Small Lagoon
Small Lagoon
4.5
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Top ways to experience Small Lagoon
The area
Attractions
24 within 6 miles
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
2,406 reviews
Excellent
1,701
Very good
493
Average
159
Poor
38
Terrible
15
Dle1408
Paranaque, Philippines44 contributions
May 2021 • Family
As long as you stay in your kayak, the lagoon looks nice. The surrounding rock formations, the clear water, the trees. If you go snorkeling in front of the lagoon, you will see a sad landscape of dying corrals. There are hardly any fish left, and the beautiful colors have all disappeared. According to our guide, this place gets very, very, crowded at times. I’m sure many people also touch the corrals and/or stand on them. Better education, better guidance of the tourists, and better planning and restriction of the number of visitors, could have prevented this.
The damage done is irreversible. Ìf the corrals are given time and protection to recover, this will not be in our lifetime.
The damage done is irreversible. Ìf the corrals are given time and protection to recover, this will not be in our lifetime.
Written May 24, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
curmd
Auburn, CA17 contributions
Jan 2022
Loved it. Almost skipped this part of the tour, and it was the best one yet! We were all alone, and the serenity and peace you get to experience is indescribable. If you have a chance, be sure to stop here and kayak all the way in.
Written January 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mamabelz
Los Banos, Philippines3,164 contributions
Jun 2021 • Family
I like this tour best. It’s smaller than the big lagoon and has its own cozier charm.
Since very few people can visit nowadays, I thought it’s tranquility was more intimate. Bird sounds were clearer. Limestone and green foliage contrast- even more beautiful than last visit.
Entrance fee at P200. Also note that there were no longer vendors on small boats in the lagoon.
Since very few people can visit nowadays, I thought it’s tranquility was more intimate. Bird sounds were clearer. Limestone and green foliage contrast- even more beautiful than last visit.
Entrance fee at P200. Also note that there were no longer vendors on small boats in the lagoon.
Written July 8, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ISAAC625
MAKATI, PHILIPPINES20 contributions
Oct 2020
With the travel ban here there are fewer to no tourists in the area. The solemness and beauty of the place is back! I hate noisy tourist who do not respect this sanctuary. The absence of humans has made the place heal again.
Written October 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
FoodMeansChocolate
Northampton, UK130 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
Such a shame the state of the coral all over in the Philippines.
They are sending out the message to tourists to ‘not stand on coral’ and not to touch etc but it’s just becoming more and more damaged by bringing boat loads of people every hour every day.
There is hardly any litter on the sea bed which is amazing and the water is clear in most places.
No matter which season it’s packed full of tourists trying to get the ultimate selfie.
There aren’t many fish to see when snorkelling.
They are sending out the message to tourists to ‘not stand on coral’ and not to touch etc but it’s just becoming more and more damaged by bringing boat loads of people every hour every day.
There is hardly any litter on the sea bed which is amazing and the water is clear in most places.
No matter which season it’s packed full of tourists trying to get the ultimate selfie.
There aren’t many fish to see when snorkelling.
Written January 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Katy Santos
Philippines519 contributions
Aug 2020
I went here during pre-pandemic, You'll get to choose which lagoon you will visit, either small or big lagoon. Most of the tourists chose the big lagoon but in my case, I chose to visit the Small lagoon as based on the reviews, it's better than Big Lagoon. The small lagoon's main beach has a lot of shells. You can see small fishes when you snorkel but don't expect to see good corals as the boats destroyed them already. A guide will kayak you around the lagoon where you'll enter several chambers of small lagoons! The water below is pretty deep so for safety purposes, you're required to wear a life vest. This place is so tranquil, one of a kind and worthy. This is my most favorite attraction among all the destinations that we visited. I can't compare which one is better, the Big or Small Lagoon, as I haven't been to Big Lagoon. Probably I will visit the Big Lagoon on my next visit to El Nido.
Written July 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sven
Niedernhausen, Germany202 contributions
Feb 2020
It is a must go in el Nido
But you need a private tour only, which must leave at 8 AM. (tour A)
Otherwise the lagoon is full of tourists and especially Chinese.
We had luck and left the big secret lagoon as most of the boots were arriving.
But you need a private tour only, which must leave at 8 AM. (tour A)
Otherwise the lagoon is full of tourists and especially Chinese.
We had luck and left the big secret lagoon as most of the boots were arriving.
