Anchorage· Honda Bay (Palawan east coast)· Philippines
Honda Bay Anchorage
9° 51.3′ N · 118° 46.2′ E · approximate
A broad, island-studded bay just north of Puerto Princesa, with a dozen low sandy islets, reefs and sandbars inside it. 'Bahia Honda' means deep bay, and it makes a pleasant day or settled-weather overnight stop between Cowrie, Luli and the Pambato reef.
Practical
No cruising guide opened for this entry publishes a yacht anchorage in Honda Bay. Position is approximate: plotted in open water midway between Cowrie and Luli islands from their OpenStreetMap positions, as a reference for the island-hopping area, not a sounded spot. Pick a sand patch by eye in good overhead light, keep well off the coral around each islet, and do not anchor on the Pambato reef sanctuary. Hundreds of day-tour bancas run between Santa Lourdes wharf and the islands from morning to mid-afternoon. Island entrance fees are paid ashore (see each island). The bay opens east to the Sulu Sea: exposed to easterlies and the northeast monsoon fetch; better in the southwest season and in calm transition months. The old Santa Lourdes jetty was built from mercury-mine tailings, and studies found elevated mercury in some residents, so think twice before eating shellfish gathered near the wharf.
Best for
A day stop among the Honda Bay islets 25 minutes from Puerto Princesa by road
Season
Best Mar-May and in settled southwest-monsoon weather; open to the east
Nearby
- Luli Island Anchorage (Honda Bay)0.7 NM away
- Cowrie Island1 NM away
- Luli Island1 NM away
- Pambato Reef (Turtle Island) Snorkel Sanctuary1.5 NM away
- Puerto Princesa Coast Guard (Honda Bay Sub-Station)1.6 NM away
- Santa Lourdes Wharf (Honda Bay Jump-off)1.6 NM away
- Pandan Island Anchorage (Makesi Island, Honda Bay)2.7 NM away
- Isla Pandan Reef Dive (Honda Bay)2.9 NM away