Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park (PPSRNP) has registered 93,428 visitors from January to December last year, an increase of 30,157 or 47.66 percent compared to the same period in 2007 of 63,271.

PPSRNP is the Philippines’ winning entry to the second round in the ongoing global search for the seven new wonders of nature of the world.

Record from PPSRNP management office showed that of the total number of tourists who visited the Underground River, 76,065 were locals and 17,363 foreigners.

James Albert Mendoza, park manager, said the month of April has the highest tourist arrivals with 11,334 when city government hosted the Palarong Pambansa.

Mendoza said Underground River, a UNESCO-declared World Heritage Site, reputed to be the longest known navigable subterranean river in the world, is still the best seller among the numerous tourist destinations in the city.

In the year 2007, it had registered 63,271 visitors, an increased of 17,003 or 36.75 percent compared to 46,268 visitors in 2006.

The PPSRNP, the most beautiful subterranean river in the world, is a must-see site for first time visitors and tourists in Palawan.

Its main attraction is the 8.2-kilometer Underground River that winds through a spectacular cave before emptying into the South China Sea.

At the mouth of the cave, a clear lagoon is framed by ancient trees growing right to the water’s edge. Monkeys, large monitor lizards, and squirrels find their niche on the beach near the cave.

Visitors can also enjoy bird watching, mountain trekking, and exploring the deeper part of the forest.

The park was declared a premier ecotourism destination and has been inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage list for its outstanding universal value and ecological significance as a natural site of intense beauty.

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