A Rewarding Untrodden Path: Port Barton and San Vicente, Palawan

Palawan has always been first on my list of Philippine destinations. Although I have been there a number of times, coming back is always a good option. There is always something new to discover if one just chooses to take the road less traveled. 

In my case, I did not really know about Port Barton before my first trip there back in 2012. Checking in Google Earth and zooming in some parts that seemed to have white coasts, this part of Palawan looked interesting and worth doing a trip for. A quaint fishing village located in the northwest coast of Palawan, it is a less popular stop for tourists compared to Puerto Princesa, El Nido and Coron in Palawan, or to Boracay and Puerto Galera.

San Jose Bus Station

Getting there used to be a bit tricky and it remains quite isolated as there they are still working to pave the road that directly connects it to other towns and cities in the area. From Puerto Princesa, the only option to get there was to take a jeepney (PhP250/person) to Port Barton that leaves at 9AM with travel time of 4-5 hours. The jeepney is huge and takes locals from the city to the town daily, and is always full since trips are limited so you have to come early to the San Jose Bus Station to make sure there are still seats for you (note: some are able to reserve a seat by sending a text message to the owner of the jeepney).

It is not the most comfortable trip you will have in your life. There was a quick a stop in Roxas for those who wanted to eat or needed a toilet break, but beyond that, the jeepney literally traversed through a single-lane dirt road in the middle of a forest-jungle until Port Barton. A few travelers skilled in driving a motorbike rent one and drive all the way there, although it can be a challenge as the road is rough and becomes muddy slippery when it rains. But it is in fact doable: when I was there, I met two travelers who successfully did it with the big bikes they rented from Puerto Princesa.
However, it is now more well-connected with trips of air conditioned vans to and from Port Barton and Puerto Princesa or El Nido ran by the company Recaro (PhP300/head).

The garden in front of Summer Homes Inn facing Port Barton Beach

The town is strategically located for those who would like to explore Palawan from Puerto Princesa all the way to the north. Some travelers who do this in one trip take the route: Puerto Princesa - Port Barton - San Vicente - El Nido – Coron, or vice-versa. Those coming from El Nido can take a bus that stops by a junction along the main road to Port Barton and wait for a jeepney that goes there, or go farther until the Roxas Station where the jeepneys going to Port Barton wait for passengers.

If you want privacy and would like to see unspoiled beaches and even probably have it just for yourself, then Port Barton should be in your bucket list. Even, you will get to see that the village proper is barely untouched. So for an escape from the busyness of city life combined with some adventure along the journey, you can consider this destination.

Port Barton is smaller compared to El Nido, but it reminded me of how El Nido was the first time I was there in 2007. At that time there were only a few inns and lodges along the main bay where boats for fishing and island hopping were parked and there was only one bar-restaurant in El Nido. In Port Barton, there were only a few but enough places to sleep and eat, and there was just one small cafe-bar (Jambalaya Cafe) by the beach where you can have an ice-cold beer while watching the sunset.

They don’t have a commercial center, bank, ATM, hospital, five-star hotel, or a nightlife of partying, dancing and meeting people. As El Nido has become more crowded at least in the last five years as can be seen in the long list of bars and restaurants that have sprouted there (see: The ultimate guide for traveler foodies: El Nido Palawan restaurants), travelers and backpackers who want a feel of rural life choose to visit the remote town of Port Barton.

It was a laid back town and it just felt good to be in a place without air, noise and visual pollution – the chaos I escaped Manila from. Going around town by foot is the best and only option. 

Electricity in town is limited: it runs only from 5:30pm until midnight which is just right as that is the time people come from the islands back to the village. With that, internet connection is also limited, which is good in the sense that being disconnected from the virtual world encourages a traveler to connect more with nature and with oneself, and focus on the experience itself. So make sure you bring a good book with you, or maybe a deck of playing cards, your mini-chess board, or other games and buy some drinks if you are traveling in a group.

There are lodges to stay in along the main beach of Port Barton (like Summer Homes, fan room start at PhP750), or you can pick from one of the nearby islands which offer accommodations if you want total isolation. There are affordable ones like Coconut Garden (fan rooms start at PhP600 during the non-peak season) or for a high end option, try Secret Paradise Resort.

Island-hopping is the main activity in Port Barton: it is essential to do it to see beautiful beaches and snorkel at the same time. In Port Barton, you can find the Exotic Island, German Island, Paradise Island, among others. (As you can see, Filipinos have a very creative and complex formula in naming islands. With 7,107 islands, can you imagine how many Paradise Islands/Beaches we have?). The names speak for themselves (where can the owner of the German Island be from?): all have white sand and turquoise waters that are worth seeing. Since it is not yet very touristic, there is a high probability that you can have an island for yourself.

Make sure to have your snorkeling gear as the trip is not complete without that. Just from the boat you can already see some fish and corals. Diving is another activity you can do in the area – there are at least two diving centers that can assist you for that.

Another option to see the islands close to Port Barton is to go to San Vicente. You can also take a private boat from there to go island hopping, as these islands are more or less between Port Barton and San Vicente (although the former is closer). Travelers in Port Barton also make a stop in San Vicente to see its 14-kilometer beach which they say is the next Boracay (as they also said with the beach in Rombon), as well as a very beautiful sunset - See: the-most-breathtaking-sunsets-in-the-philippines). They started building an airport in San Vicente to make it more accessible to tourists, although construction is currently at a halt. There is a boat for locals that go every morning at around 8am from Port Barton beach to San Vicente Port (PhP120), although no one will tell you about it if you ask. Just go to the port early, observe the people, and look for this boat if you want to save money and not rent a private boat for yourself. 

Sitio Bigaho is a smaller fishing village in an island more or less between Port Barton and San Vicente. That can be included in an island hopping tour, and there you can have a walk and see their waterfalls.

What I especially liked about Port Barton were the people - it actually gave me the impression that it is perhaps one of the happiest communities in the Philippines. They are isolated due to the lack of a good highway that can connect them to the rest of Palawan and the Philippines. Despite that, the people seemed happy and contented with the life in this little village, even with the absence of things that most people consider as essential to day-to-day-living, e.g., paved roads, a mall, good Wifi connection, and the basics of modernity and urban living.

If this is what you are looking for, then I suggest you already plan a trip to this place. Knowing how Philippine tourist destinations evolve, it will not be a surprise if Port Barton becomes a crowded place sooner than we expect.