Sleeping by the San Jose terminal (and whether you should)
Stay by the San Jose terminal only if you are catching a 05:00–07:00 van or bus to El Nido or Port Barton and refuse to pay for a dawn tricycle across town. It is a residential highway corridor 7 km north of the centre with almost no tourists, the cheapest beds in the city at ₱450–1,500 (~$8–26), and the New Market next door running roughly 05:00 to 20:00. Be honest about what you are buying, though: a tricycle from a city hotel to this terminal is about ₱200 (~$3.50), and two van operators will collect you from your hotel for nothing.
A highway corridor with a market, a terminal and no reason to linger
San Jose exists in a traveller's life for about nine hours: you sleep, you buy a ticket, you leave. Judged on that job it is excellent.
This is authentic Filipino residential highway, minimal tourists, and the cheapest accommodation in the city. The two things that matter are the San Jose New Market, open roughly 05:00–20:00 daily, and the San Jose land-transport terminal, which is the departure point for every bus and shuttle van heading to El Nido, Port Barton and Sabang. Backpacker guesthouses exist here specifically because of that terminal — Green Turtle Backpackers sells onward transport at the desk, which is the single most useful amenity in the barangay.
There is no restaurant scene, no bar, no walkable sights and nothing to do after 20:00. The Baywalk and KaLui are 7 km south, which is a ₱150–200 tricycle each way — spend two evenings doing that and you have wiped out the saving that brought you here.
From the airport, a tricycle to the terminal is about ₱200. From the centre it is similar. That number is the whole argument on this page, and it works in both directions.
Catching the 06:00 van: four ways to play it
The question is never really "is San Jose nice". It is "what is the cheapest way to be on a northbound van at dawn without hating my life". Here is the honest comparison.
| The plan | What it costs | Alarm | What can go wrong | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep in San Jose, walk to the terminal Green Turtle Backpackers or a nearby pension | ₱450–1,500 bed ₱0 transfer | 05:15 | Nothing much. You gave up a proper dinner the night before and there is nowhere to get coffee before 06:00 except the market | WORTH IT |
| Sleep in the centre, tricycle at dawn the default, and what most people actually do | ₱800–4,700 bed +₱150–200 tricycle | 04:45 | Finding a tricycle at 04:45 takes longer than you expect — ask your hotel to book one the night before | WORTH IT |
| Book a van with free hotel pickup Fortwally and Eulen Joy collect from hotels and the airport | Your normal room ₱700–800 from the airport | 05:30 | You pay ₱50–150 more than the ₱650 Lexxus fare, and pickup windows drift. This is the reason most people never need San Jose at all | WORTH IT |
| Sleep on the airport fringe, tricycle north nice room, wrong end of town | ₱1,550–7,200 bed +₱200 tricycle | 04:45 | The longest dawn run of the four and the hotel shuttle will not do it. Only sensible if you also had a late flight in | DEPENDS |
| Take the 09:00 or 11:00 departure instead Lexxus runs 07:00, 08:00, 09:30, 11:00, 13:00, 15:00, 17:00 | Your normal room ₱650 fare | Whenever | You lose half a day in El Nido, and the late departures arrive after dark on a mountain road. Fine if you are not on a tight chain | DEPENDS |
Fares verified August 2026: Lexxus shuttle van ₱650 over 5 h 30, Cherry Bus ₱651 economy to ₱998 Lazyboy over about 6 hours, SBE to Port Barton ₱600 over ~3.5 h. Full breakdown on van versus bus.
The departure board, in numbers
Everything that goes north out of Puerto Princesa by road leaves from this corridor, and the timetables are tighter than the internet suggests.
To El Nido: the Lexxus shuttle van is ₱650 and 5 h 30, departing the New Market at 07:00, 08:00, 09:30, 11:00, 13:00, 15:00 and 17:00. Cherry Bus runs from the terminal itself — ₱651 economy non-aircon at 07:00, ₱840 aircon at 09:00, ₱998 Lazyboy at 11:00 and 21:30 — over about 6 hours with a 15 kg allowance. The bus is slower, materially more comfortable and takes real luggage. RORO Bus has not operated in Palawan since Covid, whatever old blog posts say.
