When dawn breaks over Palawan, the light spills gently across limestone cliffs and hidden lagoons. Fishermen steer their boats toward the horizon, while travelers wade into waters so clear they blur the line between reflection and sky. In a place where time moves with the tides, it feels only fitting that the world keeps finding its way back.
This year, global travel authority Frommer’s has named Palawan one of its “Best Places to Go” in 2026, recognizing destinations that embody authenticity, connection, and care for the planet. For Palawan, the honor reaffirms what travelers have long known: that paradise is not just a promise of beauty, but a responsibility kept.
Often described as the crown jewel of the Philippines, Palawan’s magic lies in its contrasts. Its jagged karst cliffs rise like fortresses from turquoise lagoons, as its forests echo with birdsong and laughter from seaside villages that have lived in rhythm with the sea for generations. Here, travelers find the balance between solitude and discovery.
Small Lagoon, El Nido, Palawan. Towering cliffs and still emerald waters capture the calm that earned Palawan a spot on Frommer’s Best Places to Go in 2026.
Hidden Beach, El Nido, Palawan. Concealed behind a ring of limestone cliffs, this secluded cove captures the mystery and beauty of the island’s natural wonders.
In El Nido, limestone giants cradle hidden coves where boats drift between emerald and indigo. Hidden Beach and Big Lagoon are names that have circled the world, yet those who linger find smaller sanctuaries, such as Cadlao Lagoon and Paradise Beach, where silence feels sacred. In Coron, history lies beneath the water’s surface, where coral now cloaks World War II shipwrecks and divers descend through windows to the past. And in the southern frontier of Balabac, the sea turns blush at dusk over pink-sand shores, where island life remains beautifully unhurried.
Yet Palawan’s greatest success may not be its postcard perfection, but the way locals have learned to protect it. Long before sustainability became a travel buzzword, communities here were finding ways to make tourism a shared blessing. Through the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines’ Community-Based Tourism (CBT) Marketing Enhancement Program, small coastal towns began receiving support to refine homestays, improve visitor experiences, and tell their own stories.
In San Vicente, where the country’s longest white beach stretches across a quiet coast, CBT efforts helped fisherfolk families transform their homes into eco-lodges while preserving mangrove forests that shield the shoreline. In Brooke’s Point and Taytay, local guides trained to lead responsible snorkeling and heritage walks, allowing travelers to see the island through those who call it home. Each program is a promise that Palawan’s beauty would never come at the expense of its people.
Culion Church, Coron. Built on the site of Fort Culion in the 1700s and later reconstructed by the Jesuits in 1933, this coral-stone church stands as a quiet witness to the island’s layered history.
Long Beach, San Vicente, Palawan. Stretching for nearly 14 kilometers (9 mi), this serene coastline reflects how Palawan continues to grow responsibly, guided by community-based tourism efforts that keep its beauty unspoiled.
For Maria Margarita Montemayor Nograles, Chief Operating Officer of TPB, recognitions like Frommer’s are reminders of the country’s deeper tourism story. “When destinations like Palawan are celebrated, what the world is really seeing are the communities behind them; the stewards who protect every reef, forest, and shoreline,” she shares. “That’s what makes the Philippines special. Every traveler contributes to something lasting.”
Palawan’s recent accolades, from Travel + Leisure’s “Asia’s Best Island” to TripAdvisor’s top beach rankings, echo a pattern of praise grounded in authenticity. But beyond awards, what endures are the quiet moments that connect traveler and place: a bowl of sinigang shared in communal tables, the laughter after tasting tamilok for the first time, the hush that falls when the sun dips behind the cliffs of Bacuit Bay.
Frommer’s inclusion of Palawan among its Best Places to Go in 2026 is an invitation to experience how tourism, when guided by respect, can help places thrive. As global travelers return to the Philippines’ most storied island, they find that its beauty is not something to consume but to care for.
Ready to experience Palawan for yourself? Plan your trip through the TravelPH app, your guide to authentic, sustainable journeys across the Philippines. Download from the App Store or Google Play.
