Cebu To Palawan: The Ultimate Guide Between Islands
The Philippines is one of the most beautiful places on earth, and Palawan is undoubtedly one of its biggest jewels. If you're looking to travel from Cebu to Palawan to experience the place that was voted the best island in the world in the 2020 Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards, just keep reading as we let you know the best options for transport.
The island of Palawan has scooped up many prizes for its unparalleled scenery, including being awarded best island in the world in 2013, 2016, and 2017 as well as 2020. It also ranked third in the Condé Nast Readers Choice Best Islands In Asia.
Needless to say, it's not a destination to leave off of your Philippines itinerary, and if you've got a bit of time to kill after visiting Cebu City, it's the perfect place to relax and explore.
Where Is Palawan?
Palawan is one of 7,640 islands in the Philippines. Of those, around 2000 are inhabited. With so many, the islands in the Philippines are split into island groups. Palawan is part of the Luzon island group and is situated in the MIMAROPA region. This region used to be known as the Southwestern Tagalog region and the name is an acronym for the provinces within it, which are Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan.
The island lies between Mindoro Island and Borneo, in between the South China Sea and the Sulu Sea.
The capital of Palawan is Puerto Princesa which sits in the middle of the island. It is a long, thin island, that measures 434 km/ 270 miles in length with a maximum width of just 39 km/ 24 miles.
Palawan is no secret, and it draws over 1 million tourists to the island every year.
How Far Is It From Cebu To Palawan?
Palawan and Cebu are both different islands in the Philippines. Considering how spread out the islands are, it makes visiting multiple destinations in the Philippines a little tricky, but doable if you know your options. The distance between the two destinations is 607km/ 328 miles, which can take as little as 1.5 hours to travel, or as long as 2 days, depending on which mode of transport you choose.
Why Is Palawan Famous?
Palawan’s fame comes from so many mentions in the media. After all, don’t you want to visit a place that has been voted the best island in the world MULTIPLE times?! If you read any blog post covering the best islands in the world, you can bet your bottom dollar that Palawan will feature very highly on the list, if not at the top spot.
What makes visitors love the island so much as it is known as the Philippines' “last ecological frontier” due to its biodiversity. On top of that, the Puerto Princesa Underground River was named as one of the World’s New Seven Wonder of Nature. The diving and snorkeling are legendary in the waters surrounding the island, and we haven’t even mentioned the beaches yet, one of the most famous of which is El Nido.
Cebu To Palawan By Flight
The easiest option for traveling from Cebu to Palawan is to take a direct flight from Mactan-Cebu International Airport. The airport is one of the largest transportation hubs in the Philippines and is located in Lapu-Lapu on Mactan Island, which is just a short journey from Cebu City. You can travel to the airport by bus, taxi, or ferry, among other options.
An average of 15 flights a week currently travel from Mactan-Cebu To Puerto Princesa, the international airport of Palawan. The flight is just 1 hour and 20 minutes, and you can expect to pay between $40 and $120 based on the time of year and time of day you travel.
Of all of the options for traveling between Cebu and Palawan, we would recommend flying as it connects you quickly and reliably while not eating into your budget too much, and gives you the most time to enjoy the island of Palawan.
Cebu To Palawan By Ferry
The second option for traveling between the two islands is to travel by ferry. Unlike the super speedy airplane option, the ferry is for slow travelers who enjoy the actual travel part of traveling.
While it is not a quick option (traveling by ferry will take you roughly 36-38 hours), you will certainly see more of the country, and meet more local people on the way, so if you have the time, taking the ferry between Cebu and Palawan might be for you.
There is no direct ferry between the two islands, and you must transfer in Iloilo. One of the best ferry services to travel with is Cokaliong Shipping Lines, and ferries leave from Cebu to Iloilo every Thursday at 7 pm. The journey takes 12 hours, and then you will need to board a Milagrosa Shipping Lines ferry for a further 23 hours from Iloilo to Palawan. The ferry between Iloilo and Palawan runs Monday to Thursday at 7 pm.
The fare for the ferry between Cebu and Iloilo ranges between $18 and $79 based on the level of comfort, and the ferry from Iloilo to Palawan costs approximately $28, making the total cost of the trip between $46 and $107.
You will likely need to stay in Iloilo for a few nights as you will arrive at the pier on Friday morning, and the next ferry leaves on Monday evening, so make sure you factor in that cost, too.
All in all, the ferry from Cebu to Palawan is a lot of effort considering the price difference between taking the ferry and flying. In some cases, taking a flight may even be cheaper, however, if you want to stop and check out Iloilo on the way, it's a great detour to make. Join our community and see if any like-minded females decided to take the detour too! Make lifelong friends, share travel experiences, and spark interesting conversations by signing up here.
Final Thoughts On Getting To Palawan From Cebu
We hope that this post has helped you to plan your perfect trip to the Philippines. These two islands in the Pacific Ocean are worth all of the time spent planning and more, and we know that disappointment won't be one of the emotions you experience when you finally reach the island of Palawan. Spectacular? Yes. Disappointing? Definitely not.
If you have a soft spot for Asia and are looking to find the most picture-perfect islands, check out these 5 amazing islands in Indonesia.