The Ultimate Guide To Las Cabanas Beach El Nido AKA Carong Carong, Vanilla Beach
Yesterday our little family crew decided to spend the day at Las Cabanas beach. Our reason for doing this is that Las Cabanas is rated as on of the top things to do in El Nido, and we want to experience them all! Spending 10 days in El Nido with 2 small children ages 2 and 5 can be a challenge, we need to keep them entertained and stimulated so that we can enjoy our time.
Las Cabanas proved perfect for that, there is a lot for a kid to do here and for parents! In this article I am going to outline all of the top things to do at Las Cabanas/Carong Carong/Vanilla beach. I don’t know exactly why but there are 3 names for the same place, and this can be super confusing for people travelling here…THEY ARE THE SAME PLACE! Don’t let the locals confuse you, most of them are out to make a buck and if you tell a driver you want to check out Carong Carong because you went to Las Cabanas yesterday they will still drive you to the same place in order to catch a fair.
The Ultimate Guide to Las Cabanas Beach, Vanilla Beach and Carong Carong Beach El Nido, Palawan. Philippines Beaches
Our Experience at Las Cabanas with kids.
The morning we decided to go to Las Cabanas was comedy in itself, we were walking around El Nido town all packed with our swim gear and our massive stroller and we waved down a tricycle to ask them how much they would charge us to go to a beach. The driver had a sign about Las Cabanas beach and he gave us a price to get there at 250 Pesos.
Being a cheap ass as my friends would call it I always shop around so I waved down another driver and asked him what he would charge. He said 200 Pesos. His vehicle had a sign up for Carong Carong. I asked him about this and he said the tourists call the place Las Cabanas, but it is actually called Carong Carong. I told him I would give him 150 Pesos and he accepted.
We hopped in and drove to the beach, on arrival we stopped in front of a new ball that was recently built, it is an open air mall with a few small shops open along with the only Mcdonalds in El Nido. There was a huge sign in front that said Vanilla Beach. Shit now I’m really confused, I ask the security guard sitting out front. “Is this Las Cabanas Beach?” He says, back there and points through the mall.
Las Cabanas, Vanilla Beach, Carong Carong, El Nido
So we pay our driver and walk in. Getting through Vanilla beach mall was a breeze and this area was perfect for the stroller or wheelchairs because there are ramps for every level. Once we get through the mall we see the beach. It is stunning, with blue green water and white sand. What a difference this place is to El Nido towns nasty beach. To the right a mile away you will see a boat harbour that people that are staying in this area can take the island hopping tours from. And to the left is a long stretch of beach, restaurants, and small hotels.
We looked for an area with shade because the baby was sleeping in the stroller and set up our beach blanket. The sand is soft and smooth at the entrance of the beach area just like at Lio beach and Nacpan beach.
It was cooking hot outside so we changed into our swimsuits and headed into the water. The sand underneath is soft, so this area is good for kids. There are some rocks, but nothing to worry about in this area. I am talking right in front of the mall entrance to the beach, all the way to the smoking area to the left. After that it gets rockier in the water.
When you look out you will notice there are a few surrounding island and it is a really beautiful picture spot. I was snapping away with my go pro. There is a nice view of helicopter island from here as well as a small island to the left that the zippiness go to from the mainland.
Read the article How to Teach Kids How To Swim Here
Yes there are some crazy zippiness here, they are really high up and long. You go from a peak on the mainland area all the way over Las cabanas beach to the island across. To freaky for me, but there were a lot of people doing this.
To the left of the beach there are 3 main restaurants serving drinks and food, they have set up all kinds of chill spots in the sand with bean bags and giant beach mats with pillows. These are perfect spots to just relax.
We wanted to go for a drink and have a snack so we chose a giant beach mat with pillows. This was the third restaurant you can see from the beach area. The restaurant was playing light music and there were swings to play around in at the restaurant. I set the family up on the beach mat and sat in one of the swings to order our food.
Rayden at Las Cabanas Beach, El Nido. Carong Carong/Vanilla beach
I had a San Mig Light Beer, and my wife had a Pina Colada. The beer costed 80 Pesos and the Pina Colada 120 Pesos. Not too bad for right beachfront! We cheered on the beach mat and sipped our drinks while the kids played in the sand in front of us. Her drink was really strong, but the beer was perfect! That is one thing you will notice when you order drinks in the Philippines is they free pour so there is no consistency in the amount of alcohol you will get in you drink. The restaurant did not care how long we sat there, so we spent most of our day on this mat.
I decided to go for a walk and my son and I wanted to explore further down the beach to the left of the mall. We headed out on a beautiful walk that I will always remember. Along the beach there are small hotels and right after the restaurant there is a beachfront massage place.
We kept walking and the sand started to get a bit grittier and there were less and less people in this area. There is a cool house set up right on the beach built around a shipwreck. We took pictures here, and we imagined the owners being some sort of lost expat hippies that found their dream spot and stayed. At the end of the beach there is one of the best views on el Nido. It is crystal clear smooth water and loads of mountains in the water. It was beautiful. If you plan on taking any pictures, this is the spot with the best lighting and the best backdrop.
