Palawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region. Its capital is Puerto Princesa City, and it is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction. The islands of Palawan stretch from Mindoro in the northeast to Borneo in the southwest. It lies between the South China Sea and the Sulu Sea. The province is named after its largest island, Palawan Island, measuring 450 kilometers (280 mi) long, and 50 kilometers (31 mi) wide.

Palawan is composed of the long and narrow Palawan Island, plus a number of other smaller islands surrounding the main island. TheCalamianes Group of Islands, to the northwest consists of Busuanga Island, Culion Island, and Coron Island. Durangan Island almost touches the westernmost part of Palawan Island, while Balabac Island is located off the southern tip, separated from Borneo by the Balabac Strait.

In addition, Palawan covers the Cuyo Islands in the Sulu Sea. The disputed Spratly Islands, located a few hundred kilometers to the west is considered part of Palawan by the Philippines, and is locally called the Kalayaan Group of Islands.Palawan's almost 2,000 kilometers (1,200 mi)of irregular coastline are dotted with roughly 1,780 islands and islets, rocky coves, and sugar-white sandy beaches. It also harbors a vast stretch of virgin forests that carpet its chain of mountain ranges. The mountain heights average 3,500 feet (1,100 m) in altitude, with the highest peak rising to 6,843 feet (2,086 m) at Mount Mantalingahan. The vast mountain areas are the source of valuable timber. The terrain is a mix of coastal plain, craggy foothills, valley deltas, and heavy forest interspersed with riverine arteries that serve as irrigation.The island of Palawan stretches from Mindoro to Borneo in the southwest. It lies between the South China Sea in the northwest and Sulu Sea in the southeast. Palawan is considered to be the Philippines' last ecological frontier. The province boasts of many splendid beaches and resorts and it is where the Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park, one of the UNESCO.WorldHeritage Sites, is located.

How To Get in

Puerto Princesa International Airport(IATA: PPS) is the main gateway to Palawan, major airlines serve international and domestic flights; Philippine Airlines, Air Philippines, Cebu Pacific and Zest Airways have flights to and from Manila and Cebu, PAL Express (Air Philippines) have flights to and from Busuanga, while SEAIR connects the whole of Palawan internationally with Kota Kinabalu.

El Nido Airport(IATA: ENI), charter flights are provided Island Transvoyager Inc. (ITI) while Seasonal flights are offered by SEAIR.

What to see

Coron Palawan

The Coron Reef is another tourist spot in Palawan that should be considered visiting. It has seven captivating lakes engulfed by limestone cliffs. The venue is a popular destination of nature lovers staying in Palawan.

One of the top destinations in Palawan, the El Nido Marine Reserve is home to different species of wildlife. With an area of 96,000 hectares, this tourist spot in Palawan is home to a wide range of rainforests, coral reefs, limestone cliffs, mangroves, and white sand beaches. Likewise, guests can look forward to seeing numerous species of fishes like the manta ray. Divers may experience swimming side by side with the sea cow, known by its local name of “dugong,” which is one of the most endangered marine mammal in the world.

Tubbataha Reef

Recognized as the top diving site in the Philippines is another tourist spot in Palawan, the Tubbataha Reefs National Marine Park. Due to its rich marine life, Tubbataha Reefs National Marine Park has been listed as a World Heritage Site by the WorldTourism Association. This body of water is famous for the Tubbataha shark. Not to mention, it likewise boasts of being the home of a good variety of invertebrates and reef fishes.

Dubbedas the "Cradle of Philippine Civilization," the Tabon Cave is another tourist spot in Palawan. Here anthropologists found the remains of early man and his tools. In one of its intricate chambers, evidence of early life was dug up resulting to the discovery of the Tabon Man, believed to be 22,000 years old.

These are just some of the many tourist spots in Palawan. There are other attractions that are worth seeing in Palawan.