El Nido: Matinloc Island Shrine and finding the Hidden Beach

El Nido Matinloc Island Shrine and finding the Hidden Beach

Making our way back at the central channel of Taiputan-Matinloc Islands we docked on a beach where Matinloc Shrine is located. Shielded by walls of limestone, It’s a charming place that I felt it’s like a small piece of Greece with its architecture. There’s also a large platform facing the beach on the opposite island. Standing there gave us a surreal panorama of the aquamarine waters and limestone cliffs in every direction or angle.

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El Nido: Discovering Matinloc Island’s Secret Beach

El Nido Discovering Matinloc Island's Secret Beach

The groove to go Island Hopping is back on our fourth day in El Nido. We’re going again with Islanen Outdoors Tours since they have a very good slightly customized package and price (of P650) on Tour C which includes several sites in Matinloc Island and few stops on our way back. We had to wait a few minutes before they got everything ready. We had a smaller white boat this time highlighted by MMDA colors of pink and blue but it seems real solid and capable to handle the seas.

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El Nido: A relaxing afternoon at Corong-corong Beach

That little stint up at Pasadeña to see the Makinit Hotspring and Nagkalit-kalit Falls was partially a sad discovery. The hike was a welcome activity but I’m really concerned on how El Niño has affected our environment. It’s a wake-up call to everyone that the threat is real. We may not be feeling it outright inside our doorsteps in the suburbs but it’s happening out in the wilderness. And it’s not an exception for a place we call “The Last Frontier” in the Philippines.

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El Nido: Makinit Hot Spring and dry Nagkalit-kalit Falls

Makinit Hot Spring and El Niño drying Nagkalit-kalit Falls

My head kept hitting the steel bar frames of the tricycle whenever we pass by large pieces of stone or when we encounter the humps along the road. I already had my back bent just to sit at the back seat of the motorcycle behind the driver. It was rough road all throughout just after Lio Airport in El Nido. We were heading north of Palawan from El Nido to see some inland attractions at barangay Pasadeña.

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El Nido: Snorkeling Shimizu Island and Lazing at 7 Commandos

Snorkeling Shimizu Island and Lazing at 7 Commandos

Stuffed and rested, our boatman, Felix signaled us that we should be going. We’re getting too comfortable at the Secret Lagoon Beach and remembered that there are still a couple of stops before the afternoon ends. About 10-15 minutes south of Miniloc Island is an islet they call Shimizu Island (Others spelled Zimizu). It’s supposed to be one of popular snorkeling spots in Tour A.

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El Nido: Miniloc Island’s Secret Lagoon Beach

El Nido Miniloc Islands Secret Lagoon Beach

Exploration of Miniloc Island continues. We passed over the exclusive Miniloc Resort under El Nido Resorts since it’s private, we can’t go down there. And just when we thought we had enough of the Lagoons, we found ourselves on a very scenic beach called the Secret Lagoon Beach. A couple of playful puppies welcomed us at the beach on where would be our lunch stop for the day.

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El Nido: Miniloc Island’s Small and Big Lagoon

Miniloc Island's Small and Big Lagoon

Remember those gorgeous desktop wall papers or those java applets with crystal clear moving waters on WebPages with ridiculously beautiful looking beaches or scenery that led you asking yourself whether this place is real? Well, El Nido Palawan is like stepping straight into that screen and seeing it all for real with your bare naked eyes. Island hopping in Bacuit Bay showed us that Miniloc Island, the first island we’ll visit is just the tip of the iceberg and it keeps getting better.

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