Palawan

The hill that rises behind Coron town is the easiest way to understand the geography of the Calamian Islands. A concrete stairway of roughly 700 steps climbs to a viewpoint and a large white cross, and from the top you look over the town's tin roofs, the boat-filled harbour and the scattered islands of Coron Bay, with the jagged outline of Coron Island to the south. It is a steady climb rather than a hard one, with rest platforms along the way.

TipGo up an hour before sunset, when the heat has eased and the bay turns gold; take a torch for the walk down.

A short tricycle ride from town, Maquinit is a saltwater hot spring that feeds a pair of stone-edged pools set among mangroves by the sea. The water is genuinely hot, often close to 40°C, so most people last only a few minutes at a time before sitting on the edge. After a day of snorkelling it is a soothing way to finish, and it is at its best after dark, when the air has cooled.

TipBring cash for the small entrance fee and a towel; the pools close in the evening, so check the hours locally.

On 24 September 1944, American carrier aircraft attacked a Japanese supply fleet sheltering in the bays around Busuanga and Culion, sinking around a dozen ships in a single morning. They still lie where they went down, now coated in coral and sponges and patrolled by batfish and lionfish. The seaplane tender Akitsushima is the most famous, a large warship with its crane still visible; others, such as the Olympia Maru, Kogyo Maru and Irako, range from shallow hulks suitable for newer divers to deep penetrations for the technically qualified.

Non-divers can still see something of this history: the shallow Skeleton Wreck near Coron Island and the Lusong gunboat, whose stern almost breaks the surface at low tide, are both visible on snorkelling tours.

TipWreck penetration needs proper training; dive only with established, accredited shops and ask about the depth and condition of each site before you sign up.

Coron Island is the ancestral domain of the Calamian Tagbanua, an indigenous community that manages access to its lakes and beaches and collects the entrance fees. Kayangan, a freshwater lake enclosed by limestone, is its best-known sight. A stepped path of a few hundred steps climbs over the ridge, passing a viewpoint over a cove studded with karst towers that has become one of the most photographed views in the Philippines, before dropping down to the lake itself. The water is startlingly clear, and boardwalks let you climb in and swim among underwater rock formations.

TipBoats from town arrive in waves mid-morning; leaving on an early private boat, or visiting in the late afternoon, makes a real difference here.

Barracuda Lake, also known by the Tagbanua name Luluyuwan, is a strange place: a lake of fresh water floating on a layer of sea water that seeps in through the rock, with a thermocline that makes the deeper water noticeably warm. Swimmers float above a drop of more than 30 metres between grey limestone walls that continue underwater as jagged ridges, and divers come for the eerie visibility and the shifts in temperature as they descend. Despite the name, barracuda are rarely seen.

TipWear a life vest even if you are a strong swimmer; fresh water is less buoyant than the sea and the lake is very deep.

Two lagoons sit side by side on Coron Island's west coast, separated by a wall of limestone. Boats stop in the outer one, and at low tide you swim through a narrow gap under the rock into the inner lagoon; at high tide a wooden ladder takes you over the top instead. Fresh water from the island meets the sea here, creating a shimmering layer of different temperatures you can feel as you swim. Kayaks and bamboo rafts are usually available to rent.

TipTwin Lagoon, Kayangan Lake and Barracuda Lake are often combined on one boat day, usually sold as an "ultimate" or Coron Island tour.

About an hour north of El Nido town by tricycle or scooter, Nacpan is a sweep of golden sand some four kilometres long, backed by coconut palms and almost entirely free of the karst cliffs that define the rest of the area. It feels quite different from the island tours: open, breezy and spacious, with a few beach bars and simple places to stay. A viewpoint at the southern end looks over Nacpan and its twin, Calitang, joined by a narrow neck of land.

TipThe road is now paved most of the way; rent a scooter only if you are an experienced rider, as the traffic and rain can be unforgiving.

El Nido's island tours are sold as Tours A, B, C and D, each a fixed loop of around five stops in Bacuit Bay. Tour C heads furthest out, to the long, narrow island of Matinloc and its neighbours, and is often called the most dramatic. Hidden Beach is a pocket of white sand enclosed by towering cliffs, reached by swimming or wading through a gap in the rock; Secret Beach is reached by crawling through a hole in the limestone at the right tide. The tour usually includes Helicopter Island and a stop at Matinloc Shrine, an abandoned chapel with a viewpoint scramble over sharp karst.

TipTour C is the most exposed to open sea and the first to be cancelled in rough weather, so book it early in your stay and keep a spare day.

The Big Lagoon on Miniloc Island is the image that put El Nido on the map: a long channel of emerald water walled in by cliffs, opening into an enclosed basin where the only sounds are paddles and birds. Motorboats are not allowed inside, so visitors transfer to kayaks at the entrance and paddle in. It is the centrepiece of Tour A, which also includes the Secret Lagoon, Shimizu Island and Seven Commandos Beach. Visitor numbers are capped daily and access is booked through tour operators.

