Mimaropa · Philippines
Puerto Princesa travel guide
Puerto Princesa is a city in Mimaropa, Philippines, home to about 316,000 people.
- Nearest airport
- PPS2 km · Puerto Princesa International Airport / PAF Antonio Bautista Air Base
- Currency
- PHPPhilippine peso
- Time zone
- Asia/Manila
- Language
- English, Filipino, Taglish
About
About Puerto Princesa
Puerto Princesa, officially the City of Puerto Princesa (Cuyonon: Siyudad i'ang Puerto Princesa; Filipino: Lungsod ng Puerto Princesa), is a highly urbanized city in the Mimaropa region of the Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 316,384 people.
There is a tourist information office at the airport next to the arrival hall, but it's not that useful. They will try to sell you tours, but they do not have any maps (Feb 2018, Mar 2025) and they do not give any information about current events in the city. They do not book accommodation, either.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Puerto Princesa
See
- Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park
- Honda Bay
- Iwahig Penal Colony
- Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center
- Butterfly Garden
- Our Lady of Immaculate Conception
- White Beach
- Ugong Rock
- Rizal Avenue
- Langogan Reef
- Palawan Heritage Center
- Palawan Museum
Do
Buy native products at the Tourism Association of Souvenir Shops, they offer handicrafts made by the native tribes like manunggul or wooden jar, bulol or tisot, good harvest and carved animals. Others are tingkop (rice baskets), fish baskets, bags made from bark of a tree, native accessories, weave curtains and table mat, rattan floor mat and other assorted cashew nut delicacies. Puerto Princesa offers good diving and is a fairly good place to take a PADI course if you plan to dive at some of the larger sites in El Nido or Coron.
- Plaza Cuartel
- Baker Hill
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Which part of Puerto Princesa to stay in
Puerto Princesa has a wide range of accommodations that suit most budgets - from quaint lodges to high-end hotels and resorts.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Puerto Princesa
Puerto Princesa has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. April is the warmest month, with average highs of 33 °C; October is the wettest, with about 205 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Puerto Princesa: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Puerto Princesa International Airport / PAF Antonio Bautista Air Base (PPS), about 1.7 km from the city centre in a straight line.
Getting in
2GO Travel has two weekly ferries to Puerto Princesa from Manila. The ferry trip is about 22 hours long. Additionally, Milagrosa Shipping has a weekly ferry that sails between Puerto Princesa - Cuyo Islands - Iloilo City. It departs Iloilo at 7PM on Thursday, arrives at the Cuyo Islands at 8AM Friday, departs Cuyo Islands 3PM Friday and arrives in Puerto Princesa at 8AM on Saturday.
Getting around
Jeepneys, multicabs and tricycles are the most common means to get around Puerto Princesa. As in Manila, jeepneys usually have standard routes which they ply. Tricycles on the other hand are fairly limited to certain areas and would not be able to go very long distances.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
PPS · Puerto Princesa International Airport / PAF Antonio Bautista Air Base
Questions
Puerto Princesa: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Puerto Princesa?
Puerto Princesa has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. April is the warmest month, with average highs of 33 °C; October is the wettest, with about 205 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Puerto Princesa?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Puerto Princesa International Airport / PAF Antonio Bautista Air Base (PPS), about 1.7 km from the city centre in a straight line.
What currency is used in Puerto Princesa?
Philippine peso (PHP).
Nearby
Destinations near Puerto Princesa
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.