Port Barton tide times

Predictions: Open-Meteo Marine (MeteoFrance SMOC, 0.08° grid) — heights relative to MSL (not chart datum / LAT). Model-derived.

Model-derived from a global ocean grid. Useful indication; expect about ±45 minutes on average vs. a local harmonic gauge, individual stations vary widely. See /methodology for per-region detail. Not for navigation.

Conditions as of 06:00 local time. Refreshes daily.

Predictions: Open-Meteo Marine (MeteoFrance SMOC, 0.08° grid) — heights relative to MSL (not chart datum / LAT). Model-derived. · Not for navigation.

The angler tradition for major/minor fishing windows: major ≈3-hour windows around moon transit and opposition; minor ≈2-hour windows around moonrise and moonset. Times are Asia/Manila local. Folk tradition, not a scientific forecast.

Port Barton is a small coastal barangay on the west coast of Palawan, 160 kilometres south of El Nido by the mountain road and around 70 kilometres north of Puerto Princesa. The bay faces W-NW into the South China Sea, sheltered by a scatter of offshore islands — German Island, Exotic Island, Capsalay Island, and several smaller outcrops — that break the open-sea fetch and keep the inshore waters calm during most of the year. The village has several hundred residents and a guesthouse strip that has grown over the past decade as travellers choose Port Barton as the quieter Palawan alternative to El Nido's heavier tourism traffic. Bangka outrigger boats are the only way to reach the islands and the snorkel sites; the boats are launched and retrieved across the beach ramp in front of the village. The tidal range at Port Barton is mixed semidiurnal with spring range approximately 1.2 to 1.8 metres — similar to El Nido but with a slight South China Sea character that differs marginally from the Sulu Sea side. At low spring tides the bangka beach ramp exposes sand and rock outcrops that are covered at high water; the boats are carried further down the exposed shore to reach the waterline, and launching in the hour either side of low spring requires more effort than at higher stages. This operational reality shapes daily tour timing: most operations depart at or after the half-flood to avoid the extended carry across the low-tide flat. The snorkel sites around German Island and Exotic Island hold coral in good condition; the reef channels between the offshore islands run a noticeable current on springs. The best snorkelling visibility windows follow the incoming tide, when South China Sea water pushes in through the island gaps rather than the turbid lagoon water draining out on the ebb. Exotic Island (locally called Exotic Island) has a small sandy beach, a coral garden on its leeward side accessible by swimming from the beach, and a nesting colony of white tern (the small white birds that nest on tree branches above the beach and are routinely unconcerned by human proximity). The House Reef — a coral patch directly offshore of the Port Barton village beach, accessible by swimming from shore — holds reef fish and a few coral heads in moderate condition; it is covered from about half-flood onward and can be snorkelled without a boat. The turtle-nesting beach in the Buenavista area south of Port Barton village is monitored by local conservation groups; nesting season runs from approximately October through March. Shore angling from the village beach and the headland rocks on either side of the bay is primarily for reef species. Paddleboards and kayaks are available from guesthouses; the enclosed bay is a practical flat-water paddling area at most tidal stages, with the inter-island passages requiring more current awareness on springs. The overland road from Puerto Princesa to Port Barton runs 2 to 2.5 hours in the dry season; some travellers use the weekly fast boat service from Puerto Princesa (weather-dependent). The overland route passes through the San Rafael–Roxas barangay road and follows the western Palawan coast with intermittent sea views; the last 20 km is a rough unsealed road in some sections and takes longer after rain. Accommodation in Port Barton runs from beachfront nipa huts at PHP 600 to 800 per night to mid-range concrete guesthouses; the strip is small enough to walk end to end in 10 minutes. The nearest ATM is in Roxas town, approximately 60 km south — carry cash from Puerto Princesa. Electrical power in the barangay runs on generator from approximately 18:00 to 23:00; battery power banks and solar charging are the practical daytime solution. Tidal predictions on this page come from Open-Meteo Marine, a gridded global ocean model; accuracy is typically ±45 minutes on timing and ±0.2 to 0.3 metres on height. PAGASA is the authoritative Philippine tide source.