Written February 17, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tara ✨
Toronto, Canada912 contributions
Mar 2019 • Friends
Through a tiny little passage you can enter the beautiful small lagoon. We came early and it wasnt too packed with tourists but it was beginning to fill up. You can take tour kayak into the lagoon and enjoy the beautiful water and steep rock walls. There are also plenty of fish to see in the lagoon so snorkelling is an option as well. I highly recommend visiting small Lagoon
Written May 1, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bảo Trân H
Phoenix, AZ122 contributions
Feb 2018 • Couples
Amazing place, very beautifull, i'm falling love with small lagoon, u should be there once, it include Tour A
Written February 25, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lequach75
hannover60 contributions
Feb 2018 • Friends
We arrived in El Nido town after sunset and we’re looking for a tour for the next day, combination A + C. We were aiming at a private tour for the four of us, in town most quotes we got were around 10.000 pesos for the four of us, one offered a tour for 8000 pesos not incl environmental fee.
So we contacted a guy called Gianni, our driver from puerto princessa has given us his number.
We offered us a price for the above mentioned tour combination for 8000 pesos incl lunch an environmental fee which seemed ok to us given that it was already late and the tour started the next day in the morning.
So we were picked up at 8:30 a.m at our hotel and brought to the boat. I guess the boat would have easily fit 6. Snorkeling masks ad swim wests were provided, I really suggest to bring those thin shoes, since the stones and sadly dead corals formation you have to step /swim over in order to get to the beach were quite sharp.
We were brought to following islands in this order: Helicopter Island , Hidden Beach ( you do have to swim like 50-70m across some quite wavy waters), Secret Beach, Star beach ( we chose to have lunch at a small strip of beach next to it since there were too many people on star beach ). The lunch was really good with grilled chicken grilled pork, a huge grilled fish, different vegetables, rice and coke ( we were asked the evening before what we liked for lunch) . We skipped Matinloc Shrine since it didn’t look quite interesting to us and we’d have had to pay 100 pesos p.P. extra to get on there ( dunno whether the entrance fee is included with other tours). Next was small lagoon which was the best on the tour. You will have to swim a quite a bit or rent a Kajak ( an extra 400 pesos for a small , or 600 pesos for a large Kajak for 4 people) to get to the lagoon , which offers picture perfect touquoise calm waters surrounded by high limestone wall formations. We spent quite some time there. Next was big lagoon with really shallow waters in the entrance to it where boats had to be pushed the waters .
Secret lagoon had to be skipped because of low tide we were told.
The last stop then was 7 command Beach, a larger stretch of beach, finally with powdery white sand (the other beaches were more like the beaches in Hawaii , golden , quite rough sand) .
The reason for us to do a private tour to avoid crowds. Whereas this is obviously not possible in El Nido ( the highest count was 9 boats at one beach at the same time ) , we did have some time
Alone or at least with fewer people at some beaches, because we could stay longer and wait for the crowds to leave. Throughout the tour, the team was very attentive and polite and carried e.g. camera bags through waters for us when getting over corals and stones was hard. We were always helped to get back onto the boat . Finally we were the last boat to leave the seven command beach at the end of the tour.
So in all, we were quite happy with Gianni and his team and would recommend him, but of course we don’t have any comparison with other companys. If you are interested , his number is 09121714282.
So we contacted a guy called Gianni, our driver from puerto princessa has given us his number.
We offered us a price for the above mentioned tour combination for 8000 pesos incl lunch an environmental fee which seemed ok to us given that it was already late and the tour started the next day in the morning.
So we were picked up at 8:30 a.m at our hotel and brought to the boat. I guess the boat would have easily fit 6. Snorkeling masks ad swim wests were provided, I really suggest to bring those thin shoes, since the stones and sadly dead corals formation you have to step /swim over in order to get to the beach were quite sharp.
We were brought to following islands in this order: Helicopter Island , Hidden Beach ( you do have to swim like 50-70m across some quite wavy waters), Secret Beach, Star beach ( we chose to have lunch at a small strip of beach next to it since there were too many people on star beach ). The lunch was really good with grilled chicken grilled pork, a huge grilled fish, different vegetables, rice and coke ( we were asked the evening before what we liked for lunch) . We skipped Matinloc Shrine since it didn’t look quite interesting to us and we’d have had to pay 100 pesos p.P. extra to get on there ( dunno whether the entrance fee is included with other tours). Next was small lagoon which was the best on the tour. You will have to swim a quite a bit or rent a Kajak ( an extra 400 pesos for a small , or 600 pesos for a large Kajak for 4 people) to get to the lagoon , which offers picture perfect touquoise calm waters surrounded by high limestone wall formations. We spent quite some time there. Next was big lagoon with really shallow waters in the entrance to it where boats had to be pushed the waters .
Secret lagoon had to be skipped because of low tide we were told.
The last stop then was 7 command Beach, a larger stretch of beach, finally with powdery white sand (the other beaches were more like the beaches in Hawaii , golden , quite rough sand) .
