Season guide · Palawan · Philippines
Palawan in the cool dry season
December–February: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Simon Hefti, Schweiz ( de:User:Nikswieweg ), CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Sunny, breezy and calm, with the most comfortable temperatures; Christmas and New Year are the most expensive weeks. Expect highs up to 31°C (88°F) and lows around 23°C (73°F), with about 23 rainy days across December–February. January–February are among the best months of the year to visit.
Key facts
- Months
- December–February
- Temperatures
- 23°C (73°F) to 31°C (88°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 23
- Sea
- 27°C (81°F) to 28°C (82°F)
- Crowds
- Busy
- Hotel prices
- High
Weather in the cool dry season
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31°C (88°F) | 23°C (73°F) | 7 | 11.6 h | 4/5 |
| February | 31°C (88°F) | 23°C (73°F) | 4 | 11.8 h | 4/5 |
| December | 31°C (88°F) | 23°C (73°F) | 12 | 11.6 h | 5/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 31°C (88°F) against a yearly 32°C (90°F), and 23 of the year's roughly 153 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 4/5 and hotel prices 4/5 on average.
What's on in the cool dry season
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- December: Christmas and New Year — peak domestic travel (late December)
Make the most of the weather
Nature · Sabang
Puerto Princesa Subterranean River
An underground river flows for about 8 km through a limestone cave beneath the Saint Paul Mountain Range before reaching the sea.
- Time needed
- Full day from Puerto Princesa
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Nature
- Kids
- Rainy day
Nature · Miniloc Island, El Nido
Big Lagoon and Small Lagoon
Choose a boat that visits Miniloc early or late in the day; the lagoons are busiest from late morning.
- Time needed
- Full-day tour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Nature
- Active
- Photo spot
- Couples
Beach · Matinloc Island, El Nido
Hidden Beach and Matinloc Shrine
On El Nido's Tour C, boats stop at Hidden Beach, a small cove reached by swimming through a gap in the rocks, Secret Beach and the abandoned Matinloc Shrine, a chapel on a headland with viewpoints over the western islands.
- Time needed
- Full-day tour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Nature
- Active
- Views
- Off the beaten path
Island · Bacuit Bay, El Nido
Snake Island and Tour B
Climb to the viewpoint on Snake Island first; the sandbar shape shows best from above at low tide.
- Time needed
- Full-day tour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Nature
- Views
- Photo spot
Beach · El Nido
Nacpan Beach
About 17 km north of El Nido Town, Nacpan is a gently curving beach of about 4 km of pale sand backed by coconut palms, with a few simple restaurants and bars at the access point.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Couples
- Kids
- Views
Day trips in the cool dry season
- Culion Island (About 1–1.5 hours by boat) — Culion was the Philippines' leper colony from 1906, and its town keeps a museum and archive of the colony's history, a hilltop church in an old Spanish fort and viewpoints over the bay.
- Malcapuya and Banana Island (About 1.5 hours by boat) — A popular full-day boat tour from Coron to islands with white-sand beaches and shallow reefs: Malcapuya, Banana Island and Bulog Dos sandbar.
What to pack
- Light, breathable clothes, a sun hat and high-factor sunscreen
- A compact umbrella and waterproof shoes — rain is frequent
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is the cool dry season a good time to visit Palawan?
Yes: January–February are among the best months. Sunny, breezy and calm, with the most comfortable temperatures; Christmas and New Year are the most expensive weeks.
+What is the weather like in Palawan in the cool dry season?
Highs of up to 31°C (88°F) and lows around 23°C (73°F), with about 23 rainy days over the season.