Palawan weather is hot all year, with highs of 82–88 °F (28–31 °C) and a sea that stays between 79 and 86 °F (26–30 °C). What decides your trip is rain and wind: January to April is the dry season, June to October the wet southwest monsoon. This guide explains both seasons, the real typhoon risk, why boat tours get canceled and when El Nido, Coron and Puerto Princesa are most crowded.
| Month | Day | Night | Sea | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28 °C | 25 °C | 28 °C | 90 mm |
| February | 29 °C | 25 °C | 26 °C | 30 mm |
| March | 30 °C | 25 °C | 27 °C | 35 mm |
| April | 31 °C | 26 °C | 28 °C | 50 mm |
| May | 31 °C | 26 °C | 30 °C | 170 mm |
| June | 30 °C | 25 °C | 30 °C | 300 mm |
| July | 29 °C | 25 °C | 30 °C | 370 mm |
| August | 29 °C | 25 °C | 30 °C | 290 mm |
| September | 29 °C | 25 °C | 30 °C | 370 mm |
| October | 29 °C | 25 °C | 30 °C | 345 mm |
| November | 29 °C | 25 °C | 29 °C | 175 mm |
| December | 29 °C | 25 °C | 29 °C | 180 mm |
Palawan is a long, narrow island between the South China Sea and the Sulu Sea, and it has a tropical climate with almost no winter. In El Nido, average highs range from 82 °F (28 °C) in January to 88 °F (31 °C) in April and May, and nights rarely drop much below 77 °F (25 °C).
The month table on this page shows averages for El Nido from the ERA5 climate reanalysis for 2015–2024. They describe a typical month, not a forecast. Coron and Puerto Princesa follow the same broad pattern of a dry first half of the year and a wet second half, but local detail varies: Puerto Princesa's city government describes a clear November–April dry season on its west coast, around the Underground River, and a shorter dry season on the east coast where the city itself lies.
From roughly December to February the amihan, the northeast monsoon, blows steady, drier air over the Philippines, and by January the rain is falling away. February and March are the driest months, with only about 1.2–1.4 in (30–35 mm) of rain on average in El Nido, and April is still dry at about 2 in (50 mm). This is when the lagoons are at their clearest and almost every boat day goes ahead.
January is a little wetter, at around 3.5 in (90 mm), and is also the coolest month, which many visitors find the most comfortable. A strong amihan surge can still bring choppy water and the odd suspended crossing, so do not schedule the El Nido to Coron ferry for the day before an international flight. April and May are the hottest months; May is a transition, with about 6.7 in (170 mm) of rain as afternoon storms start to build.
From June the habagat, the southwest monsoon, brings moist air from the South China Sea, and the rain jumps to about 11–15 in (290–370 mm) a month in El Nido, with July and September usually the wettest. It rarely rains all day every day: a typical pattern is heavy showers or a gray, squally spell lasting a few days, then a run of brighter weather. The sea is at its warmest, around 86 °F (30 °C).
The bigger problem is the wind. The habagat blows from the southwest across the South China Sea, which El Nido and the open crossing to Coron face directly, so some island-hopping days are shortened, rerouted or canceled. November and December are in between, with about 7 in (175–180 mm) a month, as the monsoon switches round. Lower prices and thinner crowds suit flexible travelers.
Palawan lies west of the main typhoon track, which usually crosses Luzon and the Visayas, and the Puerto Princesa city government describes the city as outside the typhoon belt. That makes storms less frequent here, not impossible. Super Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) made its last Philippine landfall near Busuanga in November 2013, badly damaging Coron; Typhoon Rai (Odette) made its final landfall at Roxas, between Puerto Princesa and El Nido, in December 2021; and Typhoon Kalmaegi (Tino) made landfall in El Nido in November 2025, when the coast guard suspended all sea travel across Palawan.
Those recent hits came late in the year, but storms passing farther north from about July to October also strengthen the habagat and stir up the sea for days. If you travel between June and December, buy insurance that covers weather disruption, keep a buffer day before your flight home, and follow PAGASA, the national weather service, whose tropical cyclone wind signals decide whether boats may sail. Our safety and entry guide covers the rest of your preparation.