TipA two-person kayak costs extra and is shared between two; arrive early in the day for calmer, quieter water.

Next door to the Big Lagoon, the Small Lagoon is entered through a narrow gap in the cliffs, either by kayak or by swimming in with a life vest. Inside, a hidden pool opens up under overhanging rock, with a small cave to explore at the back. It now features on Tour D, a gentler loop that also includes Cadlao Lagoon and a series of quiet beaches close to town, and it is often less crowded than the Big Lagoon.

TipSmall Lagoon has its own access fee and daily cap, separate from the Big Lagoon, so check what your tour price includes.

Tour B's highlight is a curving sandbar that snakes out from Vigan Island, visible in its full S-shape from a short hike to a viewpoint on the hill above. At low tide you can walk along it with water on both sides. The rest of the tour covers Cudugnon Cave, once used as a burial site and later a wartime hiding place, Cathedral Cave with its tall, church-like interior, and the beaches of Entalula and Pinagbuyutan islands.

TipTour B depends on the tide for the full sandbar effect; ask your operator which days line up with low tide.

A short tricycle ride south of town, Las Cabañas is El Nido's sunset beach, a long strand facing west across Bacuit Bay towards the silhouettes of the islands. A zipline crosses from the mainland to a small island offshore, and a handful of beach bars set out beanbags as the light fades. It is the obvious end to a day spent on the water.

TipTricycles back to town can be scarce after dark; agree a return pick-up time with your driver.

Halfway between El Nido and Puerto Princesa, Port Barton is a small fishing village on a bay in San Vicente municipality that offers a slower, cheaper version of the island-hopping experience. The village has no big resorts, the electricity supply can be patchy, and the beach doubles as the main street. Boat trips visit a string of islands and sandbars, including German Island and Starfish Island, with good snorkelling and turtles regularly sighted. Walking trails lead to quieter beaches and a small waterfall in the hills.

TipThere are few ATMs and they are not reliable; bring enough cash from Puerto Princesa or El Nido.

Inside a national park of forest and karst on the west coast, the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River flows for more than eight kilometres through a cave before emerging into the sea. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed for its full mountain-to-sea ecosystem, and one of the longest navigable underground rivers in the world. Paddle boats with a guide and an audio commentary take visitors around a kilometre or so into the dark, where torchlight picks out vast chambers, stalactites, swiftlets and thousands of bats.

Access is strictly controlled. The park enforces a "no permit, no entry" rule and a daily visitor cap, currently 900 people, and every visitor must register individually with valid ID. Permits are issued through the Underground River booking office in Puerto Princesa or through accredited tour operators, and they sell out ahead of time in peak season. From the village of Sabang, a 20-minute boat ride brings you to the cave entrance.

TipBook your permit, or a tour that includes it, several days ahead, or weeks ahead for Easter and the March to May peak; keep your mouth closed when looking up in the cave, for obvious reasons.

On the road between Puerto Princesa and Sabang, Ugong Rock is a limestone outcrop that a local community has turned into a small adventure park. Guides lead visitors up through narrow crevices and caves to the top, where a view opens across rice fields to the mountains, and the quick way down is by zipline. The rock gets its name from the hollow, ringing sound some of its formations make when tapped.

TipWear shoes with grip; the climb involves squeezing through passages and using ropes.

Just north of Puerto Princesa, Honda Bay is the city's day-trip playground: a shallow bay dotted with small islands and sandbars that boats visit in a lazy loop. Cowrie Island has a beach and bar shaded by palms, Starfish Island lives up to its name in the shallows, and Pambato Reef has a floating platform for snorkelling over fish-filled coral. It is far less dramatic than Bacuit Bay but easy, relaxed and good for families.

TipBoats leave from the wharf at Santa Lourdes; go on a weekday, as the bay fills with local groups at weekends.

Puerto Princesa itself is a pleasant, low-key provincial capital, and its most affecting sight is this small park beside the cathedral. During the Second World War the site held American prisoners of war, and in December 1944, fearing an Allied landing, Japanese guards herded them into air-raid trenches and set them alight; only a handful escaped. Memorials and the remains of the tunnels tell the story, a sobering counterpoint to the beaches elsewhere on the island.

TipCombine it with the nearby Immaculate Conception Cathedral and the waterfront baywalk at sunset.

At the island's southern tip, the Balabac group of islands sits closer to Borneo than to Manila. Islands such as Onok, Candaraman and Punta Sebaring have powder-white sand, very clear shallow water and coral gardens, with almost no infrastructure: no towns to speak of beyond Balabac itself, few shops, and accommodation that is mostly camping or rustic huts. It is also home to the tiny Philippine mouse-deer, a protected species found only in this corner of Palawan.

Getting there is a commitment. Most visitors join a multi-day organised trip that drives from Puerto Princesa to the port of Buliluyan in Bataraza, a long journey usually begun before dawn, followed by a boat crossing to the islands.

TipGo only with an established tour operator, travel in the dry season, and check your own government's travel advice for the far south of Palawan before you book.