Things to Do in Palawan in March
March weather, activities, events & insider tips
High Season · Book Early
March Weather in Palawan
Temperature, rainfall and humidity at a glance
84°F (29°C)
High Temp
74°F (23°C)
Low Temp
0.1 inches (3 mm)
Rainfall
70%
Humidity
Is March Right for You?
Weigh the advantages and considerations before booking
Advantages
- + Late dry season. The Bacuit Archipelago water hits that impossible turquoise, glassy enough to look filtered. It isn't. Swim it. The 10 km (6.2 mile) crossing from El Nido to Small Lagoon stays mirror calm most mornings.
- + Las Cabanas Beach delivers. Every evening, magenta bleeds into tangerine. The air drops just enough. That San Miguel at a bamboo bar? Earned. Island hopping drains you properly.
- + Sabang's jungle trails run dry now. Good news. The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River becomes reachable without the mud slog. Damp soil and limestone give way to something colder. The cave breathes. You smell it before you see it.
- + Bangkas run thick this month. Those outriggers, painted loud. Rizal Avenue grills fire up by noon. Tuna jaw, squid, prawns. Caught that morning. Still tastes like the sea.
Considerations
- − Domestic tourists peak in March. The math is simple. Big Lagoon kayak queues. Nacpan Beach wooden platforms. Mid-morning turns into a polite scramble. Arrive early. Or accept the wait.
- − Seventy percent humidity has mass. You feel it. A 2 km (1.2 mile) Coron town walk by 10 AM soaks your shirt. Camera lenses fog instantly. Air conditioning to outside. Every time.
- − Rain stays low. But those 10 rainy days pack punch. Short, violent afternoons. Island hopping schedules crumble. Tin roof sound? Charming. Until your bangka captain shrugs and cancels.
Best Activities in March
Top things to do during your visit
Bacuit Archipelago Island-Hopping Tours
March delivers the archipelago's best sea conditions. Period. Visibility pushes past 30 meters (98 feet). Shimizu Island coral gardens explode with parrotfish, clownfish. The catch? Crowds. Book the 7:30 AM departure. Beat the flotilla to Secret Lagoon. Midday sun punishes. The jade water fixes everything.
Booking Tip: Book 3-4 days out. Licensed El Nido operator. Non-negotiable: life jackets, shaded seating. Tours A, B, C, D hit different clusters. Tour A covers Big and Small Lagoons. Check availability below.
Puerto Princesa Underground River Tours
Low rainfall keeps river levels tame. Paddle boats push deeper into the UNESCO cave. Inside: locked at 18°C (64°F). Outside heat disappears. Water drips from stalactites. Torchlight finds cathedral chambers. The Sabang Beach trail stays cleaner now. Macaque chatter overhead. Always.
Booking Tip: Permits are capped. Mandatory. Book one week minimum. Your hotel or a registered Puerto Princesa office can handle it. The van ride: 90 minutes, rough. Pack motion sickness pills if you sway. Current options are in the booking widget.
Coron Wreck Diving and Snorkeling Excursions
March calm suits Coron's WWII wreck graveyard. Sunlight cuts through the Irako hull, a Japanese refrigerator ship. Batfish schools glitter. Snorkelers get the Skeleton Reef, shallow enough to see coral swallowing gun turrets. Water holds at 28°C (82°F). Thin wetsuit. Post-dive, boats usually hit Kayangan Lake. Brackish. Cooler. Perfect rinse.
Booking Tip: PADI-certified shop: 7-10 days ahead for diving. Snorkeling tours need less. A day or two. Check for oxygen on board. Clear safety briefings. Crossings chop up. Pick a bigger boat if you sway. Browse current trips below.
El Nido to Nacpan Beach Motorbike Trips
Rent a scooter. Ride north from El Nido town. Forty-five minutes. Fresh pavement cuts through coconut groves, karst cliffs. Frangipani. Hot asphalt. Nacpan Beach unfurls 4 km (2.5 mile) of gold. North end crowds up. Walk south toward Calitang. Empty stretches wait. Beginner bodyboarding works here. Thatched huts crack fresh coconuts. Drink.
Booking Tip: Reputable El Nido shop. Helmet included. Bike check mandatory. The route is mostly smooth. Some steep unpaved sections. Confidence required. Late afternoon light flatters. Heat softens. No tour needed. DIY.
Puerto Princesa City Food and Market Tours
March harvest hits. Sweet lanzones. Mangosteens. Puerto Princesa Public Market floods with both. A guided food walk proves the gap between reading and tasting. Sour tamarind in sinigang. Fermented shrimp paste funk. Smoky inihaw na liempo glaze from grills older than you. Inside: cleavers, vendor calls, salt and ice from the morning catch.
Booking Tip: Early tours win. 7-8 AM. Market energy peaks. Heat hasn't. Good guides translate ingredients, navigate the chaos. Half-day tours. Afternoon stays yours. Check the widget.
Where to Stay in Palawan in March
Hand-picked hotels across price tiers for March travellers.
Packing Checklist
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Climate-specific gear, brand recommendations, and what to leave at home.
View Palawan Packing List →Essential Tips
Insider knowledge and common pitfalls to avoid
Insider Knowledge
The best 'hotel' in Palawan is often the front porch of your bangka captain. Tip well. Ask for a detour to a secluded sandbar he knows. Ask him to slow the engine so you can spot sea turtles feeding on seagrass.
Skip the packaged 'firefly tour' from El Nido. After dinner, ask a local boatman at the Corong-Corong beachfront for a short, informal paddle into the mangrove channels just south of town. The silence is broken only by the crackle of thousands of fireflies in the nipa palms.
In Coron, climb Mt. Tapyas in the late afternoon. It is a sweaty pilgrimage of 700+ steps. The reward is not just the view. The cold buko juice (young coconut) from the vendor at the base tastes like salvation.
For a meal that defines Puerto Princesa, find the unassuming grill joints along Rizal Avenue after 6 PM. Order the tuna panga (grilled jaw). The flesh is impossibly moist and fatty. Eat it with your hands. Let the smoky-sweet sauce drip down your wrists.
Avoid These Mistakes
Do not try to see both El Nido and Coron in a trip shorter than 7 days. The ferry between them takes 4-5 hours on a good day. You will lose a full day to transit. Pick one base and explore it.
Do not book the cheapest island-hopping tour. The difference between a crowded, rickety bangka with a disinterested guide and a well-maintained boat with a small group and a passionate captain is the difference between a chore and the highlight of your trip.
Do not underestimate transit times. That 'nearby' beach on the map might require a tricycle, a bumpy van ride, and a short boat trip. Everything in Palawan takes longer than it looks.
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Top-rated things to do in Palawan this March
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