When you get there you will notice a tiny rock path leading across the ocean to the island where the zipping goes to. You can walk across to the island but make sure you are wearing shoes or flip flops for this because the rocks going across are jagged. To the left there is more beach and secluded resorts. Right at the cross roads there is a small restaurant. This place would be perfect to watch the sunset or sunrise.
My son and I explored the clear waters looking for crabs and fish, one thing we found really awesome is that the water at this part is very warm, almost like a baby pool. There is an area you can swim here but you have to walk down further for that. As we kept exploring we found tube swings and a few ladies suntanning topless. Dad liked that lol.
We headed back to the beach to go for a swim to cool off with the family. The area in from of the restaurants is not good for swimming as there are a lot of rocks in the water here. So my recommendation is to walk a little past the cool tree that sticks out in front of the first restaurant if you are planning on swimming here.
Hippie Dream House at Las Cabans Beach, El Nido. Carong Carong Beach and Vanilla beach
12 Things to Do At Las Cabanas Beach
1.Take Epic pictures
The best spots are in the water, on the bean bags in front of the restaurants, on the restaurant swings with the mountain background, on the cool tree in front of the restaurant or at the end of the beach where we went for the beach walk.
Tip Of Las Cabanas Beach, El Nido. Carong Carong Beach and Vanilla beach
2. Go Swimming
The water here is pretty calm and it is sandy underneath. Its also really hot outside so your going to need to cool off.
3. Sun Tan
There are mats lated out by the restaurants to tan on.
4. Zip Line
If you have the guts, you can do the crazy zipping that they have there
5. Shop at Vanilla Beach mall
6. Get a massage on the beach
They charge 500 pesos for an hour oil massage, but you can probably negotiate them down
7. Have lunch
The restaurants here are clean and have an awesome menu. Don’t order the fries though as they are gross.
Epic Beach Day at Las Cabanas Beach, El Nido. Family Travel Philippines
8. Drink some cocktails!
Cool off with a refreshing drink and enjoy it with some of the best scenery you can find in El Nido.
9. Build a sandcastle
The sand here is great for a sandcastle, however the beach is pretty thin so you will have to find a good spot.
10. Take a boat tour
There are boats here and there is a harbour nearby where you can hire a boat to take you out on the water.
11. Watch the sunset
The end of the beach is an epic sunset location.
12. People watch.
Because it is closer to town and most of the people hang out in front of the restobars this is an entertaining place to people watch.
Hungry Beach Dogs at Las Cabanas, El Nido. Carong Carong beach and Vanilla beach
Other Common Questions about Las Cabanas, El Nido
How to get to Las Cabanas Beach?
I would recommend just hopping in a tricycle from El Nido town or Lio beach where you are staying. The tricycle from town will cost you around 150 pesos and take 15 mins to get to the beach. Or if you are staying at Lio the tricycle will cost you around 300 pesos and take 30 mins to get to.
What is Vanilla Beach?
Vanilla beach is the name of the new mall located at Las Cabanas in El Nido. It is owned by Cay Island Corp and Discovery World. It really looks weird when you get there, the mall is beautiful and doesn’t match the surrounding area. However the area is getting better with the rapid development going on here. I think this area is going to be the hub for tourists in the future. And this could end up being the place to be.
The View at Las Cabanas Beach, El Nido. Carong Carong and Vanilla beach. Helicopter Island
What is Carong Carong Beach?
This is the actual beach in the Las Cabanas area of El Nido. Essentially they are all the same place.
Why Is there 3 names to the same beach?
One is the area, the second is the beach and the third is the name given by the corporation that is re-labeling the area.
Is Las Cabanas Beach Good For Kids?
Our kids had a good time here. Just be careful with your kids in the water. If you go past the big tree that separates the beach there is a lot of rocks and coral in the water. The water also gets a bit deep here for little one and the water is not clear, so if they go down you will not be able to see them.
Snorkelling Las Cabanas Beach
Don’t even bother. There are mud flats in the water in front of the sandy beach and the water is too cloudy to snorkel. I tried and the visibility is around 10 cm.
Read the Article How to Snorkel Like A Pro Here
Father and son on Las Cabans Beach, El Nido
How Far Is Las Cabanas Beach From El Nido Town?
It is a fun 15 minute tricycle ride from El Nido Town.
Is Las Cabanas/Vanilla Beach Wheelchair Accessible?
No it is not, you can get to the beach through Vanilla mall. But once there it would be hard to move around the beach. The restaurants all have steep steps and there are no ramps.
Is there food at Las Cabanas?
Yes there are 3 main restaurants here and there is also a Mcdonalds opening in the mall very soon!
Map Of El Nido
El Nido Map
The Rampersauds at Lio Beach
