El Nido was declared the Best Beach and Island destination in the Philippines by CNN for its incredible natural beauty and ecosystems. A total of 45 picturesque islands and islets make up El Nido and it is located over 400 kilometres south west of the...more
El Nido was declared the Best Beach and Island destination in the Philippines by CNN for its incredible natural beauty and ecosystems. A total of 45 picturesque islands and islets make up El Nido and it is located over 400 kilometres south west of the country's capital city - Manila. It covers an area of over 450 square kilometres and is subdivided into 18 separate administrative divisions.
The history of El Nido dates back to over 22,000 years ago, when the first signs of humans are believed to have been traced. Like the rest of the country the majority of the population is Roman Catholic, but it sees a growing number of Muslim migrants from Palawan and Mindanao.
El Nido also offers a number of picturesque beaches, lagoons and islands which are also popular tourist spots, such as Bacuit Bay, Cadlao Island, Dilumacad Island and the Big Lagoon.
The El Nido Airport is the main airport serving El Nido and is located about 4 kilometres away from the city centre. Visitors should note that the airport mostly deals with smaller aircrafts and therefore the fare tends to be relatively higher in comparison with other airports in the country.
Due to the increasing Muslim population in El Nido, availability of Halal food is on the rise. Though no only-Halal restaurants are available at present, locals could point out a few outlets serving Halal food, which will prove to be useful. In the case of unavailability of Halal food, visitors could always opt for seafood, which is available in abundance.
There are no known mosques in El Nido, but it is possible for visitors to go to a few of the mosques located in the vicinity of the city of Puerto Pincesa including the Islam Mosque and the Grand Mosque Abad Santos in Palawan.