North to south
8 areas
This guide groups the 24 local governments of Palawan into 8 areas. Choose one to fly the map to it.
- Busuanga
- Coron
- Culion
- Linapacan
The Calamian Islands sit at the northern end of Palawan, between Mindoro and the mainland, where the South China Sea meets the Sulu Sea. Four municipalities share them: Busuanga and Coron on Busuanga Island, Culion on its own island to the south, and Linapacan, a town made entirely of islands.
Open Calamianes- El Nido
- Taytay
El Nido and Taytay share the northern mainland and the El Nido-Taytay Managed Resource Protected Area, about 903 km² of land and sea declared in 1998. El Nido looks over Bacuit Bay and its limestone islands; Taytay holds Malampaya Sound, home to the Irrawaddy dolphin.
Open El Nido and Taytay- Agutaya
- Magsaysay
- Cuyo
- Cagayancillo
Out in the Sulu Sea, east of the mainland, lie the Cuyo Archipelago and the reef islands of Cagayancillo. Cuyo and Magsaysay share Cuyo Island, Agutaya holds the eastern islands of the group, and Cagayancillo is the closest settlement to Tubbataha Reefs.
Open Sulu Sea Islands- Araceli
- Dumaran
- San Vicente
- Roxas
North of Puerto Princesa the mainland narrows. San Vicente faces the open sea on the west coast with the 14.7 km of Long Beach and the harbour village of Port Barton, while Roxas, Dumaran and Araceli face the Sulu Sea on the east.
Open North Central- Puerto Princesa
Puerto Princesa is the province's highly urbanized city and its main gateway, set on Puerto Princesa Bay in the middle of the mainland. It reaches across the island to the west coast, where the Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, protects an underground river that runs straight into the sea.
Open Puerto Princesa- Aborlan
- Narra
- Quezon
- Sofronio Española
South of the city the national highway runs down the east coast through Aborlan, Narra and Sofronio Española, past rice fields and resettlement towns, while Quezon lies across the mountains on the west coast.
Open South Central- Brooke's Point
- Rizal
- Bataraza
- Balabac
The far south is the land of Mt. Mantalingahan, at 2,085 m the province's highest peak, whose protected landscape spans Brooke's Point, Rizal and Bataraza along with Quezon and Sofronio Española. Bataraza takes the southern tip of the mainland, and beyond it the Balabac islands reach toward Sabah.
Open The Far South- Kalayaan
Kalayaan is the Philippine municipality in the Spratly Islands, far out in the West Philippine Sea. Its single barangay, Pag-asa, is on Thitu Island, about 520 km northwest of Puerto Princesa, and all its islands and shoals are disputed.
Open Kalayaan