Coron Palawan is a hidden paradise within the picturesque Calamian archipelago in the Philippines. With its crystal-clear waters, breathtaking limestone cliffs and rich underwater world, Coron not only makes divers’ hearts beat faster, but also captivates every nature lover. For us, the boat and diving excursions on Coron Palawan were the highlight of our trip to the Philippines. Find out what awaits you on Coron Island and what you shouldn’t miss in our blog post.
The Natural Wonders of Coron Palawan
The archipelago to which Coron belongs is known for its dramatic, jagged rock formations that look like sentinels of time. These steep cliffs and rock faces are the result of thousands of years of geological processes and today offer a spectacular panorama that you won’t soon forget.
An equally impressive world awaits you beneath the surface. The waters around Coron are some of the clearest and purest you will ever see. Dive into these crystal-clear waters and you will be amazed by the visibility and purity of the water. Here you can discover a fascinating underwater world while snorkeling or diving, ranging from colourful coral reefs to mysterious shipwrecks.
But it’s not just the rocks and waters that make Coron so special. The island is surrounded by a multitude of smaller islands and hidden lagoons that are just waiting to be explored. Each of these little oases offers its own unique experience – be it a secluded beach where you can unwind or a hidden lagoon that is perfect for swimming and relaxing.
How long should you stay in Coron Philippines?
You should plan at least 2-3 full days on site to at least take a boat tour and go diving for a day.
How do I get to Coron Palawan?
You can arrive by plane from one of the other Philippine islands or by boat from El Nido. In addition to a ferry, you also have the option of taking a fantastic 3-day boat tour between El Nido and Coron*. This tour is an absolute recommendation from us.
Does Coron Island have an airport?
Yes, the island of Coron or Busuanga has its own airport. If you want to travel to Coron by plane, you have to choose Busuanga Airport or Francisco B. Reyes Airport as your destination airport.
Coron Palawan – Island Hopping and Beach Experiences
An island hopping tour on the island of Coron in the Philippines is probably one of the most beautiful highlights you can see on Coron. Even if Coron (or the main island of Busuanga) itself is not really worth seeing, the lagoons and bays off the coast certainly are. The island world that we saw on our Super Ultimate Tour off Coron is one of the most beautiful natural highlights that we saw on our round trip through the Philippines. An island hopping tour on the island of Coron is therefore an absolute must.
Coron Island Hopping | Super Ultimate Tour
As we only had a few days on Coron, we opted for the Coron Super Ultimate Tour. This combines the most beautiful and popular destinations in the island world off Coron in a day trip. You can find out what experiences we had on our boat tour and whether we can recommend the Super Ultimate boat tour in our experience report on the boat tour on Coron.
Book an Island Hopping Tour on Coron | Check Prices*
The Super Ultimate Tour usually visits the following destinations, where you will spend a fantastic day:
Kayangan Lake
Kayangan Lake is probably the most famous lake in Coron and definitely one of the most beautiful spots in the region. From the jetty, you climb up a steep flight of stairs to the famous viewpoint, from where the photos of this place are taken. Then it’s down the stairs to Kayangan Lake itself. You have the opportunity to swim and snorkel in the freshwater lake.
You can find out more about Kayangan Lake here: Kayangan Lake I Tips for the most beautiful highlight in Coron
Barracuda Lake
The next stop is Barracuda Lake, which is right next to Kayangan Lake. The special feature of this lake is, as the name suggests, the barracudas, which you can see here if you are lucky. The main activities at Barracuda Lake, as at Kayangan Lake, are swimming and snorkeling and, of course, looking for barracudas.
You can find out more about Barracuda Lake in our separate travel report.
Twin Lagoons
The Twin Lagoons are a very special highlight of the island world of Coron because, as the name suggests, there are 2 lagoons that are connected by a thin rock face. At low tide, you can swim through a hole in the rock face or climb over the rock face via a ladder at high tide.
