Port Barton Travel Guide on a Budget – 5 Day Itinerary
The Island of Palawan is one of the most touristed places in all of the Philippines. Places like Coron and El Nido are the most touristed places of them all which leaves places such as Port Barton forgotten by many. This Port Barton travel guide will highlight the reasons why you need to go here, and all that this quiet little town has to offer. Port Barton is great for couples who want to relax, go snorkeling, swim with turtles, go island hoping and so much more. If you are looking to relax, put your feet up and just enjoy your time Port Barton is the place to be, and its budget friendly.
What to do in Port Barton? Ultimate Port Barton Itinerary
Port Barton is where couples go to get away and relax from the crowded towns of El Nido, Coron and others. It offers similar tours for a much cheaper price and are often a-lot less crowded.
- Snorkling
- Island Hoping Tours
- Hiking
- Waterfalls
- Beautiful Roads
- Turtles
- Amazing food
- Kayaking
- Relax on the beach
Port Barton Travel Guide – 5 Day Itinerary
Day 1: Check out the Town / Relax on Beach / Dinner
Day 2: Island Hoping Tour C
Day 3: Road Trip / Hike
Day 4: Island Hoping Tour A
Day 5: Kayak / Snorkel
Day 1 – Cheap Hotel in Port Barton / Relaxing
How to get to Port Barton – 99% of travelers will be coming from either El Nido or Puerto Princessa which means a bus or van is the best way to get to Port Barton. You can book your tickets a head of time online but I recommend just booking them the day before at your hotel (always compare prices). The cost to Port Barton from either location should be around 500 peso or $10. Do not trust google maps time in the Philippines or Southeast Asia in general as it is never right. The bus or van ride will take around 3-5 hours depending on which location you are traveling from.
Port Barton is very cheap compare to the other popular destinations in Palawan such as El Nido and Coron. There are beachfront rooms available for under $20 per night that are there own private house. We stayed at BeachCottages Hummingbird which is at the far end of town, and has the feel of a private beachfront property. There are 3 different cottages on the property which a local family owns and operates. BOOK MONTHS AHEAD because this property fills up quickly! The host told us how Australians and Europeans often stay for months at a time and even longer. We loved this property as you are not even 20 feet from the water. The (picture above) is about 5 feet in-front of the cottage.
There are so many ways to travel on a low budget, you just have to prioritize what is most important to you to save money.
After you arrive walk around the town of Port Barton and take a stroll on the beach. Relax for the rest of the day because tomorrow will include a long day island hoping and snorkeling.
Day 2 – Port Barton Island Hoping Tour C
Adventure awaits as you get to dive with sea turtles, fish, massive corals and enjoy a beautiful day on the water. The cost of tour C is around 1200 peso per person or $25 which is the same for all tour companies. The great thing about Port Barton is tour companies all have the same prices and are not allowed to differ on prices, which makes selecting tours and companies a-lot more pleasant. You will starting the tour around 9am from Port Barton beach and head out.
We almost always recommend going with a private tour if you can afford it and have a bigger group, because you can choose how long you want to stay at certain areas.
This Port Barton Travel Guide is all about budget travel while enjoying yourself to the fullest. Tour C includes a wonderful lunch on Maxima island that includes fish, rice, chicken fresh fruits and more. The (picture above) is of James on the Island that lunch was served.
Tour A is the most popular tour which is why we recommend doing C first, that way you are able to experience the best tour last.
Day 3 – Road Trip / Hike
The best restaurant in town is Gacayan, and all the locals will agree with you. During our 5 day trip to Port Barton we went to Gacayan for breakfast and sometimes dinner. The food is amazing and a huge breakfast is under $2 which includes coffee, bread and eggs. There are very few roads in and around Port Barton, but there is still plenty to explore. We highly recommend heading over to Pamuayan Falls which is only about 25 minutes from Port Barton town. You can technically walk from Port Barton but its quicker to take a taxi or ride to the waterfalls yourself.
Once you are done enjoying the waterfalls come back to Port Barton to relax on the beach and talk to the locals. Port Barton has a huge beach and forest that you can explore in your free time. Compare to El Nido, Port Barton is essentially untouched outside of the town center.
Day 4 – Island Hoping Port Barton – Tour A
The most famous and crowded tour of them all in Port Barton is tour A. We never got the opportunity to do tour A because of the weather we ended getting, but we had multiple people in our tour C boat talk about how tour A was better. Tour A takes you to some of the most beautiful snorkeling destinations in Port Barton. You will get to see sea turtles, starfish, coral reefs and so many different types of fish along your tour.
Lunch is included in all full day Port Barton tours, so all you will need to pack is a couple of snacks and a water bottle.
Another place that has amazing snorkeling and diving is Nusa Penida in Indonesia~
Day 5 – Kayak and Relax in Port Barton
Rent a Kayak for around $10 for an entire day from a local salesman on the beach. It won’t be hard to find one, so don’t worry about doing any research. We do recommend booking it the night before just incase you go during high season and they are sold out in the morning. There are so many little islands and coves that you can explore while kayaking around the calm waters of Port Barton. Make sure you stop at Gacayan before departing on your adventure for the best breakfast in town. To get even more out of the day, ask the kayak place to include a set of snorkels so you can adventure on your own.
Renting Kayaks was one of our favorite things to do, because it allowed us to create our own timeline and itinerary during those days.
What to do in Port Barton?
During your stay in Port Barton, there are so many beautiful neighboring towns that you can split your time with. San Vicente is another beautiful destination only about 45 minute boat ride or 2 hour car ride away.
Possible Destinations after Port Barton –
Coron
San Vicente
Puerto Princessa
Sibaltan