El Nido Hotels
EL NIDO, THE PHILIPPINE CAPITAL OF SCUBA DIVING
The turquoise water that surrounds the islands of the Bacuit archipelago is full of marine life. With more than 30 diving sites, this archipelago is very well known in the diving world. There are dugongs, the animal that is supposed to have started the legend of mermaids, manta rays, sea turtles, and a huge number of other fish species.
From El Nido, you will be able to book diving courses, PADI trainings, and diving trips for all budgets and levels. The nearby dive sites range from 6 to 30 meters deep, offering diving experiences for beginners and seasoned divers alike! For beginners, many agencies also offer snorkeling trips, ideal for discovering the beauty of underwater life without the need to take a full diving course.
A BIT OF HISTORY
The town of El Nido (“the nest” in Spanish) is located 238 km northeast of Puerto Princesa, the capital of Palawan.
There were human traces found here dating from 2680 BC. Several fossils and funerary sites have been discovered, and the most spectacular site is the cave of Ille in New Ibajay, about 15 km from El Nido. Bones from more than 8,000 years ago were discovered there by archaeologists.
In the 1800s, Spanish settlers discovered this side of the island and decided to call it “Bacuit“. It is only in 1954 that the town acquired its current name of “El Nido” because of the numerous edible nests of salanganes in the surrounding area. These birds use the small cracks of the limestone cliffs to build their nests (sold by locals for about $3000 a kilo).
There almost always has been a strong migration to El Nido. There are members of the different ethnic groups of the Philippine islands, such as Tagalogs, Visayans, or Bicolanos, as well as Chinese, Spaniards, and a small number of Germans. Consequently, apart from Filipino, people often speak English.
ISLAND HOPPING
Bacuit Bay is made up of several exceptionally beautiful natural islands that you can easily explore by boat tours organized by the tourist agencies of El Nido. Four tours are generally offered (A, B, C, and D), allowing you to discover different areas of the Bay, tours B and C often being considered the most interesting by travelers.
The most visited island is certainly Miniloc, famous for its two lagoons, the Big Lagoon and the Small Lagoon. The warm and calm waters of these lagoons offer a memorable bathing scene. The islands of Matinloc and Tapiutan are other popular excursion destinations from El Nido. Matinloc looks like a submerged stegosaurus, and offers, along with the island of Tapiutan, the best snorkeling spots.
Finally, the island of Cadlao, which can be seen from the beach of El Nido, is also a beautiful island with a lagoon where you can practice snorkeling.
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source: El Nido Tourism
