ucked away in a secluded corner of northwest Palawan, Philippines, El Nido is located 430km from Manila. Named after the fabled birds' nests found in the vertiginous crevices of the limestone crags thrusting out of the stunningly blue sea, El Nido Resorts offers a true castaway escape for the intrepid or those simply wishing to grab a book and browse by the beach. The swiftlet nests (nido in Spanish) are prized for their contribution to "nido soup" which needs little introduction.

This is an eco-friendly getaway and deluxe seaview rooms at Miniloc run on solar power.

While El Nido and its environs are a thriving showcase of Palawan's diverse geology and marine life, visitors will perhaps remember it most for the jaw-dropping blues that extend in infinite shades in all directions ensuring you are always aware this is somewhere special. Pick the azure of the open sea or the emerald of a private cove or dive into turquoise see-through water rich in coral and marine life.

El Nido Resorts began as a 15-cottage dive resort on a pristine island in El Nido. El Nido Resorts Miniloc Island, one of the best Palawan dive resort options, is set in a private cove with a white-sand beach backed by towering, extraordinarily photogenic limestone cliffs.

Teeming marine life is just a wade away. The more upmarket El Nido Resort Lagen Island offers stilted water cottages at one end of a scenic cove fringed by tropical forest.

If this top Philippines resort appears intriguingly familiar, it's worth recalling that the Lagen hideaway has featured in the popular travel-reality TV show, Amazing Race. Both El Nido resorts offer convenient access to the islands, lagoons, caves, dives, and sugar-white beaches that the El Nido area is renowned for. The resorts offer diving, kayaking, snorkelling, sailing, hiking and romantic beach picnics. Join a group and explore or set apart time for a cosy twosome jaunt to an uninhabited island where you could pop the big question. Or try a virtual tour.