El Nido has two seasons and they are not subtle. From December to May the water is flat enough that the island-hopping boats run nearly every morning, and a cancelled trip is unusual enough to be worth an apology.

From June the amihan gives way to the habagat, and the sea starts making the decisions. Tours still run — plenty of them — but a boat that is cancelled at seven in the morning is a boat that would have been unpleasant or unsafe at nine.

If your dates are fixed and you only have one shot at the Big Lagoon, come in the dry months. If you have a week and some patience, the shoulder months are quieter, cheaper, and the light after a squall is the best you will see all year.