Port Barton and Roxas Palengke: A Rainy Day in Palawan

The original plan was El Nido. Six hours by car each way, and if you’re not island hopping, that’s a lot of road for not a lot of payoff. Abby’s family still wants to come to Palawan, so we figured — leave the big stuff for when everyone’s together. We scaled back and made the most of where we already were.

Good decision.

This is day three — the morning after the night at Uncle Henry’s beach house in Caramay.

Morning at Henalric

I woke up to this.

Uncle Henry had already left for the office by the time I had breakfast. He was flying to Greece and Turkey later that afternoon — surprise trip. So we’d spent time together the night before and that was that. You take what you can get.

The resort is called Henalric — a combination of three brothers’ names: Henry, Allan, and Eric. That’s how naming works in the Philippines sometimes. Family history built right into the sign.

The Property

The place is open for business, and it’s worth knowing about if you’re heading to this part of Palawan. It’s quiet, it’s on the water, and everything is fresh — food, water, the air.

That old black truck under the mango tree? That’s the Toyota Hilux. I told the story of driving that thing years ago — Uncle Henry still has it. He’s got a newer Hilux now, but the original’s still there, parked where it always was.

On the side of the property, he drilled a water well and built a pump — the water is so good that he turned it into a water station for the whole neighborhood. Neighbors can come refill containers. That’s just how he operates.

Port Barton

Port Barton is about an hour from Caramay. It’s a popular jump-off point for island hopping — there are dozens of outrigger boats for hire and islands in every direction. We weren’t island hopping, but we wanted to see it. Abby hadn’t been.

The weather hadn’t fully cooperated all morning, but it was clearing up by the time we got there.

The “I ❤️ Port Barton” sign is the obvious move and yeah, we did it.

One thing I appreciated: there’s a jellyfish warning sign posted right on the beach. Full instructions — apply vinegar, rinse with salt water, don’t rub, seek medical attention if needed. That’s genuinely useful information in a place where jellyfish stings are common. Most beaches don’t bother.

We didn’t stay long. It continued to rain on and off, and we had more ground to cover.

Roxas Palengke

Next stop was Roxas, Palawan — specifically the palengke. Palengke means market. This is where you go for real food: fruits, vegetables, meat, and fish, all fresh.

Inside, one side is all dried goods: dried fish, dried squid, all the things Filipinos eat for breakfast with a fried egg. I’m used to the smell. I love that smell. If you’re not from here, it’s going to hit you. Prepare yourself.

The other side is fresh catch — whatever came in that morning. Mussels, crab, shrimp, different types of fish, whole chicken and pork butchered fresh. Everything is local, everything is same-day.

Then someone pointed out the lato. If you’ve never seen lato before, it’s a type of sea grape — little clusters of tiny round balls filled with seawater. You dip it in vinegar and eat it as is. The texture is unlike anything else: each little ball pops with a burst of ocean saltiness. It’s a delicacy in the Visayas and parts of Palawan, and it’s one of those things that people from here absolutely love and everyone else looks at with suspicion.

We bought dried fish to bring back to Manila. That’s what you do.

Modern Bakery

On the main highway in Barangay 2 of Roxas, there’s a place called Modern Bakery. I remembered eating here, or somewhere like it, when I was younger. These small local bakeries are everywhere in the Philippines and they all have roughly the same things: sugar rolls, pan de sal, polvoron, cookies with sesame seeds, bread rolls with jam filling.

There’s one called pan de regla — I’ll leave the translation to you. It’s got a purple filling and it’s very much a Filipino thing. But it’s good.

The Roads, the Jeepneys, and Barangay 4

Driving through Roxas brought back memories of how rough these roads used to be. The main highway is now cemented — smooth, fast, normal. But before that, it was dirt and mud. My uncle used to drive a jeepney with dual rear wheels specifically because the road was so bad. You basically went off-roading every day.

Now that it’s paved, buses have replaced the jeepneys on the main routes. Makes sense — you can fit more passengers, it’s more fuel-efficient per person, better business. The jeepneys are still around but mostly for shorter local routes.

We passed through Barangay 4, near the bus terminal. There’s a basketball court near city hall that I used to play pickup games at. I couldn’t find it from the car — the area’s changed. But I remember those games. People would show up barefoot, in flip-flops, and still cook you. Don’t underestimate the pickup game in the Philippines.

Back at the Beach House

By afternoon we were back at Henalric. High tide had come in and the boat that had been sitting on sand was now floating. The rain had stopped — it only rains for a stretch here and then clears up — and the sun was peeking out for the first time all day.

We visited a family member nearby and got more time with the older relatives — the ones who actually raised me. I’ll keep the details of that private, but it was good. It was really good.

Puerto Princesa

We packed up and made the drive to Puerto Princesa, the capital of Palawan. It’s about 2.5 hours from Roxas, and we were already checked into the Best Western. Nothing like home, but it had a bed, a fridge, a TV, and no mini-bar. That last part was legitimately appreciated — the fridge was just a fridge. I wish more hotels did that.

The spa services menu was on the table: ₱600 ($12 USD at the time) for a massage. We were considering it. We were also considering changing our flight to go home sooner. We missed the kids.

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That was day three. Tomorrow we’d figure out the flight situation and get back to Manila.

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Watch the full video above — the market walkthrough and the bakery tour are better experienced with audio.

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Stayed at Henalric Resort in Caramay, Roxas, Palawan, Philippines. Not a sponsored mention — it’s family.