White Beach & Coconut Beach Port Barton: A Guide To Paradise
Situated on the paradise island of Palawan in The Philippines lies Port Barton’s picturesque White Beach & Coconut Beach, one of the most beautiful places we have ever visited.
White Beach offers one of the most tranquil experiences in all of Palawan, it’s rare to find such a perfect beach so clean with glassy water. Lined with coconut trees and swings, this is one of the best things to see in the up and coming town of Port Barton.
Make sure you don’t miss these prestigious beaches on your visit, here’s everything you need to know for White Beach & Coconut Beach.
Port Barton is surrounded by some of the richest marine life we saw in all of The Philippines. Book Your Port Barton Boat Trip Here!
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The Port Barton Island Hopping Tour was our favourite in all of The Philippines!
Where Are White Beach & Coconut Beach In Port Barton?
Port Barton is located on the Philippine island of Palawan, 3 hours north of Puerto Princesa and 3 hours south from El Nido. Both White Beach & Coconut Beach are reached by a small local boat which can be found at Itaytay Beach by walking down any of the small alleys towards the sea.
How To Get To White Beach & Coconut Beach?
There are a few options to reach these beaches, White Beach is slightly further along the coast and is reached via walking down to the end of Coconut Beach, so let’s discuss how to get there:
By Local Boat
As soon as you approach Itaytay Beach you will most likely be approached by multiple locals asking you if you would like to visit White Beach, the locals operate small boats which ferry people to and from the beaches daily. Make sure to agree on a price before getting in and also barter as its part of their culture, while walking down Port Barton Beach we heard multiple completely different prices for the same journey.
It should cost you no more than ₽200-300 each for a return journey and will be less cost effective if you’re a solo traveller or a couple so try to group with others.
Expect the boat ride to take around 15 to 20 minutes, gliding through one of the most beautiful sceneries the Philippines has to offer. You may spot turtles, jellyfish and starfish, Port Barton’s famous Starfish Island is also a short boat ride away from the main beach.
By Scooter Rental
We recommend taking the local boat as it adds to the experience however if you’ve rented a scooter for the day, you can also reach White Beach via the dodgy access road.
A 10 to 20 minute ride from the town centre will bring you out to the beach however make sure you’re comfortable with driving scooters off road before attempting it. Follow Bonifacio Road all the way out of the town where it turns from concrete to rubble and brings you to the coast.
By Tricycle
If you don’t fancy renting a scooter and driving the crazy roads of Asia we don’t blame you! Trikes are also available for rent in the main town of Port Barton but cost roughly the same as the local boat ferries which are way more uncomfortable.
By Walking
Finally, if you’re on a budget you can also choose to walk an hour from Itaytay Beach through the forest around to White Beach however bear in mind it gets extremely hot in the midday sun so be careful.
How To Get To Port Barton?
To travel to Port Barton you can either fly into Puerto Princesa or El Nido Airport. From here you need to hire a shard van or private car to drive you to the local fishing village. The drive takes around 3 hours from either airport.
As you leave the Puerto Princesa airport there will usually be a queue of locals helping you on where to go, we recommend taking the shared shuttle to Port Barton town which should cost ₽400 per person. Multiple flights tend to land at the same time, so make sure to pre-book a shuttle to not miss out, we learned this the hard way and didn’t arrive until after midnight.
If you’re starting your journey from El Nido town your shared van will pick you up from El Nido TownSquare. The vans often make a toilet break on route and this is also a chance for you to grab some snacks. The roads can be quite windy at times with the journey costing roughly ₽600 per person.
To get to Port Barton, we recommend booking a shared van. Or if you're already a large group or family, a private shuttle.
As you reach the bus terminal in Port Barton you will also usually be asked to pay a ₽50 environmental fee.
White Beach & Coconut Beach Description
As you arrive to White Beach via boat you truly get the feeling you’ve arrived in paradise, a long spit of white sand backs onto a row of coconut trees with hammocks strung between them, free of charge to use.
Ausan Beach Cottages are currently the only resort on White Beach and don’t ruin the atmosphere at all, grab a drink, sit back and relax for the day.
A short walk all the way to the end of White Beach will bring you out to Coconut Beach, an even more less developed and remote beach with no resorts or wooden shacks on it. Although White Beach is usually empty, if there is a crowd you can always walk a bit further down and find a quiet spot in paradise.
