Beach.
We stayed in a simple beachfront budget hotel in Corong Corong and found it perfectly comfortable for our 3 night stay. The room was basic but clean, the location was excellent and we were only a short walk from beachfront bars, restaurants and cafes.
For us, location was far more important than having a fancy hotel — we spent most of our time out exploring anyway!
Where to Stay in El Nido With Kids
If you're visiting El Nido with kids, I'd definitely recommend Corong Corong.
This is where I stayed with my daughters, and for us it was the perfect place. We had the beach, great places to eat and everything we needed close by, while El Nido Town was still only a quick tuk tuk ride away.
If we visited El Nido again, we'd happily stay here.
Planning a family trip? Read our complete El Nido With Kids guide.
Wherever you stay, make sure you leave plenty of time to actually enjoy El Nido — we absolutely loved it and could easily have stayed longer.
Heading to El Nido with kids?
Read our complete
🇵🇭 Philippines With Kids Itinerary everywhere we went and what we loved.
🌴 3-day El Nido to Coron boat expedition — it was one of the highlights of our Philippines trip.
🏄♀️ Siargao With Kids Travel Guide — Our favourite things to do, where to stay and why we loved Siargao so much.
🐢 Moalboal: What It’s Really Like — Our honest experience of the famous sardine run, swimming with sea turtles, the crowds and what to expect when you visit.
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