When the first version of this article was published, nearly 10 years ago, the Internet connection situation in El Nido was rather complicated… Few hotels had decent Wi-Fi (and it was often limited to the lobby), the rare cafés and restaurants with Wi-Fi offered an extremely slow signal, and the most connected travelers had to bring their own personal pocket Wi-Fi from home before leaving.

Fortunately, since then, the situation has improved a lot, thanks in particular to the steady growth of tourism, which pushed the destination to upgrade its infrastructure — Internet connectivity included. So here is what to expect today to stay connected in El Nido. And for the curious who’d like to take a trip back in time, the original 2017 article is preserved at the very bottom of this page.

In hotels

The vast majority of hotels, guesthouses and resorts now offer free Wi-Fi. In many cases, the connection is decent enough for everyday use: social media, email, browsing, even some light streaming.

That said, quality can vary from one place to another (and even from one room to another), so if Internet matters to you, it’s worth checking before you book. The easiest way in the Philippines: reach out to the hotel directly on Facebook Messenger (Filipinos are heavy Messenger users — it’s often the main contact channel) or via WhatsApp. A phone call works too, but messaging usually gets you a faster, clearer answer about the Wi-Fi quality in the rooms.

In cafés and restaurants

Good news here too: almost every café and restaurant now offers Wi-Fi. It has become a standard in El Nido! The connection is usually fine for a bit of work or for planning your activities, but it can slow down at peak hours when a lot of travelers are connected at the same time.

Local SIM cards

Operators like Globe Telecom and Smart Communications offer very accessible prepaid SIM cards. The process is simple: you buy the SIM (often just a few hundred pesos), register it with your passport — a mandatory formality for all visitors since 2023 — then pick a data plan.

The most convenient way is to get equipped right at Manila airport, where dedicated operator stands cater specifically to tourists: everything is done in a few minutes (purchase, registration, activation), and your SIM is up and running before you even board your domestic flight to Palawan.

The prices are very affordable: you can easily find 7, 15 or 30-day plans with plenty of data to cover your usage off-Wi-Fi (4G or 5G depending on the area). For a stay of several weeks, it’s by far the most economical option.

eSIM: convenient but pricier

Another increasingly popular option: eSIM. You can buy one even before you leave home, which is very handy to be connected as soon as you arrive. Some eSIMs offer better stability than local networks, but be aware: prices are often higher.

  • For a short stay (less than 30 days) an eSIM can be a simple and fast solution
  • For a longer stay a local SIM (Globe or Smart) remains much more economical

Our 2026 picks to stay connected

Depending on your traveler profile, here are two options tested and approved to make sure you don’t find yourself without Internet in El Nido — and on Palawan more broadly, where remote areas are plentiful:

Starlink Mini Roam — for demanding nomads

The Starlink Mini Roam gives you a satellite Wi-Fi connection, fully independent from local mobile networks. It’s the ideal solution if you plan to explore the most remote corners of Palawan — deserted beaches, jungle treks, boat expeditions to Linapacan or Coron — where no operator has coverage. The initial investment is significant (~$700 + monthly subscription), but in terms of reliability, it’s the best out there today for a digital nomad or a long-haul road-tripper. Discover Starlink Roam on starlink.com

Pocket Wi-Fi — for regular travelers

A small device that takes your local Globe or Smart SIM card and broadcasts Wi-Fi to several devices at once. It’s the ideal setup if you travel as a family or in a group, or if you work remotely with a laptop and a phone. Good battery life (8-12h), reasonable price, and the bonus of being able to reuse the device on your future trips anywhere in the world. See Pocket Wi-Fi devices on Amazon

What to expect in practice

Even though things have improved, keep in mind that you are in Palawan — nicknamed “the last frontier” of the Philippines for good reason. El Nido is still far from the big cities and their infrastructure, and that’s also why people come here: the preserved nature, the feeling of being at the edge of the world.

So don’t expect a connection as fast and stable as in Europe or in Manila. You may still experience occasional slowdowns, sometimes plain outages (often linked to tropical storms or scheduled power cuts), and a weaker signal in certain areas, especially as soon as you leave the town center or head out on an excursion.

In short

Today, staying connected in El Nido is easy and accessible to everyone. Between hotel Wi-Fi, cafés, local SIM cards and eSIM, you have plenty of options. But as is often the case while traveling, the best is to accept that the connection can be capricious from time to time… and to take it as an opportunity to disconnect a little.

📜 For the record — the 2017 situation

This section preserves the original text of the article as published in 2017. The recommendations below (buying a pocket Wi-Fi before leaving home, Internet cafés in town) are no longer the best approach in 2026 — see the update above.

If you’re a “digital traveller” and cannot let one day go without checking your emails or posting you thoughts and pictures on Facebook, you may have a hard time in El Nido… The sad truth is that a good and fast Internet connection is a pretty rare thing here! So, what can you do about it?

Bring your own mobile wifi

You can easily buy these in Puerto Princesa, for example in Octagon or Teslinque shops. Be assured to buy them not “simlocked” (either in Puerto Princesa or in your own country…) so that you can use then with other providers than the one you bought it to. Allright, but now… What if you didn’t plan ahead?

Find a place with a good free Internet access

There are a few places in town that will let you access their Internet connexion for free: bars or restaurants. Unfortunately, the connexions in theses places are often extremely slow. Opening a web browser can take ages…

That is because often theses places only have their own “mobile wifi” that they share with all their customers. Those are meant for personnal use, and designed to receive only a limited number of connections at the same time… thus their slowliness!

Ask to your hotel

All in all, your hotel will probably be the best place where to surf the Internet. Make sure before you book that they have a wifi access, and that it can be accessible not only in the lobby but also in your room. Nothing will replace a phone call or an email to inquire about such a thing.

The Internet Cafés

If you really need to find such a good Internet connection, you can still go in one of the Internet Café of the town. These are small shops equiped with computers and a good Internet connexion, where you can pay as you go. You won’t be able to connect with your own laptop, but if you do need to access the Internet quite urgently, this is the place to go.

To conclude

Hopefully, Internet connexion in El Nido will get better and better overtime. In the meanwhile, you now know what to do to if you really need an wifi access during your stay: choose your hotel wisely, bring your own pocket wifi, or use one of the Internet Café available in town. And if you cannot or won’t get one or another, then just relax, enjoy your stay and take a really break from your geeky routines!