“Palawan is filled with pristinely beautiful spots but Hidden Beach — surrounded by imposing limestone cliffs and with startlingly bone-white sand — is separated from the turquoise ocean by a small keyhole-like opening, through which visitors must climb in order to access the lagoon.”— writer Lizzie Pook
By Alex Y. Vergara
The secret is out! Palawan’s breathtaking Hidden Beach is no longer hidden to the rest of the world, as Condé Nast Traveler, in a recent online article, named it as one of the “world’s most beautiful beaches.”
“It’s not quite so hidden any more,” writes Condé Nast Traveler’s Lizzie Pook, “but this beach still makes its mark as one of the world’s best. Palawan is filled with pristinely beautiful spots but Hidden Beach—surrounded by imposing limestone cliffs and with startlingly bone-white sand – is separated from the turquoise ocean by a small keyhole-like opening, through which visitors must climb in order to access the lagoon.”
To fully immerse in the experience, the article then recommended, by adding a link, that interested travelers may stay at any of the numerous beachside hotels that now dot El Nido, Palawan.
“There’s something about a good beach that enlivens the senses: the briny scent of salt in the air, the calming murmur of waves, the gentle nip of sand whipped up by the soft breeze. A favorite beach is like a favorite poem—individual, important, and something that makes our hearts sing, and now more than ever we are dreaming of days spent wriggling our toes in the sand and wallowing in salty water,” writes Pook in her introduction.
“Instead of the typical sandy spots dotted with sun umbrellas and gaggles of tourists, we’ve sought out spaces that you may have to venture a little further for, but that remain incredibly beautiful and very often crowd-free. From the most exquisite beaches in Europe to far-flung stretches in Asia, Africa and more, these are the best beaches in the world,” she continues.
Hidden Beach was cited by Condé Nast Traveler alongside such famous as well as obscure beaches the world over as Benguerra Island in Mozambique, Playa Paraiso in Cuba, Uig Sands in Scotland, Al Mughsail in Oman, Dune du Pilat in France, Ora Beach in Indonesia, Awaroa in New Zealand, Die Plaat in South Africa, Grand Anse in Grenada, Honopu Beach in Hawaii, Fakarava in French Polynesia, Marathonisi in Greece, Seagrass Bay in Fiji, Tortuga Bay in the Galapagos and Pink Sand Beach in Barbuda, Praia do Sancho in Brazil and Playa Manuel Antonio in Costa Rica, among others.
The Philippines is no longer new on Condé Nast Traveler’s prestigious and much-awaited listings. In 2022, for instance, the influential travel magazine named the Philippines as one of the 40 “most beautiful countries in the world.”
Writer Caitlin Morton, in her Condé Nast Traveler article, cited some of the top tourist destinations in the Philippines worth going to, including Puerto Princesa’s Subterranean River National Park in Palawan, Bohol’s Chocholate Hills and the Banaue rice terraces of Northern Luzon.
The Philippines is in good company, as it was then cited alongside such Asian countries as Japan, Malaysia, China, Vietnam and India. Also earning spots in the Magic 40 were Australia for its Great Barrier Reef, Brazil for its famed Rio de Janeiro beach, the United States for its awesome Grand Canyon and Spain and its world-class Mediterranean beaches.