To Port Barton: SBE vans at ₱600 over about 3.5 hours, departing 06:00, 08:00, 11:00, 13:00, 15:00 and 17:00. To Sabang and the Underground River: buses at ₱125–150 over about 3 hours, first departure around 06:30; vans ₱150–450. To San Vicente for Long Beach: buses out at 08:30, 12:00 and 14:00, back at 03:00, 06:00 and 14:30, roughly 4 hours — van fares there are unverified for 2026.
The forum staple worth repeating: vans to El Nido leave roughly hourly through the morning, and in high season you book the day before. Turning up at 05:45 hoping for a seat on the 06:00 works in September and does not work in April.
Where to sleep in San Jose
There is not much, and that is the point. Expect a guesthouse, a fan or a cheap aircon unit, and a desk that will sell you the ticket you came for.
| Property | What it is | 2026 band | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green Turtle Backpackers Guesthouse balcony hangout, sells El Nido and Port Barton transport at the desk | The reason this page exists — a backpacker guesthouse built around the terminal | ₱450–1,000 ~$8–17 | WORTH IT |
| The San Jose pension tier family compounds of 6–12 rooms, the city's deepest accommodation layer | Plain, clean, cheap and almost never booked out. Cash on arrival is normal | ₱800–1,500 ~$14–26 | DEPENDS |
| Anything advertised as "near the terminal" check the map pin, not the name | The corridor is long. Some listings using the terminal in their name are a ₱50 tricycle from it, which defeats the purpose | ₱450–1,500 | DEPENDS |
The full budget ladder, including Sheebang in San Pedro and Mojo by the Baywalk, is on the hostels and pensions page.
Should you sleep out here?
San Jose, practically
A terminal-side bed, or the van that collects you
Beds here are ₱450–1,500 and rarely need booking ahead. The northbound seat is the thing that sells out — locally the van is ₱650 and the bus ₱651–998, so check any platform price against those.
San Jose terminal questions, answered
Should I stay near the San Jose terminal the night before El Nido?
Only if you are on the 06:00 or 07:00 departure and the ₱150–200 dawn tricycle genuinely matters to your budget. Beds here are ₱450–1,500 against ₱800–4,700 in the centre, so the saving is real — it is just smaller than the dinner you gave up.
How far is the San Jose terminal from Puerto Princesa airport?
About 7 km north, 15–20 minutes, and roughly ₱200 by chartered tricycle. From the city centre it is a similar fare. Multicabs do the same run for ₱25–50 if you are not in a hurry.
What time do vans leave San Jose for El Nido?
The Lexxus shuttle departs the New Market at 07:00, 08:00, 09:30, 11:00, 13:00, 15:00 and 17:00 for ₱650 over 5 h 30. Cherry Bus leaves the terminal at 07:00, 09:00, 11:00 and 21:30 at ₱651–998 over about 6 hours.
Do I need to book the El Nido van in advance?
In high season, yes — book the day before at the terminal or through your guesthouse. Vans run roughly hourly through the morning and fill up from December to May. In September you can usually walk up 20 minutes before departure.
Is San Jose safe?
Yes, with normal city sense. It is a residential corridor rather than a nightlife area, and the whole city rates 3.8/5 for solo-female safety on the Travel Ladies app. There is simply nothing open after 20:00, which is its own kind of quiet.
Can I get to Sabang and the Underground River from San Jose?
Yes — buses to Sabang leave from this terminal at ₱125–150 over about 3 hours, with the first around 06:30, and vans run ₱150–450. That is a legitimate second reason to sleep here if you are doing the river independently.
Is there anywhere to eat near the San Jose terminal?
Carinderias around ₱100 a meal and the New Market from 05:00. Nothing you travelled for. KaLui, Kinabuchs and the Baywalk grills are all 7 km south and a ₱150–200 tricycle each way.