Capricho Villa El Nido

Capricho Villa El Nido Palawan is a small private villa with four suites, each with its own entrance. The setting suits divers who would rather come back to a quiet base than a large resort: air conditioning, garden views, a terrace and space to prepare something simple when the appetite arrives before the evening plans do.

The hotel team speaks English, Spanish and French, so you can sort out the practical details in English from the start. The atmosphere is built around privacy and unhurried time, with a garden, a private spa pool and rooms arranged for couples rather than crowds.

This is the sort of place where you can keep the day flexible. Swim, sit outside, use the kitchenette or walk down towards the beach when staying in feels less appealing than watching El Nido change colour.

You are in Barangay Corong Corong, in El Nido, Palawan, Philippines. Corong Corong Beach is about 150 feet away, with direct access to the Panorama Beach Club. That puts the sand within easy reach without placing you in the middle of El Nido Town Proper.

Marimegmeg Beach is about 0.7 miles away, while Lapus Lapus Beach is roughly 1.1 miles from the villa. Papaya Beach and Seven Commandos Beach are both around 2.3 miles away. The nearest named restaurant, Outpost Beach Bar and Restaurant, is about 250 feet away, with Ate Than Sunset Bar and Grill and Republica Sunset Bar also close by.

El Nido Airport is about 2.5 miles away. El Nido Town Proper takes around five to ten minutes by tricycle, giving you access to the town's restaurants, bars and excursion services without making the villa's immediate surroundings feel like a bus station.

The choice is really between a private pool suite and a king suite with a balcony. Choose the pool option if your idea of decompression involves stepping outside for a private dip; choose the balcony arrangement if you would rather have an elevated outdoor seat and keep the room feeling straightforward. Both work best for two people, not for a full expedition team with luggage breeding in the corner.

The lower-level suites open directly towards a private garden with barbecue and spa pool. The upper rooms offer a balcony, while all suites have a kitchenette with a hob, cookware, kettle and refrigerator. That matters when you return hungry, damp and unwilling to negotiate with a restaurant menu before the first cold drink.

Air conditioning and a fan cover the tropical nights, while soundproofing, a private entrance and garden or inner-courtyard views help keep the room separate from the outside world. You also have a seating area, dining area, desk, minibar, tea and coffee facilities, bathrobes, slippers and extra-long beds. The bathrooms are private and include a shower or bath, toiletries, towels and a hairdryer.

For a couple, the suites offer a useful balance of indoor comfort and outdoor breathing space. The kitchenette is there for simple meals rather than ambitious galley work, but after a long day in the water, simple is often the correct level of ambition.

There is no hotel restaurant or bar to build your evening around in the information provided, so the villa's food arrangement is the practical one: a kitchenette in your suite, with a hob, refrigerator, cookware, kettle and dining area. You can keep breakfast supplies close, make tea or coffee when you wake up, and avoid turning every meal into a formal appointment.

For eating out, Outpost Beach Bar and Restaurant is about 250 feet away. Ate Than Sunset Bar and Grill and Republica Sunset Bar are each roughly 400 feet away, making the first post-dive meal a short walk rather than a logistical exercise.

For drinks, Outpost Beach Hostel is about 300 feet away, while Sip Sunset Lounge Bar is around 0.8 miles from the villa. Sei Nazioni Bar and Lounge is roughly 1.5 miles away. In other words, you can stay in with your own supplies or head out for a sunset drink without needing to organise transport for every decision.

The private spa pool is the main piece of kit for the hours when your plans should involve very little. It has a cascade, adjustable lighting, pressure jets and bubbles, so it is designed for cooling down and easing off rather than swimming lengths. The garden and terrace add places to sit outside, with outdoor furniture and an outdoor dining area.

Massage treatments are available at the spa. That gives you a sensible alternative to another excursion when your shoulders have had enough of carrying bags, cameras and the general consequences of being a diver. The villa also offers free bicycles, useful for short trips around Corong Corong and for seeing more of the immediate area under your own steam.

An island tour can be arranged for a day away from the water around the villa. Back indoors, you have free WiFi, a flat-screen TV with cable and satellite channels, streaming services and a sofa. Not thrilling, perhaps, but a perfectly respectable plan when rain arrives or your legs vote for horizontal.

The villa can arrange an airport shuttle from El Nido Airport, with the service to be booked with the property. Car hire is also available, and luggage storage helps if your arrival or departure does not line up neatly with the room. From El Nido Town Proper, the journey takes around five to ten minutes by tricycle; from the airport, the drive takes around ten minutes.

Check-in begins at 14:00, with arrival arrangements handled between 15:00 and 18:30 in the booking details. Tell the villa your expected arrival time in advance, and bring photo identification and a credit card for check-in. Check-out is by 12:00, giving you a little room for a slow final morning rather than a dawn escape.

Private check-in and check-out are available. The property is non-smoking throughout, parties and events are not permitted, and children of any age are welcome. Children aged 12 and under can use an extra bed on request, subject to the selected accommodation and availability. The minimum age for check-in is 18.

A refundable damage deposit is collected in cash on arrival and returned at check-out after the property has been inspected. Laundry and shuttle services are available as paid services, while WiFi is free throughout the property.