Almost everything in Palawan depends on boats, so the sea matters more than the rain. When PAGASA issues a gale warning or a wind signal for an area, the Philippine Coast Guard suspends small boats, and in El Nido and Coron the local tourism offices also stop island tours. In practice operators may switch you to a more sheltered route, change the order of the stops, or cancel and refund on the morning itself.
Plan for it: book El Nido island hopping tours and Coron tours early in your stay so a canceled day can be moved, and ask how the operator handles weather refunds before you pay. Visibility for snorkeling and wreck diving in Coron is usually best in the calm dry months and drops after heavy rain.
The dry months are also the busy ones. From about December to May, and especially over Christmas and New Year, rooms in El Nido and Coron sell out, popular tours run full, and the Big Lagoon and Kayangan Lake have queues in the middle of the day. El Nido alone recorded more than half a million visitors in 2023, according to the Philippine Information Agency. Book flights, ferries and accommodation well ahead for these weeks.
The busiest single week is Holy Week, the week before Easter (March 21–28 in 2027), when Filipino families travel and the Maundy Thursday and Good Friday holidays close offices nationwide. Prices peak, vans and ferries fill, and beaches such as Nacpan are at their liveliest. If you can, come in January, February or late April instead.
For the most reliable sunshine and calm seas, the best time to visit Palawan is January to April, with February and March the driest months; avoid Holy Week if you want lower prices. November, December and May are good shoulder months with more showers. June to October is the low season: warm, green and cheaper, but with more rain, rougher water and a real chance of losing boat days.
The same calendar works for El Nido, Coron and Puerto Princesa, and for the multi-day boat expeditions between El Nido and Coron, which need a calm sea most of all. Whatever the month, leave one or two flexible days in your plan; our Palawan itineraries show how to build them in.
February and March are the driest months, with about 1.2–1.4 in (30–35 mm) of rain in El Nido, and January and April are also mostly dry. Avoid Holy Week if you want lower prices and quieter lagoons.
The southwest monsoon (habagat) brings the heaviest rain from June to October, about 11–15 in (290–370 mm) a month in El Nido. May, November and December are transition months with moderate rain.
Less often than most of the Philippines, but it does. Haiyan hit Busuanga and Coron in November 2013, Rai (Odette) crossed central Palawan in December 2021 and Kalmaegi (Tino) made landfall in El Nido in November 2025.
Sometimes. When a gale warning or storm signal is raised, the coast guard stops small boats and tours are canceled or rerouted, so plan a spare day and book refundable tours from June to December.
Around 79–82 °F (26–28 °C) from January to April and about 86 °F (30 °C) from May to October, warm enough to swim and snorkel all year without a wetsuit.
A standard El Nido boat route for first-time visitors who want lagoons, beaches and swimming in one outing. The trip runs about six hours, so it fits into a single morning and afternoon.
from ~$25 per person
Check availabilityvia GetYourGuide
Suits travelers who want caves and snorkeling stops around Bacuit Bay, including Pupulkan, Snake Island and Pinagbuyutan. A picnic lunch and a guide are included; weather permitting.
from ~$31 per person
Check availabilityvia Viator
Suits travelers basing themselves in Puerto Princesa who want to visit the famous cave river park on a single outing. Allow about eight hours for the whole excursion from the city.
from ~$45 per person
Check availabilityvia GetYourGuide
Afternoon sightseeing around Coron town to learn about the area and its people, ending at the Maquinit hot spring. Hotel pickup and drop-off in central Coron.
from ~$19 per person
Check availabilityvia Viator
A packed Coron boat day for visitors who want to see many sights without arranging each leg themselves. It covers seven destinations and includes lunch and transfers.
from ~$42 per person
Check availabilityvia GetYourGuide
A group-format visit to the famous Puerto Princesa cave river, suited to budget-minded travelers. Bring your own meal money, since lunch is not part of this option.
from ~$41 per person
Check availabilityvia Viator
A short island trip suited to cruise passengers, couples and families, with swimming, snorkeling and lunch on the islands. A private tour or a shared one can be chosen, so check which is selected.
from ~$114 per person
Check availabilityvia Viator
A full-day island hop for travelers who like kayaking and snorkeling, with a buffet lunch on the beach. Lasts 7 to 8 hours; pickup is limited to Corong-Corong between 8 and 9 AM.
from ~$38 per person
Check availabilityvia Viator
Prices are indicative and may change. The final price is shown by the booking platform. Prices checked: October 17, 2026.
