Palawan Reigns Supreme: The World’s Best Island for 2025

There are places that live up to the hype—and then there’s Palawan.

In a world overflowing with beautiful destinations, the Philippines’ crown jewel has just been officially named the World’s Best Island to Visit in 2025 by US News & World Report. It’s a nod to something we’ve known all along: that Palawan isn’t just an escape—it’s an experience.

A Paradise Reborn

The recognition from US News, which ranked Palawan #1 among 24 top islands worldwide, is not just about turquoise waters and dramatic cliffs. It’s about biodiversity that stirs the soul, hidden lagoons that silence the noise, and a rhythm of island life that slows you down in all the right ways.

Kayangan Lake in Coron—glass-clear and surrounded by jagged limestone peaks—feels like a scene from a dream you once had. In El Nido, the towering karsts and secret beaches are cinematic in scale. And the Puerto Princesa Underground River, one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature, is both eerie and sublime.

Every corner of Palawan seems to whisper: stay a little longer.

Why Palawan Now?

This latest accolade comes at a time when the world is rethinking what it means to travel. Adventure matters. Sustainability matters. Real, unfiltered beauty matters.

Palawan checks all three boxes—and then some.

In 2024, Travel + Leisure already had its eye on the island, placing it at #13 in their own prestigious Best Islands list. But this year’s top ranking by US News elevates Palawan beyond comparison, cementing it as a global benchmark for raw, untouched natural wonder.

More Than a Pretty Place

To call Palawan just a “beautiful island” is to miss the point.

It’s a living, breathing ecosystem of culture, conservation, and community. It’s where local fishermen still paddle out before sunrise, where indigenous groups maintain centuries-old traditions, and where eco-luxury resorts are pioneering new ways to protect the land they sit on.

The island is also gaining attention from high-end travelers seeking a more meaningful kind of luxury—one rooted in experience, not excess.

The Verdict

Palawan’s new global title isn’t just another line on a tourism banner. It’s a quiet validation of something Filipinos have always known: that this island is not just ours—it’s the world’s, too.

So if you’re planning your 2025 getaway, skip the clichés. Go where the water glows, the cliffs rise like cathedrals, and every moment feels like a page from a story worth telling.

Go to Palawan.