The Ultimate Guide to Port Barton

Have you been planning on visiting Port Barton in 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. This Ultimate Port Barton Travel Guide is here to help you plan your trip!

My husband and I created a Philippines blog post extravaganza to help make planning your trip to the Philippines super easy. This comprehensive guide to Port Barton will break down the must-see’s in Port Barton and link to our other must-see’s in the Philippines. These include Siquijor, Moalboal, Bohol, Nacpan and Coron. 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.

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• Why Visit Port Barton
• What To Do in Port Barton
• Coconutz Tours Island Hopping
• Port Barton Beach
• Where to Stay in Port Barton
• Where to Eat in Port Barton
• How-to-Get-to-Port-Barton
• How Long to Spend in Port Barton

Why Visit Port Barton

Port Barton is located in Palawan and was our first stop in the Philippines. It is a location that many people we met seemed to not have heard of. As a result, upon landing in Puerto Princesa most travellers rush to get to the far north, to the tourist town of El Nido and bypass Port Barton.

We were attracted to Port Barton once we heard of its local, undeveloped and laid-back beach vibes. We hope it stays this way as it was an excellent way to get started in the Philippines. Its beautiful, quiet, palm-lined beach awaited us and we were not disappointed.

Popular Activities in Port Barton

What to Do in Port Barton

Coconutz Tours Island Hopping

The number one thing to do in Port Barton is an island-hopping boat trip, so we couldn’t leave it out of our guide to Port Barton. Through some research, we decided to contact Bianca of the highly-rated Coconutz Tours for our island hopping and snorkelling adventure. There are plenty of tour companies on the beach offering similar tours but we believe this company is an absolute must!

Coco and Bianca took us on a reverse tour of the islands and snorkelling spots (not following the main ‘clockwise’ route some other boats take). This meant we had most spots and beaches to ourselves the whole time, and a fantastic fresh seafood and chicken BBQ lunch was provided. Our highlight was snorkelling with Turtles away from the crowds. Coco and Bianca pride themselves on offering the best tour in Port Barton by offering something that is tailor-made. You travel wherever the other boats are not so you get a very special and unique experience. The tour costs 1500 pesos (plus a 200 pesos eco card fee).

Another Filipino favourite…Rum was provided which made you feel just like Jack Sparrow sailing the tropical seas. A nice touch which added to the great day out. FYI a bottle of rum in the Philippines is insanely cheap – think a couple of dollars for a litre!

Port Barton Beach

One of the reasons that we prefer Port Barton to El Nido is that the beach in the town is beautiful. There are chilled sandy lanes that all lead to the beach where you can relax next to beach puppies, grab a chilled beer from one of the beach shacks and shade yourself underneath the palm trees. It is pure paradise and a fantastic place to just unwind. What a welcome to the Philippines!

Want more general Philippines travel info – read our Ultimate Philippines Travel Guide here.

Where to Stay in Port Barton

Hashtag Tourist Inn

This small family-run guesthouse had clean private double rooms set up each with its own patio and garden view. It was just a short walk to the beach and this was a perfect stop for our visit. The friendly owners were more than happy to organise scooters or tours if needed.

We pre-booked our accommodation at Hashtag Tourist Inn to make it easier when we arrived. Port Barton is a small town so we would recommend this to avoid any disappointment when you arrive if it is busy. 

Other Port Barton Hotels:

• BING-VICE Tourist Inn – Air-conditioned rooms with private bathroom 200 meters from Port Barton beach. Rated 9.2/10
• Ausan Beach Front Cottage and Restaurant – Beachfront fan-cooled rooms. Rated 8/10

Hostels in Port Barton

If you want to stay in a hostel in Port Barton, there is a large selection to choose from, most of which have really fantastic reviews! We wanted to include them in this guide to Port Barton, so take a look below for options for your trip:

Where to Eat in Port Barton

I want to point out how important it is to do your research on where to eat in the Philippines as many people suffer from food poisoning. Check for good reviews before visiting places just in case. This is especially important when visiting El Nido as they have severe drinking water problems.

Barton Bistro – this beachfront bistro serves up Western food with a front-row seat for admiring the sunset. Come for the bean bag chairs, happy hour and reggae beats.

Tortuga Beach Bar – another beachfront bar and restaurant serving up local fare with live music and sunset views.

Star Apple Canteen – Come here for a wide selection of freshly grilled seafood and a relaxed dining experience for a great price.

Sicily – If you fancy some authentic Sicilian food, look no further than Sicily. It’s not as cheap as other offerings but you won’t be disappointed in the love-filled food.

How to Get to Port Barton

We travelled to Port Barton via SBE Minibus from Puerto Princesa Airport (2.5-3 hour journey) which drops you at the town’s main transport shack. This is also where the local Jeepneys leave from when you depart Port Barton.

Top Tip: At this transport shack, you can purchase an eco-pass from the small desk which allows you to partake in boat trips. You have to have one of these passes to go on the island hopping tours so make sure you stop to purchase one before rushing off to find your accommodation.

Our SBE experience – we pre-booked the SBE bus online for our arrival at Puerto Princesa Airport. To get picked up from the airport it costs a little extra and means that you don’t have to haggle for a tricycle ride to the Bus Depot when you land. All of the minibuses leave from the main Bus Depot so our pick up from the airport was in a car. We are not sure it was supposed to be as we had to email SBE (no one answered the phone) when we arrived as no one was there to collect us. At this point, every other company will try and persuade you to travel with them.

Our minibus from Puerto Princesa was not leaving for a couple of hours so SBE offered to drop us off at the local Mall to get some food and relax. After a couple of hours, they collected us from outside the mall (for no extra fee). The only downside to this is that you get the last seats on the bus which can be cramped. The main alternative minivan provider was Recaro- we simply did not travel with them based on their extremely poor reviews. But since then Jcalbert is another company offering transfers and they seem to get great reviews. You can book them below:

How Long to Spend in Port Barton

We stayed for 3 nights in Port Barton but we easily could have stayed longer to unwind in this beautiful place. It was an absolute highlight of our trip to the whole of the Philippines.

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

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