Big in size and impact, this cerulean ‘marine lake’ surrounded by
towering limestone cli s is one of the most definitive aerial images
of Palawan Province. It’s most commonly visited on the Tour A
island-hopping day trip run by various operators in El Nido. The
lagoon rules dictate that tour boats moor in deeper waters outside
the long, shallow channel that connects the lagoon to the ocean.
From here, visitors have the option of kayaking or swimming into
the lagoon. While you can stand up when you move further into
the channel, opting for a kayak makes it much easier to explore
and admire the interior lake. You can also pull your kayak onto
a handful of tiny beaches in the channel if you fancy taking a dip.
With visitor numbers now restricted by the number of kayaks
available (there are 50), you may have to queue, but it’s
absolutelyworththewait.
BIG LAGOON
Kayak on the turquoise waters of the
Philippines’ most iconic natural lagoon
ShouldI bring
mysnorkel?
Thechannelis
sandyandthe
mainlagoonis
quitedeepin most
sections,so there’s
nota lotto see
underwater.
CanI usemy
dronehere?
Aslongas you’re
comfortable
launchingand
landingyourdrone
fromyourkayak,
or fromoneof the
tinybeachesin the
channel,goto
town.Beaware,
though,thatthe
highcli s caninterferewiththe
GPSsignal.
Isn’tthereanother
lagoonaround
here?
In thenextbay
aroundyou’llfind
SmallLagoon,
a smallerbut
alsospectacular
versionof its more
famoustwin.
DoI haveto wear
a lifejacket?
Yes,they’re
mandatory.
CanI stayhere?
Yes,theluxe
MinilocIsland
is theonlyresort
onthelagoon’s
island.Country P h i l i p p i n e s) Region Pa l a w a n ) Type Lagoon
) Cost Kayak rental £4 ) Activities Kayaking
) Family friendly? C h i l d r e n m u s t b e a b l e t o s i t i n a ka y a k