Need to know how to travel from Boracay to Palawan? Here are your instructions!
Both Palawan and Boracay are gorgeous places to visit in the Philippines and you can’t go wrong visiting either of them. But it’s even better to visit both.
It’s only 190 kilometers between Boracay and El Nido in Palawan, but because there is a sea in between them, this journey can get complicated and time-consuming.
But it doesn’t have to be. When you take this journey step by step, you’ll see it’s actually quite straightforward.
Below, I describe exactly how to go from Boracay to Palawan so you know exactly what to do. Whether you are looking for a flight or taking a ferry, this guide covers both. This way, you will be in paradise as quickly as possible!
I also describe the reverse journey from Palawan to Boracay.
Map: From Boracay To Palawan
This map shows you how to get to Palawan from Boracay if you don’t fly.
The approximate travel time from Boracay to Palawan is 3.5 hours if you fly including transfers. It takes a few days to travel this route overland.
BEST OPTION: How To Get From Boracay To Palawan
How To Get To Palawan From Boracay
Here’s a summary of your options:
| Mode of transport | Duration | Best For? | Book |
| Flight via Caticlan | 3.5 hours | People who like the quickest and easiest option | Book here |
| Bus/Ferry | 2+ days | People who like to travel overland or want the cheapest option |
Whichever option you choose, you’ll first need to get from Boracay to Caticlan. This is very easy to do and is described in its own section below these two options.
Option 1: Fly From Boracay To Palawan
The fastest way to travel from Boracay to Palawan is to fly. However, there is no direct flight from Boracay to Palawan. This is because there is no airport on Boracay.
First, you will need to make your way to Boracay/Caticlan Airport via a quick 10-15 minute boat ride from Boracay.
Note that Caticlan Airport is now often called Boracay Airport. This is exactly the same airport. This is the closest airport to the island.
There is more information about taking this boat trip below in its own section as you will need to do this no matter which way you travel between Palawan and Boracay.
Once you make it to Caticlan Jetty, it is just a 10-minute walk to the airport or you can take a van.
Pre-pandemic, there were direct flights between Caticlan and Puerto Princesa on Palawan. Currently, there are not. There are direct flights between Caticlan and El Nido on Palawan.
Cebgo flies this route most days and the flight time is just an hour and ten minutes. Prices start at around ₱3,200.
Click here to see the prices for your dates
If you are happy to take connecting flights, it’s possible to fly to Puerto Princesa via Cebu or Manila. This makes the quickest flying time about 4 hours, but it may take a lot longer. This can be cheaper than flying direct and is offered by Cebu Pacific, AirAsia and Philippine Air.
Click here to find all your flight options.
Option 2: Boracay To Palawan Ferry
Another alternative is to travel by boat from Boracay to Palawan. Again, there is no direct ferry and you will need to make your way to Caticlan first.
This is described below or click here to see the latest prices to get from Boracay to Caticlan.
Traveling by ferry to Palawan is time consuming and involves a fair bit of effort, so flying can be much better if you can afford it. The easiest way to travel overland is to take a bus from Caticlan to Iloilo City and then take a ferry from here to Puerto Princesa.
Buses depart for Iloilo City from Caticlan about every half hour. They make frequent stops so the journey time is about 6 hours. Tickets cost ₱430 – ₱510.
Once you arrive at Ceres Northbound Terminal in Iloilo, hop in a taxi that will take you to Lapuz Wharf.
From here, you can catch a ferry to Puerto Princesa in Palawan. Montenegro Shipping Lines is the company that operates ferries to Puerto Princesa. They travel via Cuyo Island.
Their schedule changes regularly and you can find the latest one on their Facebook page here. Currently, it runs about once a week in each direction and takes about 2 days to get there. Tickets for a passenger start at ₱2,662.
Travel From Boracay To Caticlan
No matter which option you choose above, you first need to get off the island of Boracay. You can take a small bangka or a bigger boat. This takes about 10-15 minutes.
Boats run 24/7 with frequent departures from 5am to 8pm. They run less frequently overnight as they wait until a boat is full before departing.
The boat fare from Caticlan to Boracay is made up of the following:
- ₱50-100 for the boat ticket
- ₱150 for the terminal fee
- ₱150 for locals and ₱300 for everyone else for the environmental fee.
These are all per person fees.
You can purchase your ticket at the port or in advance. You can find ferry tickets here.
Boats depart from Cagban Jetty on Boracay. You can take a tricycle to get to and from this jetty and your accommodation or you can book a private transfer from your Boracay hotel to Caticlan here.
You can read my full guide to traveling from Caticlan to Boracay here.
How To Get From Palawan To Boracay
For the reverse journey, you have the same options. You just need to reverse them.
The quickest and easiest way is to take a flight from El Nido (in Palawan) to Caticlan (by Boracay). This takes only an hour and five minutes, and you’ll be in Boracay in no time.
Cebgo operates this flight and you can find the latest ticket prices and schedules here. They fly most days.
You can also fly from Puerto Princesa (in Palawan) to Caticlan via Cebu or Manila. There is not currently a direct flight.
Click here to find flight options.
Finally, you can also take a Palawan to Iloilo ferry, but this involves nearly 48 hours on a ferry from Puerto Princesa (in Palawan) to Iloilo City. This only runs once a week and you can find timetables and prices here.
Once you make it to Iloilo City, you need to take a six-hour bus ride to Caticlan. It’s a long journey time in total.
No matter which option you pick, you still need to take a boat from Caticlan to Boracay. This is quick and easy and described in its own section above and you can buy your tickets here.
Final Words
In this guide, we’ve covered the different transportation options that you can take between Boracay and Palawan.
The fastest and most convenient way to get to your destination is to take one of the flights from Caticlan to El Nido (find them here).
If you’d rather travel overland, you can take the bus and ferry option. However, it isn’t always cheaper.
I hope you found this guide to how to go from Boracay to Palawan useful. Click here to find out how to get to Boracay from other destinations, including from Cebu. You can find our complete travel guide to Palawan here or Boracay here.
