By Brian Jules Campued
Guess it’s no longer a secret anymore as Hidden Beach in El Nido was ranked among the latest list of “34 best beaches in the world” by global travel magazine Condé Nast Traveller.
Even though covered by towering limestone walls, the Hidden Beach still marked its position at 19th place on the list published on Feb. 23.
Palawan is filled with pristinely beautiful spots and a turquoise ocean but Hidden Beach, according to journalist Lizzie Pook, is distinguished by a “small keyhole-like opening” that visitors must climb in order to reach the lagoon.
Pook described the small cove as “surrounded by imposing limestone cliffs and with startlingly bone-white sand”.
Australia’s Palm Cove Beach topped the list, followed by Honopu Beach in Kauai, Hawaii; Breckon, Shetland; Wategos Beach, also in Australia; and Ora Beach in Indonesia.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) welcomed the latest accolade received by El Nido and invited tourists to “come and see first hand” the wonders of Palawan.
“The Department of Tourism is celebrating yet another recognition received by El Nido, Palawan’s Hidden Beach, as renowned travel media company Condé Nast Traveller shortlisted the tourist-favorite and award-winning destination as part of its global ‘best beaches’ list this year,” the DOT said in a social media post.
Meanwhile, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco announced last week that international visitors to the Philippines have reached a total of 1,227,815 arrivals from January to March 2024—about 22.86% higher than the 999,390 arrivals recorded in the same period last year.
Frasco added that the milestone is a “robust indication of the future of Philippine tourism”.
In 2023, the Philippines registered over 5.45 million international visitor arrivals, surpassing an industry target of 4.8 million arrivals. El Nido logged a total of 500,408 arrivals as of Dec. 27.
DOT earlier revealed that it will target 7.7 million international visitors in 2024. – avds
