Underjordisk flod i Puerto Princesa - Unescoarv i Filippinerna

Writer: Helena Bergström

One of the main attractions on the island of Palawan in the Philippines is an underground river in Puerto Princesa. The river, which is 8.2 kilometres long, is listed as one of the 7 natural wonders of the world and, together with the national park it is located in, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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Underground river in Puerto Princesa

The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River is visited by many tourists every day.

Underjordisk flod i Puerto Princesa - Palawan, Filippinerna

The natural attraction is located about seven miles northeast of Puerto Princesa City, on the island of Palawan in the western Philippines.

Unesco World Heritage - and the 7 natural wonders of the world

The underground river in Puerto Princesa was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999, along with the national park where it is located. The underground river is special because of its length, its plunge into the sea and its impressive cave system. UNESCO also emphasises the spectacular karst landscape, biodiversity and important forests in the national park.

The river has also been listed among the 7 new natural wonders of the world. You can see the full list here:

Amazon rainforest, South America
Halong Bay, Vietnam
Iguazu Falls, Argentina and Brazil
Jeju, South Korea
Komodo, Indonesia
The underground river in Puerto Princesa, Philippines
Table Mountain, South Africa

Travelling to the underground river in Puerto Princesa

So, how do you go about travelling to the underground river in Puerto Princesa? Well, first you have to go to the island of Palawan in the Philippines. You'll find plenty of tour operators here, wherever you are. However, it's worth bearing in mind that the island is very long. If you are in El Nido, for example, you will have to travel almost five hours by car.

It is more convenient to start from Puerto Princesa City or, as we did, from Atremaru Jungle Retreat, which is half an hour by car from the harbour in Sabang, where the excursion boats start. We booked an excursion through the hotel and travelled in a van, along with a bunch of other tourists.

In the harbour of Sabang it was time to change vehicles from car to boat. Here it was noticed that this is a big tourist business. The harbour was stuffed of boats and all kinds of vendors.

Our tour guide got the paperwork ready and waved us into one of the small boats. Then it was off for maybe fifteen minutes ... and we arrived at a beautiful beach!

Near the beach, we were fitted with helmets and allowed to walk a short distance through a wooded area.

På väg mot den underjordiska floden i Puerto Princesa - Palawan, Filippinerna

Visiting the underground river in Puerto Princesa

After the walk we arrived at a small pier where it was time for another boat. Now it was time to visit the underground river in Puerto Princesa!

But first a selfie in front of the cave opening of course!

We were each equipped with an audio guide and seated in a small Filipino boat, which could be paddled forward silently. One of the first instructions in the audio guide was to do just that - to be quiet while travelling on the underground river, so as not to disturb nature and wildlife.

The tour through the cave was very peaceful. We glided through the dark cave rooms, illuminated only by the tour guide's headlamp. We saw bats and swallows circling the ceiling above us, and lots of special cave formations.

The voice in the audio guide had a long list of descriptive names for the shapes we passed - the chicken, the cucumber, the carrot, the Titanic, Sharon Stone and so on. At the same time, we learnt that bats hang upside down because their wings are too small to lift off the ground and they need take-off speed to fly.

Many of the cave rooms were beautiful, but it was difficult to photograph because we were constantly moving, and because the camera needed a long shutter speed... A very fascinating and interesting tour it was!

Lunch after the tour

The excursion we booked through the hotel included lunch, and our van stopped at a touristy (but nice!) place, where more excursion buses seemed to stop. There was a good buffet and each long table was labelled with the name of the tour operator.

Once you had finished eating, you could stroll around the lovely garden, which was full of all kinds of bamboo stands and sculptures.

There was also a century-old dao tree, which was impressive to say the least.

A stop on the way back - Ugong Rock Adventures

On the way back, some in the bus wanted to stop at Ugong Rock Adventures, for the possibility of a cave adventure and a zipline ride. However, we felt satisfied with the day and skipped this.

Where can you live?

So, where to stay if you want to visit the underground river in Puerto Princesa? To avoid travelling too far, we recommend staying somewhere near Puerto Princesa City. If you want to stay really close, and ecologically in the jungle, you can stay at the Atremaru Jungle Retreat.

READ MORE: Atremaru Jungle Retreat - eco-resort in Palawan

More to see and do in the neighbourhood

Near the underground river, you can of course explore Puerto Princesa City. If you want to see more of Palawan, you can go to Port Barton, which is said to be a hidden jewel, to the... El Nido, where there are opportunities for many great boat trips or to Coron which is located north of the main island. For even more tips on the Philippines, click on the image below.

Facts about the Underground River in Puerto Princesa

Country: Philippines
Location: About 70 kilometres (an hour and a half by car) northeast of Puerto Princesa City, on the island of Palawan in the western Philippines.
Length: The river is 8.2 kilometres long, part of which tourists can travel by boat.
Wildlife: The cave is home to nine species of bats and two species of swallows. There are also fish.
National Park: Established in 1971 (Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park), the park consists mainly of the underground river, but also of the rainforested karst landscape above.
Unesco heritage: Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999.

Useful when visiting the underground river in Puerto princesa

Booking: You can book a tour just about anywhere on Palawan Island, from hotels to small tour operators.
Get dressed: Lightweight and practical summer clothes that you can wade through some high water in. Flip-flops or flip-flops (i.e. shoes that can get wet).
Take it with you: Camera or mobile phone to take pictures. Water to drink.

7 Comments

Add yours →

Lena i Wales och lite överallt says:

Wow, what a place and what an experience!
Understand that it is popular.
Take care!

22 April 2023 - 8:35

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  An exciting and interesting visit indeed! 🙂
  
  23 April 2023 - 5:27
  
Maria /emjis says:

Very nice what you have seen! I wonder: What is the first thing you will eat when you get home? Because I'm guessing it's not rice?

22 April 2023 - 15:09

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  You guessed it!!! 😉 Lately, we have found a little more variety of restaurants, but some things we miss. Good bread! Cheese! Shrimps! (Available here but tastes completely different.) And potatoes in different shapes ... potato gratin 😉.
  
  23 April 2023 - 5:30
  
BP says:

Saw Peter's film yesterday, and that boat trip was really cool. Three months full of adventures are coming to an end. And you will meet a Stockholm that is not the least adventurous, but sunny and warm:-)

22 April 2023 - 19:53

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Yes, now the trip is coming to an end. It will be nice to come to Sweden too! 🙂
  
  23 April 2023 - 5:31
  
Carin Ager says:

It has been great to read your journey, thank you very much.
It's about being curious, daring and wanting to discover.
You have a penchant for travelling to odd places.
Welcome home.

25 April 2023 - 10:37

Underground river in Puerto Princesa - Unesco heritage in the Philippines

Writer: Helena Bergström

Underground river in Puerto Princesa

Unesco World Heritage - and the 7 natural wonders of the world

Travelling to the underground river in Puerto Princesa

Visiting the underground river in Puerto Princesa

Lunch after the tour

A stop on the way back - Ugong Rock Adventures

Where can you live?

More to see and do in the neighbourhood

Facts about the Underground River in Puerto Princesa

Useful when visiting the underground river in Puerto princesa

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7 Comments

Lena i Wales och lite överallt says:

Helena says:

Maria /emjis says:

Helena says:

BP says:

Helena says:

Carin Ager says:

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