Hidden Beach - El Nido - Discover The Philippines

The Hidden Beach in El Nido is surrounded by limestone rock formations and cannot be seen from the open sea, hence the name.

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OVERVIEW

Hidden Beach, El Nido

Not to be confused with Secret Lagoon, Hidden Beach is a cove found on Matinloc Island. The beach boasts of white sand and refreshingly clear water.

Getting to this hidden gem can be a bit of a challenge. In addition to the 45-minute pump boat ride through Bacuit Bay, you will need to swim to get to the small opening which is the entrance to the cove. The sea can be rough at times so if you are not a strong swimmer, you may either struggle to get there or not get there at all.

But despite the challenge, the effort is definitely worth it as you will be rewarded with a beautiful sight – clean water inhabited by fishes and shrimps, lush green forest background, and impressive natural rock formation.

Hidden Beach is part of the Tour C (Shrine Tour) which is now called Matinloc Island Tour. Other spots included when you avail the Matinloc Island Tour includes Secret Beach and Matinloc Shrine.

Fast Facts

Beach:

Hidden Beach

Address:

Matinloc Island, El Nido, Palawan

Website:

elnido.gov.ph

Phone:

(048) 550 8025

Hours:

24 hours

Closed:

The beach is closed when authorities ban sea travel due to bad weather.

Best Time to Visit:

January to May

Food & Drink:

FREE WiFi:

Cost:

Cost per Person: $15+

Payment Type:

Cash

Fees:

El Nido Tour C – Helicopter Island, Matinloc Shrine, Secret Beach, and Hidden Beach (includes buffet lunch, drinking water, and use of life vest, mask, and snorkel)
P1,200-P1,400 ($24-$28 USD) – Per person rate for group tour
P5,060 ($101.2 USD) – Per person rate for private tour for 2 persons
P3,960 ($79.2 USD) – Per person rate for private tour for 3-5 persons
P2,860 ($57.2 USD) – Per person rate for private tour for 6-8 persons
P2,310 ($46.2 USD) – Per person rate for private tour for 9-11 persons
P1,980 ($39.6 USD) – Per person rate for private tour for 12-20 persons

P200 ($4 USD) – Eco-tourism development fee (adults)
P100 ($2 USD) – Eco-tourism development fee (children 12 and below)
P300-P400 ($6-$8 USD) – Kayak rental good for 2-3 persons

Notes:

The tour lasts about seven hours.
If you want the most of your tour or has a say to the itinerary, booking a private tour is best for you.

MAP

Hidden Beach is located on Matinloc Island in El Nido.

NEED TO KNOW

How to Get to Hidden Beach?

To get to Hidden Beach, you can join the group tour (El Nido Tour C) or avail or avail the said tour privately. You can book your tour via Klook which costs P1,200 ($24 USD) per person.

See below to find out how to get to El Nido.

By Air

From Manila
AirSWIFT, located in Terminal 4 of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (IATA: MNL), is the only airline that flies directly from Manila to El Nido. With multiple flights per day, this 50-seater aircraft generally charges around P12,000 ($240 USD) round trip during the high season. Travel time is approximately one hour and 30 minutes. AirSWIFT also flies from other airports including Puerto Princesa Airport (IATA:PPS), Cebu-Mactan International Airport (IATA: CEB), Francisco B. Reyes Airport (IATA: USU), and Godofredo P. Ramos Airport (IATA: MPH)

Lio Airport, also known as El Nido Airport, is just about four kilometers away from town proper. At the airport, you will find tricycles or vans that can take you to El Nido town proper. One way trip is about P550 ($11 USD). Some hotels have free airport transfer so better coordinate with them upon booking. Travel time is about 20 minutes.

Alternatively, you can also fly to Puerto Princesa City and travel by bus or van to El Nido.

By Sea

From Manila
There is no way you can go directly from Manila to El Nido by boat. The best option is to take a boat from Manila to Puerto Princesa through 2Go Travel. Currently, there are two trips every week. A boat leaves Manila for Puerto Princesa every Tuesday at 9:00 AM and every Friday at 7:00 PM. Travel time is about 33 hours and the fare ranges from P1,180 ($23.6) to P1,920 ($38.4 USD) depending on the type of accommodation.

From Puerto Princesa, you can travel by bus or van to El Nido.

From Coron
From Coron, you can take a ferry to get to El Nido. There are four shipping companies with boats sailing directly from Coron to El Nido.

Bunso Transport recently resumed their Coron-El Nido trip. A ferry departs Coron to El Nido every other Wednesday at 7:00 AM and departs El Nido the next day. Travel time is around six and a half hours and the fare is P2,250 ($45 USD).

Montenegro has four trips from Coron to El Nido every week and vice versa. The boat departs to El Nido at 6:00 AM every Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday while the trip back to Coron is at 12:00 NN on the same days. Travel time is about four hours and the regular fare is about P2,816 ($56.32 USD).

Atienza Interisland, on the other hand, has six trips every week. A boat leaves Coron at 7:00 AM every Monday to Saturday and leaves El Nido at 12:30 PM on the same days. Travel time is about five hours and the fare is P2,816 ($56.32 USD) one way.

From the port, a tricycle can take you to your hotel or other destinations in town proper. Minimum fare is P15 ($0.3 USD).

By Land

From Puerto Princesa
There are three van companies plying the Puerto Princesa – El Nido route. A van of Fortwally Transport leaves San Jose Terminal in Puerto Princesa at 5:00 AM, 8:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 1:30 PM, and 5:00 PM everyday. The fare is about P700 ($14 USD) per person.

With Eulen Joy Express, the schedule is 7:30 AM, 9:30 AM, 10:30 AM, 1:00 PM, 3:30 PM, and 5:30 PM everyday. The fare is P700 ($14 USD) per person. Another company, Day Tripper, leaves Puerto Princesa at 9:00 AM everyday. The rate per person is P875 but you can also book the entire trip for P7,700 ($140 USD)good for 10 persons. Travel time with van ranges from five to six hours depending on the depending on road traffic and other unavoidable circumstances.

Pre-booking is highly recommended to guarantee seats. You can also book via Klook here.

For passengers who prefer to take the bus, Cherry Bus Terminal leaves Irawan bus terminal for EL Nido at 6:45 AM (economy), 9:00 AM (standard), and 9:00 PM (VIP) everyday. The fare for economy bus is P587 ($11.74 USD), standard fare is P756 ($15.12 USD), while P872 ($17.44 USD) for VIP. Travel time is about six to seven hours

From Sabang
As of March 2023, there is no shared transfer available for trips from Sabang to EL Nido. The only transportation available is private transfer via Lexxus Shuttle or Fortwally. A van that can accommodate a maximum of nine persons costs P7,500 ($150 USD) one way. Travel time is about six hours.

From Port Barton
The fastest way to get to EL Nido from Port Barton is through a van. Recaro Transport has two trips everyday – 8:00 AM and 1:00 PM. Travel time is about five hours and the fare is P750 ($15 USD) per person in a 14-seater van. Lexxus Shuttle, on the other hand, has one trip everyday. The 9-seater van leaves at 9:00 AM and arrives in El Nido at about 2:00 PM. The fare is P900 ($18 USD) per person but you can also charter the van for P7,000 ($140 USD).

Enjoy Hidden Beach with a guide!

Or plan your vacation to Hidden Beach through Klook

The airport closest to Hidden Beach

Lio Airport (ENI), also known as El Nido Airport, is the airport closest to Hidden Beach. The airport is owned by AirSWIFT, the only airline with direct flight from Manila to El Nido.