The Ultimate Guide to Nacpan Beach

Have you have been planning on visiting the Philippines for a while now and have finally come around to researching your trip? Then you will know the internet is saturated with information on this topic.

That’s why my husband Phil and I have created this up to date Blog Post Extravaganza to help make planning your trip to the Philippines super easy. This comprehensive guide will breakdown the Must See’s in Nacpan but also link to our other Must See’s in the Philippines. These include Moalboal, Coron, Bohol, Siquijor and Port Barton (notice El Nido is not on that list – click here to find out why). The posts are packed to the brim with everything we learnt on our month long trip and include some super helpful time and money saving tips.

Why visit Nacpan
What to do in Nacpan
Where to stay in Nacpan
Where to eat in Nacpan
Getting to Nacpan
How long to spend in Nacpan

Why visit Nacpan

Nacpan Beach is very much the opposite of what you will find in busy and noisy El Nido. Calm, quiet and tranquil with a 4km stretch of palm tree lined beach to explore and relax on. A nice stroll along the beach will have you enjoying your very own piece of Nacpan Beach paradise all to yourself.

What to do in Nacpan

The beach at Nacpan is only one half of the ‘twin beach’ area. If you walk to the southern end of Nacpan beach and across the land where the local fishing village is, you will arrive at Calitang Beach. This is the side where we stayed and also the best side for the fantastic sunsets. So kick back and enjoy a cold beer while the sun sets over the ocean. It also happens to be the location for the cheapest beer in Nacpan at Dandal Bay View.

It seemed many staying on Nacpan beach missed the amazing sunset opportunities so it is well worth the short stroll. Even enjoy dinner at the Phoenix Bar and Restaurant who serve delicious Thai cuisine on the sand.

You can also take island hopping tours from here to see the same sights you would from El Nido and benefit from staying in a far nicer area. Just keep an eye out for the signs on the beach.

Where to stay in Nacpan Beach

Dandal Bay View – This is where we stayed and is located right on the beach at Dandal Bay (Calitang Beach). This locally run hotel has two parts to the property, the newly built rooms are set on the beach. It has its own bar and restaurant which is perfect for soaking up the sunset.

There are also older bamboo style rooms set back from the beach in simple Filipino style. Next time we would prefer to be in the newer block of rooms and pay the extra. This property is ideal if you are on a super budget but if you can afford to pay a little more to upgrade then we recommend it.

There is a popular Mad Monkey Hostel right on the sand at Nacpan beach. The hostel has a large beachfront bar with bean bags and seating that welcomes non-guests for food and drinks and is a lively spot. It is more expensive than other properties but seemed super popular.

Where to eat in Nacpan

Mad Monkey Hostel– serving up tasty wood fired pizza on a lively wooden deck overlooking the ocean. Lots more on the menu and a great place to just chill and watch the world go by.

Phoenix Bar and Restaurant – one of the most popular restaurants serving up delicious Thai food. The owner- an expat, is super friendly and has found one of the best spots on the island to house a restaurant due to the insane nightly sunsets. This is located on Calitang Beach, just over the sand dunes from Nacpan.

Getting to Nacpan Beach

From El Nido we opted to take a minibus shuttle to Nacpan Beach. The air conditioned transfer costs 350php each way per person or 600php for a return if on the same day. We booked through Discover El Nido, they have a local office in El Nido with air conditioning. You can purchase tickets inside the office when it is open or online. We recommend booking in advance as the shuttles only take about 16 people maximum.

Tricycle drivers will also advertise to take you however the journey is approx 45min and some of the road is still being built so very rough aboard a tricycle. They also charge a lot more for this journey (around 1000php). You can ride a moped here if you don’t mind the bumpy journey and you have to pay a small fee to enter the area when you arrive.

How long to spend in Nacpan

We spent 2 nights in Nacpan however you could easily spend more time hear just relaxing and island hopping. We met many travellers that had come to El Nido and kept coming back to Nacpan instead.

Looking to visit more places in the Philippines? Check out our other favourite destination blog posts here: