Located on the island of Palawan in the Philippines, Nacpan beach is a long stretch of white sandy beach, lined with many palm trees and turqouise waters. The water is calm and waves are small making it the perfect beach to swim and relax.
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Where is Nacpan Beach Located
Nacpan beach is an easy 45 minute drive just north of El Nido town on the island of Palawan. The roads to get there are well maintained for most of the journey and its a pretty sraight forward route from El Nido.
How to Get to Nacpan Beach
The easiest and cheapest way to get to Nacpan Beach is to rent a motorbike in El Nido town and drive up the coast yourself. The prices for a daily motorbike rental will cost around 400-500 PHP for the day and include helmets. The rental shops will most likely keep one form of ID and will return it when you bring back the motorbike at the end of the day.
The roads to reach Nacpan beach are well maintained and smooth for about 75% of the journey. The last section will be a bit muddy and bumpy but nothing too difficult. You should be able to handle the roads just fine if you have experience with driving a bike.
Tip: There is very limited parking for motorbikes in the streets of El Nido town proper and you will see many signs saying that it is a no parking zone. Be sure to not leave you motorbike in a none parking zone or they will take it. We saw this happen to someone so they aren’t messing around.
The second option to reach Nacpan Beach is to pay a tricycle to take you. This will cost quite a bit more as the tricycles try to overcharge. You’ll have to do quite a bit of haggling to get the price down. We noticed that they would charge around 50 PHP for about a 5 minute drive for 2 people.
Don’t worry about getting stranded at the beach. There is a line of tricycles waiting in the parking lot to take you back to El Nido.
The third option is to visit on an excursion. We saw many companies offering these daily tours which will take you to multiple beaches in an air conditioned van. With these tours you will pay more and be limited on time at each location. However, I’m certain there is the option to do a private tour in which you can make your own schedule!
» Must Read: How to Get to El Nido in Palawan- A Complete Guide
What to Expect at Nacpan Beach
Entrance Fee
There is a 50 PHP ($0.97 USD) per person entrance fee to enter the beach area.
Motorbike Parking & Tricycle Pick-up
The parking is free and you can easily find the lot after you’ve paid for your entrance and driven a short distance. In the parking lot you will also find many tricycles available to take you back to El Nido.
Beach Huts and Cafes
Along the beach you will see many small beach huts selling food and drinks. You’ll be able to find meat and fish dishes or veg options at a decent price. There will be coconuts, sodas, water and beer for purchase also. We did not eat here so unfortunately, we can’t recommend a place.
Beach Chairs
All along the beach will be beach chairs and umbrellas for rent. The sun is very hot here so you mind want to stay under one of these umbrellas to give your body a break. Or you can do like we did and find shade underneath a beautiful palm tree for free.
Be sure to wear lots of sunscreen, drinks tons of water and use a hat and sunglasses for protection.
Smoking
There is no smoking allowed on Nacpan Beach and many other places in El Nido. You will see signs posted reminding visitors and locals alike that cigarettes cannot be smoked in these areas.
Things to Do at Nacpan Beach
Enjoy the warm waters of the Philippines and spend your day splashing around in the ocean! This beach is the perfect spot to just relax and enjoy being on holiday. The waves here are not big enough to go surfing so the locals recommend visiting Duli Beach if you want to surf.
Grab a fresh coconut from one of the beach huts, immerse yourself in your favorite book and take in the smell of the salty ocean air!
Tips for Visiting the Philippines
Visas:
Before arrival in the Philippines check to see if you need a visa to enter. I use ivisa.com for all of my visa needs since they can provide a visa for you completely hassle free.
Vaccinations:
Before heading to the Philippines consult with your doctor about any necessary medications and vaccinations that you may need. The CDC will also list off some of the required inoculations but its always best to confirm with your primary physician. For certain parts of the Philippines you may also need to take anti-malarial medications as a prophylaxis.
The Philippines also has Dengue fever so it is important to use DEET mosquito repellent while traveling. I got Dengue in the Maldives and it will make you very sick. You can also get it again with another strain and it will be much worse or life threatening the second time. It is very important to protect yourself to avoid getting Dengue.
ATM’s and Money
Everywhere in the Philippines seems to take only cash. Except for Art Cafe when booking a tour- we’ve heard they take credit card. Therefore it is vital to take out enough cash whenever you find a working ATM. We took money out in the airport and also at the BPI ATM in El Nido town proper. On my debit card there is a 20,000 PHP limit per day that I can take out. Check with your bank to see what your limits are. Also, some of the machines will only allow you to take out 10,000 PHP in one transaction so you’ll accrue more foreign ATM fees.
Keep in mind that El Nido is pretty expensive compared to a lot of other islands in the Philippines and countries in South East Asia.
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WHAT CAMERA GEAR DO I USE?
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- Main Camera: Sony A7III
- Wide angle lens: Sony G Master 16-35mm f/2.8
- Zoom lens: Sony 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3
- Secondary Camera: Canon 6D Mark II
- Canon wide angle lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L
- Underwater camera: Leica X-U
- Camera with gimbal: DJI Osmo Pocket & Underwater Housing
- Drone: DJI Mavic Pro
- Camera Bag: Polar Pro Drone Trekker
- External Hard Drive: LaCie 1 TB rugged mini external hard drive
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