El Nido in Palawan, Philippines - Experience Diversity, Experience El Nido El Nido - home to a warm and hospitable people and a place blessed with a scenic landscape. El Nido is one of the most important sites for biological diversity in the country and has been declared by the Philippine government as a protected area. In El Nido's bay are 45 enchanting islands and islets formed 250 million years ago. Each island has its own unique features, whether they be soaring cliffs or hidden lagoons, pocket white sand beaches or ancient caves. Within this sanctuary, in an uninhabited island in the bay, is El Nido Resorts Lagen Island and Miniloc Island. It is from here that you can explore the islands and surrounding waters and experience the many surprises that El Nido has to offer. El Nido is a municipality located at the northwestern tip of the province of Palawan in the Philippines. It is about 430 kilometers southwest of Manila, and about 238 kilometers northwest of Puerto Princesa, Palawan’s capital. El Nido is bordered by the Linapacan Strait in the north, the Sulu Sea in the east, and the South China Sea in the west. The Municipality of El Nido is composed of 18 barangays (villages) covering a total land area of 50,000 hectares. Its population of 27,000 people, is a mix of native Palaweños, with a heavy presence of migrants from other parts of the Philippines. El Nido is named after the edible nests of Swiftlets (Collocalia Fuciphaga) found in the crevices of its limestone cliffs. These nests, “nido” in Spanish, are the main ingredient for the gourmet nido soup.El Nido is considered as a showcase of Palawan’s geology and diverse wildlife. Its majestic limestone cliffs stand guard over clear waters, with hundreds of species of tropical fishes and corals, and three species of endangered sea turtles. El Nido’s forests are host to more than 100 species of birds, a large number of which are endemic to Palawan.