The reason for us to do a private tour to avoid crowds. Whereas this is obviously not possible in El Nido ( the highest count was 9 boats at one beach at the same time ) , we did have some time
Alone or at least with fewer people at some beaches, because we could stay longer and wait for the crowds to leave. Throughout the tour, the team was very attentive and polite and carried e.g. camera bags through waters for us when getting over corals and stones was hard. We were always helped to get back onto the boat . Finally we were the last boat to leave the seven command beach at the end of the tour.
So in all, we were quite happy with Gianni and his team and would recommend him, but of course we don’t have any comparison with other companys. If you are interested , his number is 09121714282.
Written February 1, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Que tal? Mi consulta es, si la empresa te garantiza el mismo paseo con menos personas, pero al doble de precio, irías? mi pregunta va por el lado de: Seguramente la empresa, no lo se lo supongo, deja que tanta gente entre al agua para ganar mas dinero, por lo que veo mucha gente es malo, asi que de ahí me pregunta
Written May 26, 2019
Does anybody know if you can go to the lagoons (big and small) alone, as in, without a tour? I am there next week and stupidly did not think to book anything online, and Tour A seems to be pretty much sold out, but it would be a shame to be in El Nido and not do the lagoons!
Written January 3, 2019
Son excursiones en pequeñas embarcaciones que se realizan desde EL NIDO, en la isla de PALAWAN, en FILIPINAS.
Written August 19, 2018
bentleynoemi2
Corning, New York
Where’s the nearest hotel to stay for the tour ride pick up?
Written April 3, 2018
we stayed in a coron coron hotel and from there we booked a private tour. departure from coron coron beach
Written April 6, 2018
I am traveling to El Nido for my honeymoon on May 1st. I want to book a day tour to the small lagoon, big lagoon and Cadloa lagoon. I see that your pick up is from El Nido town, but we’re staying at Cauayan Island resort. Do you have any pick ups from Cauayan Island resort ?
Written March 13, 2018
We stayed at the MaryGold Beachfront Inn. The staff arranged for our private outrigger island hopping tour. The outriggers were waiting for passengers right in front of the MaryGold and was very convenient. There are many tour agencies near by. I suggest that you contact your hotel to make the arrangements. Hope this helps. Enjoy your trip!
Written March 14, 2018
Bonjour,
Quel est la meilleur période pour visiter en nido et les philippines SVP ? Decembre ou plutot Fevrier ?
Quel est la période à eviter aussi .
Merci à vous. quel budget il faut prévoir pour 2 personnes 1 semaines.
Written March 3, 2018
500€ pour la semaine et de février à avril c est super
Bon voyage
Written March 4, 2018
hello everyone her
plan to be in el nido end of july this year
does anyone her can give me an idea which company or any adventure tour agent which best to have their packages deal?
salamat po.
jocelyn
Written March 14, 2017
Use Armand V Tours, they have 4 boats and can provide all your tours needs. I hired them privately for few days and could not be happier. Excellent personal service. They are in the main street in town. Tell Mang Mascardo MrLy recommended you.
I am the one with 3 kids who bought him beer everynight lol
Look for Mascardo or Arsenia
(63) 919 203 4199
Written March 15, 2017
we will stay on el nido from 5 to 7 Feb.
Weather is rainy on that date.
any body knows that the Tour will be held on that date?
6 Feb: Rain: 4 mm - Hours of Rain: 2 hrs - Windy; a little morning rain followed by a couple of showers in the afternoon
7 Feb: Rain: 11 mm - Hours of Rain: 6 hrs - Rain
Written January 23, 2017
The weather in entire Philippines is very funny, you never know when the weather changes. I was also worried about the weather before traveling to the Philippines. I had been to the Philippines in December last year (2016) I visited Puerto Princesa, including El NIdo... I kept checking the weather updates until the last day of my departure .. I was also worried..cause the weather was indicating rain and thunderstorm every other day..
But when I got there.. there was no rain in my entire stay, I stayed for 4 days only one day it drizzled for 20 minutes... no thunderstorm or anything.
I would suggest you " Not to Book any tour before you get to El Nido or anywhere in the Philippines" the tours may cost you even higher unlike you book from the spot or at tour agents.
Don't worry about the weather until there is a typhoon warning... I hope you will enjoy your trip... And even if it rains anywhere... it would rain for a few minutes and then the sun comes out.
Written January 25, 2017
When you go to a tour is it with the other tourist or just by your group?
Written November 6, 2016
I can say that most likely yes. There are many tours going there (tour A - most popular tour)
But don't worry, it's fun and beautiful anyway.
Written November 6, 2016
Are the months of Dec - January as good a time as any to go? Summer is too hot for us.
Written November 3, 2016
It was hot while I was there in October and rainy - I had two good days so that was nice. I am not sure about the weather during December and January although I would think it is warm year round.
Written November 8, 2016
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
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