White Beach & Coconut Beach Jellyfish
You can find Box Jellyfish in Port Barton’s Bay, meaning they are also present along Itaytay Beach so you need to be cautious while swimming as they can be lethal. They tend to appear just before the rainy season in April/May and are more prevalent during the morning. Make sure to ask a local before going swimming.
Port Barton's Famous Island Hopping Tour
Head out on a magical boat tour around some of the best islands the Philippines has to offer. Spend your day visiting, twin reef, starfish island, paradise island and enjoying a local Philippine spread for lunch with an epic fruit platter, we recommend booking with a reliable company such as GetYourGuide.
Best Places To Stay In Port Barton
Port Barton is a small, local fishing village with most of the accommodation concentrated in the centre of town. Wherever you stay bars, restaurants and the beach will be within walking distance, so you need to decide if you want to pay more for a beach side property or something more budget set further back.
We use Booking.com and HostelWorld for all of our stays around the world!
Below is a list of top accommodations we recommend for Port Barton, Palawan:
Top Things To Do In Port Barton
Perhaps less known than El Nido, Port Barton was one of our favourite towns in the whole of the Philippines. You get a local feel but the area is still set up for tourism, with bars, western and local restaurants and an amazing boat trip. Here we share our top things to do in Port Barton.
Top Pick: Port Barton Boat Tour
This is a must in Port Barton! You get to visit two snorkelling spots including Twin Reef which has some of the best coral we’ve seen, Paradise Island where you get a local feast for lunch, snorkel with turtles and look for Chocolate Chip Starfish on a tiny sand bar.
If you’re looking for a large strip of powdery sand, coconut trees and a refreshing place to swim you can get a boat taxi from Port Barton Bay (Itaytay Beach) to White Beach.
Off The Beaten Track: Pamuayan Falls
Jump on a scooter or hire a taxi and head to Pamuayan Falls where you can get back to nature and enjoy a swim in the falls natural pool.
Best Place To Eat: Joan’s Cuisine & Fat Cat
Joan’s Cuisine serves a mixture of budget friendly local dishes as well as a mouth-watering paella which is a must try. If you’re looking for western food head to Fat Cat for amazing pizza!
Essential Travel Items You Need
 | Lifestraw - Filtered Water Bottle Allowing you to fill up water whenever and wherever with peace of mind plus you’re helping the environment! |
 | Jungle Formula - High Deet Mosquito Spray The weak sprays will not work! Make sure to bring a high deet percentage spray made for the tropics. We also use Mosquito Wipes. |
 | Water Shoes - Lightweight with Protection Stay protected from Sea Urchins with these, also useful for snorkelling, waterfall hikes and more. We also love our Microfibre Towels and Dry Bag. |
 | Universal Travel Adaptor With Multiple USBs Life while travelling will never be the same again! Charge multiple devices all at once in any country... game changer. |
Top Tips For Travelling The Philippines
If you’re visiting the Philippines here are our top travel tips:
Book flights in advance - they can become expensive if you leave it last minute… oh and check your luggage allowance to skip expensive check in fees at the airport. Don't forget your Apple Airtags to track your bags
Agree on taxi prices upfront - when getting into a tuk-tuk, tricycle or taxi, make sure you agree on a price or they have a meter, so many tourists get ripped off with a huge price tag at the end of the ride.
Take it slow - don't feel the need to see all the islands, we recommend picking a few and doing them properly. See the island in full, find some locals and sing Karaoke..
Embrace the chaos and get stuck in, the locals are friendly and love to help and share information about their home!
For a checklist of what's needed to pack for your trip, read: How to Pack for Backpacking to South East Asia: Backpacking Essentials and Accessories
We love our DJI Mini for all of our drone shots!
Final Thoughts on White Beach & Coconut Beach
A trip to White and Coconut Beaches are a must in your visit to Port Barton, the local ferry will bring you through some of the clearest water we’ve ever seen to a paradise nestled in the heart of Palawan, one of the most picturesque islands in all of the Philippines. Keep your eye peeled for turtles on your journey over and watch out for jellyfish before going for a swim. Spend the day relaxing on the perfect silky smooth sand, cooling off in the turquoise water and going for a stroll to Coconut Beach, an even more remote corner of paradise.
Travel Tools To Help You Plan
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Thank you for reading and enjoy your Philippine adventure. Reach out to us over on Instagram @KateandMikesTravels. We always love to hear from people who read our blogs!
For our Filipino friends: Maraming salamat sa pag babasa, hangang sa susunod nating pag kikita, mamimiss namin kayo, mabuhay ang pilipinas! Salamat
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