Puerto Princesa Underground River, Philippines

The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, located on the island of Palawan in the Philippines, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Puerto Princesa Subterranean River: 5WXG+J9H, Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines
Date Picture Taken: August, 2024

The park features an impressive 8.2 km-long underground river, which flows directly into the sea and is navigable by small boats. This allows visitors to experience its unique limestone karst landscapes and ancient rock formations.

From Manila, I flew to Puerto Princesa Island and took a day tour of the Subterranean River National Park. We arrived at Sabang Beach and waited for the boat to take us to the underwater park.

Back side

Back side

Boat to the underground park

Arrived at the location near the underground park

Then we trek a little to the area where the boat to the cave was located

Then there we took another boat to the cave – the underwater park.

Back side

Inside the cave and on the boat

The cave was too dark to see anything.  There was no natural or artificial light, only the flashlight from the boat guide.

The river winds through a cave system filled with stalactites, stalagmites, and various rock formations, creating an almost otherworldly atmosphere. The area is also rich in biodiversity, home to a variety of plant and animal species, some of which are endemic to Palawan.

We came back to where we started; we were less than an hour in the boat

We returned to the area where we first landed from the boat.

Then we boated back to Sabang Beach