Hidden Beach In The Philippines Named 3rd Best Beach In The World

Hidden Beach in the Philippines' resort town of El Nido in Palawan Island has been dubbed the third-best beach in the world.

The Philippines' top-rated beach was included in "The World's 50 Best Beaches" list presented by pharmaceutical company Banana Boat.

The list described Hidden Beach as "truly one-of-a-kind" and an "unparalleled paradise."

"Crystal clear, shallow water surrounded by white sand and majestic limestone walls with lush greenery and palms, there is no question why so many of our beach experts voted this one of the best," read a description of Hidden Beach on the list's website.

The beach garnered a rating of 10 out of 10 for untouched nature and nine out of 10 for how swimmable it is.

The World's 50 Best Beaches said Hidden Beach can be visited year-round but suggested that the best time to visit it is between December and April, during the Philippines' dry season.

Lucky Bay in Australia and Anse Source d'Argent in Seychelles ranked first and second, respectively, on the list.

The beaches were chosen based on Banana Boat beach ambassadors and hundreds of global travel influencers, journalists, editors, and agents, according to the Philippine Star.

They were all ranked according to five criteria: sheer untouched nature, remoteness, how swimmable it is, the annual number of sunny days, and the average annual temperature.

This was not the first time Hidden Beach was recognized for its beauty.

Earlier this year, World Beach Guide ranked it fourth among the top 100 beaches on the planet.

World Beach Guide noted that despite its growing popularity, Hidden Beach remains isolated and rarely crowded.

"Those that do come tend to spend only around an hour here as part of a wider tour of the island's treasures despite the obvious beauty," the website wrote.

According to the Philippine Department of Tourism, as of May 15, over 2 million foreign tourists have already traveled to the country this year, compared to approximately 2.65 million tourist arrivals in 2022.

But it was still lower than the 8.2 million foreign tourist arrivals recorded in 2019, the year before the COVID-19 pandemic.

In January, Philippine Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said the country aims to attract a minimum of 4.8 million foreign tourists this year.

Frasco noted several projects to ease tourist entry protocols and encourage them to visit the Philippines. Among them are eTravel, the country's one-stop electronic travel declaration system, the "Philippine Experience," and "Bisita Be My Guest."

"The effort is to ensure that the Philippines is open and ready to receive tourists all over the world," Frasco said, ABS-CBN News reported.