When to visit El Nido – El Nido Hotels

The year at a glance

These are typical patterns. Tropical weather does not keep to a calendar, so any month can surprise you.

JanDry

FebDry

MarDry

AprDry

MayDry

JunMixed

JulWet

AugWet

SepWet

OctWet

NovMixed

DecDry

Best weather

February to April: dry days, calm seas and the clearest water.

Best value

May, June and November: fewer people, lower rates and mostly good days.

Quietest

July to October: cheap and empty, with a real chance of rain and cancelled boats.

Month by month

Month	Season	Weather	Crowds	Worth knowing
January	Dry	Dry and breezy, cooler evenings	Very busy	Peak season rates. Open-water tours can be choppy.
February	Dry	Dry, sunny, light winds	Very busy	Reliable weather. Book well ahead.
March	Dry	Hot and dry, calm seas	Busy	Among the best months for the boat tours.
April	Dry	Hottest month, calm seas	Very busy at Easter	Holy Week fills the town. Book early.
May	Dry	Hot, first showers late in the month	Moderate	Good value once Easter has passed.
June	Mixed	Sun with afternoon rain	Quieter	Rates fall. Most days still work for tours.
July	Wet	Frequent rain, rougher seas	Quiet	Expect some cancelled tours.
August	Wet	Wettest stretch	Quiet	The lowest prices of the year.
September	Wet	Heavy rain at times	Very quiet	Flexible plans are essential.
October	Wet	Rain easing through the month	Quiet	Storms are still possible.
November	Mixed	Clearing, with the odd wet day	Building	A good balance of weather, price and space.
December	Dry	Dry and breezy	Very busy from mid-month	Christmas and New Year sell out early.

Two winds explain most of it

Amihan, November to April

The north-east monsoon brings dry air. It can be breezy from December to February, which stirs up the more exposed tour routes.

Habagat, June to October

The south-west monsoon brings rain and rougher seas on El Nido’s west-facing coast. Palawan sees fewer typhoons than much of the Philippines, but storms still reach it.