Top 22 Facts about Palawan Island Philippines: The Most Beautiful Island in the World

Palawan island has been called the last frontier of nature, and some are calling it the best island in the world. There are so many things to do here like diving, snorkeling, kayaking, swimming, and even surfing. You can hang out at the beach, go hiking, camping, zip-lining, and horseback riding. And for those who love eating, you can try local dishes like Pan de Sal, Gulay, Tinolang Manok, and many others. We have listed 22 interesting facts about this beautiful island.

No 1: Palawan is the only place in the Philippines where you can find Corals.

No 2: Palawan’s coral reefs are home to over 500 species of fish.

No 3: Palawan was once a giant volcano that erupted millions of years ago.

No 4: Palawan is the smallest province in the country but also the richest.

No 5: The island is still waiting for its first UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

No 6: Located in the western portion of the Philippines, Palawan has long been known as the “Island of Promise” and “Gem of the Archipelago”. With its white-sand beaches, crystal clear waters, rolling hills, and lush rainforests, Palawan offers plenty of natural beauty to visitors.

No 7: In addition to its many tourist attractions, Palawan is famous for the rich biodiversity that can be found throughout its numerous islands. Its diverse ecosystem includes rare flora and fauna such as the Marine Crocodile, the Palawan Tiger, the Palawan Bee-eater, the Palawan Leaf Monkey, and the Palawan Flying Squirrel, and the Palawan Peacock.

No 8: Geographically speaking, Palawan belongs to the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. This island province shares boundaries with the provinces of Capiz, Oriental Mindoro, and Puerto Princesa.

No 9: As a matter of fact, Palawan was once called the “Spice Island” due to the abundance of spices like cloves and nutmeg, which were cultivated here in ancient times.

No 10: The name “Palawan” comes from the word “palaawag”, which means “to sail away”. According to legend, this name was given after a Spanish explorer sailed into these waters and saw how beautiful the place was.

No 11: The indigenous people of Palawan are the largest tribal group in the province. They belong to different tribes including the Agta, Dumagat, Manobo, Tboli, Subanen, Kalinga, and Mangyan.

No 12: Palawan is the third largest island in the Philippines. It is located southwest of Luzon, northeast of Mindanao, and west of Visayas.

No 13: Palawan has many beaches like Puerto Princesa, El Nido, Coron, Taytay, and others.

No 14: The largest city in Palawan is Puerto Princesa City. Other cities are El Nido, Corong Town & Calatagan.

No 15: Palawan is famous for its diving spots like Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, Sipadan Islands, Coron Island, etc.

No 16: The population of Palawan is 1,821,926 people.

No 17: It has been said that the island's name was derived from the word 'pala' meaning 'coconut'. This is not true though, since the word 'palawa', meaning 'to eat coconuts', is also used as the Tagalog translation of the name.

No 18: Palawan is home to the largest population of the endangered Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris) in the world. These dolphins are known to have lived in this area since before the dinosaurs.

No 19: Despite its small size, the island is rich in natural resources like gold, silver, copper, nickel, lead, iron, zinc, and manganese.

No 20: There is no official language spoken on the island of Palawan. However, over half of the population speaks Filipino, while the other half speaks Cebuano.

No 21: In 2010, Palawan had a total land area of 9,936 hectares.

No 22: The island is covered in lush green forests and beautiful white-sand beaches.