The Matinloc Island at El Nido

The Matinloc Island at El Nido

Why see the Matinloc Island at El Nido

From the highest point you can climb at Matinloc Island, you see the most breathtaking view of the sea, the islands and the blue sky. Check out the photos below.

What to expect when you arrive at the Matinloc Shrine

Docking at Matinloc Island

Climb these steps at the right side of the entrance of this island to see the breathtaking view I was talking about earlier. As you can see, my children were able to climb these steps to see the view. It's definitely worth the climb.

They made it!

THE VIEW AT THE TOP OF THE STEPS

Let the photos speak for themselves!

 

Be careful walking down

The Matinloc Shrine

Inside Matinloc Shrine

Underneath the shrine is a small "museum" narrating the story of why a shrine was built there.

THE STORY OF MATINLOC SHRINE

Guadalupe Yabes, a religious visionary, had a vision of the Blessed Virgin who instructed her to search for a heart-shaped island and build a "Shrine of the New Jerusalem"

The heart-shaped island turned out to be Matinloc Island

The Shrine of the New Jerusalem was eventually built.

The Hidden Lagoon at El Nido

The Hidden Lagoon at El Nido

Why see the Hidden Lagoon at El Nido

It's another exotic place in El Nido that's hard to describe on print. The combination of blue skies, the crystal clear waters, the rock formations both underneath the water and above it, and the fact that it's hidden and can be accessed only through a small hole that's sometimes totally submerged when in high tide, makes it a place that pleasures the senses. It's just simply beautiful.

What to expect when you arrive at the Hidden Lagoon

Warning: You need to swim through a hole to access the hidden lagoon.

The kids immediately jumped off the boat to swim through the hole right behind them, which is the entrance to the Hidden Lagoon.

The hole we need to enter to access the Hidden Lagoon.

After swimming through the hole, we encounter this rocky shallow part of the Hidden Lagoon, where we could stand and walk to further enter the Hidden Lagoon.

We walk inside the Hidden Lagoon

More snorkelling

The right side of the Hidden Lagoon

You can see the rocks underneath the crystal clear waters

The left side of the Hidden Lagoon

Getting ready to swim through the hole and leave the Hidden Lagoon.

Leaving the Hidden Lagoon....

....To board the boat waiting outside.

Our boatman showing us the giant jellyfish
he found near our boat.

A close up of the giant jellyfish. 

The Secret Beach at El Nido

The Secret Beach at El Nido

Why see the Secret Beach at El Nido

I love the Secret Beach because it's one of those isolated beaches in El Nido where kids will enjoy staying in. The beach has white sand, the water is crystal clear. The waters are shallow for at least 50 meters from the shore. You can even go snorkeling in those shallow waters and find an interesting array of fish to amuse the kids. For the more adventurous, you can go to the deeper part of the island on the right side of the beach where you can find Nemo (a clown fish) among the live corrals.

What to expect when you arrive at the Secret Beach

This is the entrance to the Secret Beach

Docked at Secret Beach
Note the people on the right side of the photo:
You can see that even at that distance, water is only waist deep.

  

Visitors snorkel and find an interesting variety of fish even in this shallow waters.

The beachfront

Deeper and more challenging waters can be accessed
through a hole at the right side of the beach

Entering the hole

The path is rocky and slippery

This is what we see after passing through the hole

Snorkeling in deeper waters

Finding Nemo on this part of the beach

My tip: If you have kids smaller than my kids shown above, this is a nice beach to spend the day in. The waters are shallow and clear, the sand is white. They can learn to snorkel here and be rewarded by an interesting variety of fish.

Since there are a lot of beaches with common or synonymous names in this bay, my suggestion if you want to find this beach is to refer to it as the Secret Beach on Tour C.

Explore El Nido by Motorbike (Part III: How to go to Nacpan Beach)

Explore El Nido by Motorbike

Part 3: How to go to Nacpan Beach

Map showing how to go to Nacpan Beach
Encircled site is Nacpan Beach

DIRECTIONS: 
1. Take the road from El Nido town going to El Nido airport

This is the road from El Nido town to the airport
The sign at the right points to the road leading to the entrance of El Nido airport.
Don't turn left on that road.
Go straight ahead.

A close up of the sign shown in the photo above

A look at the road leading to the entrance of El Nido airport

2. Go straight ahead till you reach the road shown below, with a sign on the left. The sign says that the road to your left goes to Pasadena-Bucana. Take that road.

Take the road to your left leading to Pasadena-Bucana

View of the road to Pasadena-Bucana

More views of the road

3. Take the Pasadena-Bucana road till you reach the sign showing the direction to Calitang Elementary School. Turn left.

Turn left to the road leading the Calitang Elementary School

A close-up of the sign you need to watch out for

Another view of the road

4. Enter the road going to the direction of Calitang Elementary School. 

Pass this small bridge

Be careful. The road you'll be passing is rough road.

Pass this second bridge

5. Go straight ahead till you reach a small village. Turn right when you see this road. The only marker we can see is the waiting shed shown below.

More views of the road leading to Nacpan Beach

You will pass this house along the road to Nacpan Beach.

There's nothing distinctive about this house except the 

satellite dish on its roof, an unusual thing to see in such a remote village.

5. You know you have reached Nacpan Beach when you see these structures.

The right structure is the beach house of a Swiss national.
The left structure is the caretaker's house.

A closer view of the structures shown above

We parked our motorbike beside the caretaker's house.

If you want cold drinks after a long drive,
you can buy the drinks from the caretaker.

NACPAN BEACH!!

See Explore El Nido by Motorbike (Part 1. Where to rent a motorbike)

See Explore El Nido by Motorbike (Part 2. Where to go: Nacpan beach)