CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO, Ron Van Oers, Wikimedia CommonsLandmark· Palawan (Sabang / St Paul's Bay)· Philippines
Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park
10° 11.9′ N · 118° 55.5′ E
A UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New7Wonders of Nature: the Cabayugan River runs 8.2 km underground through a limestone cave system before spilling into St Paul's Bay, and park paddle boats take you about an hour into its cathedral-like chambers of stalactites, bats and swiftlets.
Practical
Coordinates mark the cave mouth (OpenStreetMap); the park itself covers 22,202 ha. Tours run 8:30 am-3:30 pm daily, about 1 hour by park paddle boat, with 4.3 km of the river navigable, and are cancelled in extreme weather (official park site). A permit is required and daily visitor numbers are capped: arrange it in Puerto Princesa (city park office or an agent) before sailing round, since sources disagree on whether tickets can still be bought at Sabang. Reached from Sabang by park banca (20 minutes) or the 5.3 km jungle trail (temporarily closed for renovation at last check). Long-tailed macaques and monitor lizards hang around the cave mouth: secure food and bags. The lower half of the river is brackish and tidal. Hawksbill and green turtles nest on the St Paul Bay beaches; dugongs occur offshore.
Best for
The headline natural wonder of the Palawan west coast
Season
All year; boat access cancelled in heavy swell
Nearby
- Sabang Jungle Trail (Monkey Trail)1.2 NM away
- Sabang Mangrove River Paddle Boat Tour1.3 NM away
- Daluyon Beach and Mountain Resort Restaurant (Sabang)1.6 NM away
- Tangay Tarabidan (Sabang)1.7 NM away
- EcoOil Fuel Station (Sabang)1.8 NM away
- Sabang Anchorage (St Paul's Bay)1.8 NM away
- Sabang Coast Guard Post1.9 NM away
- Sabang Pier (Underground River Boat Terminal)1.9 NM away