4. Inland Tours
El Nido is not just all about island hopping and exploration by boat. If you want to experience the best beaches of El Nido, the town proper is not where you will find them. I suggest that you go further North on the road less travelled where you will see Nacpan Beach. From the town proper, we rented a van from Discover El Nido for 800 pesos per head for the five of us. This is one of the many places in El Nido where the beauty that confronts the naked eye makes it mandatory to snap a shot first, upload it on Instagram, and make your friends envious of what unfolds before you. Once you have had enough of the picture taking, you can just lie on the sand, bask under the heat of the sun, and enjoy a laissez-faire attitude by the beach.
Nacpan Twin Beach. View from up the hill.
All smiles after an uphill climb and being rewarded with this view
Another place worth visiting is Marimegmeg Beach, where we tried their zip line for 500 pesos per head, one-way. You need to hike for about 15 minutes going to the starting point. It was a bit tiring for our group as we all do not have a penchant for physically-demanding activities. Once you reach the peak and begin with the zip line, your efforts will be rewarded.
El Nido zip line. It lasts for about 90 seconds. Once you reach the end, you walk down the mountain towards the beach
Sunset at Marimegmeg Beach.
3. The Food
In a place where you breathe the fresh air of the rural, it is not impossible to have a taste of the urban. El Nido is abundant with restaurants wherein the first bite will make you eager to eat the same food the next day, and the day after that. Your taste buds will definitely give your feet the reason to be stepping on the same place over and again. Altrove is my all-time favorite. I’ve eaten at this place twice during my last visit, and I made it a point to not miss it on my return. Other places with great food to check out include Mezzanine, Habibi, El Nido Art Café, and Atmosphere. There are also plenty of restaurants where you can have freshly cooked and grilled meat and seafood.
The Mezzanine
Pizza and Salad from Trattoria Altrov’e. One of my favorite restaurants in El Nido
One of the places where you can get fresh grilled seafood and meat
Take away crepe for a quick munch
