The Puerto Princesa Underground River

Glide by paddle boat into the darkness of one of the world’s longest navigable underground rivers, beneath a mountain of limestone and rainforest.

Area

Puerto Princesa

Start from

Puerto Princesa city

Distance

about 80 km to Sabang, plus a short boat ride

Time needed

1 day

Best season

November – May; may close in heavy rain

Difficulty

Easy

Transport

Van or bus to Sabang, then a bangka to the cave entrance and a paddle boat inside

Tickets & rules

Advance booking and permit required from the city; environmental and entrance fees

Why go

The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River is the reason many people come to Palawan at all. A river flows out of the mountain and meets the sea directly at the cave mouth, so that the beach, the lagoon and the forest all meet in one place. From Sabang village a bangka carries you along the coast, and you walk a short boardwalk through jungle to the green, still pool at the entrance.

There you climb into a small paddle boat with a helmet and life vest, and a guide steers you into the dark. The only light is a lamp held by the passenger at the front. It sweeps across stalactites, columns, and walls that glitter with calcite, while bats wheel overhead and swiftlets click in the dark.

The tour inside covers about 1.5 km of the river and lasts roughly 45 minutes. The guide points out formations named after vegetables, saints and animals, often with jokes. You are asked to stay quiet and not look up with an open mouth, which turns out to be very good advice in a cave full of bats.

The story

The river runs for around 8 kilometres underground through the karst beneath Mount Saint Paul before emerging into the sea. Explorers have found chambers of enormous size inside, and the cave system is thought to have formed over millions of years. Fossils, including those of sea cows, have been found embedded in the cave walls.

The surrounding national park protects a full range of ecosystems, from mountain forest to mangrove to the coast. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999 and named one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature in 2012, which brought a surge of visitors. Since then the city has managed numbers through permits and daily quotas.

For the local communities of Sabang and Cabayugan, the park has meant both work and change. Many residents, including members of the indigenous Batak and Tagbanua communities, work as guides, boatmen and park staff. Some have stories about the river and the mountain spirits that go back long before any tourists arrived.

Getting there

You need a permit, which is usually arranged by a tour operator or through the city office in Puerto Princesa. Tours include transport to Sabang, a roughly two-hour drive, the boat transfer and lunch. Independent travellers can take a bus or van to Sabang and arrange permits in advance.

A suggested plan

1. 7:00Pick-up in Puerto Princesa and the drive north to Sabang.
2. 9:30Register at the Sabang wharf and take the bangka to the river.
3. 10:00Walk through the forest to the cave entrance and wait for your boat.
4. 10:30Paddle into the underground river.
5. 12:30Lunch in Sabang, perhaps a stroll on the beach or a mangrove paddle.

Where to stay

Most visitors make this a day trip from Puerto Princesa, but staying in Sabang lets you visit early and enjoy the quiet beach.

Good to know

• Book permits early, especially in high season.
• Bring a light rain jacket and something to protect your camera from drips.
• Don’t miss the mangrove paddle tour nearby.