If you want to find out more about the Twin Lagoon, read our travel report: Twin Lagoon Coron I The most important tips for your visit
Beach 91
Here you take a lunch break with amazing food. After lunch we had some time to explore the area by kayak. There is also a small cove next door, Sunset Cove, which is great to visit by kayak.
Twin Peaks Coral Garden
This is a wonderful snorkeling spot where you can explore the great underwater world of Coron. Don’t forget your snorkeling mask, because there is a lot to discover here.
CYC Beach
The last stop on the Super Ultimate Tour in Coron is CYC Beach. Here you can relax on the beach after an exciting day. As this is the last stop, you will then return to the port of Coron.
Hotel Recommendation on the Island of Coron Palawan
La Natura Resort
Das La Natura Resort in Coron besteht aus einer wunderschönen gartenähnlichen Anlage etwas abseits des Trubels von Coron Town gelegen. Ihr seid hier
mitten in der Natur und weit weg von anderen Touristen oder dem Lärm der Stadt. Man würde es gar nicht erwarten, aber die Besitzer haben hier ein wunderbares Resort aufgebaut, das man von außen gar nicht erahnen kann.
Es gibt einen großen Pool, einen liebevoll angelegten Garten und die großzügig angelegten Hütten sind mit großem Bett und Deckenventilator ausgestattet.
- großer Pool mit Whirlpool
- liebevoll angelegter Garten
- abseits des lauten Trubels der Stadt
- WLAN & Frühstück inklusive
La Natura Resort | Preise prüfen*
Philippines Coron – Which tour should you choose?
There are various tours in Coron and if you have enough time and money, it can make sense to do several tours on consecutive days. This way you really won’t miss any of the best things to do on the beautiful island world off Coron. However, due to time constraints, we only opted for the Super Ultimate Boat Tour in Coron, as this really covers the most beautiful and popular sights in Coron.
Book Super Ultimate Tour on Coron | Check Prices*
If you are interested in other tours, we have some inspiration for you here:
Reefs & Wrecks Tour
The focus here is on shipwrecks (of which there are plenty in Coron) and reefs. Perfect for the marine adventurers among you. The following places are visited on this tour:
- East Tangat Gunboat
- Pass Island
- Lusong Coral Garden
- Lusong Gunboat
You can book the special Reefs & Wrecks Tour here at El Nido Paradise*.
Book Reefs & Wrecks Tour on Coron | Check Prices*
Island Escapade Tour
This Coron boat tour focuses on pristine beaches and beautiful islands. You will visit the following places on this great boat tour:
- Bulog Island
- Banana Island
- Malcapuya Island
You can book the Island Escapade Tour here at El Nido Paradise*.
Book Island Escapade Tour on Coron | Check Prices*
Where should I book a boat tour in Coron?
We can highly recommend the provider El Nido Paradise*. We also experienced the highlight of our trip to the Philippines with them, the 3-day boat tour from Coron to El Nido. You can read more about it here: 3 day boat tour from Coron to El Nido I An unforgettable trip
This provider also offers all kinds of excursions on Coron, including the Super Ultimate Tour on which you will also visit the numerous highlights described here.
Book island hopping tour on Coron | Check Prices*
Coron Palawan – Wreck Diving
Wreck diving in Coron is one of the special highlights of the Philippine island. There are many shipwrecks from the Second World War in the waters around the island of Coron, which lie just off the coast. Almost nowhere else in the world is there such a high density of wrecks that are so easy to explore while snorkeling or diving.
Whether you are a beginner or an experienced diver, you should definitely take a dive to the shipwrecks.
You can find out more in our report on wreck diving in Coron Philippines,
What else to do in Coron?
On the main island itself there are unfortunately not many great things to do, most of it really takes place in the sea on the islands off Coron. But if you want to do some things without a boat, then we have a few suggestions for sights on Coron:
Climbing Mount Tapyas
This is a popular activity among the other sights in Coron Town. Many people walk up the 721 steps, especially at sunset. It takes about 45 minutes and you don’t even have to be very athletic. A viewing platform with a 360-degree view awaits you at the top. There is no entrance fee and it is open all day.
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Hot springs of Makinit (“Maquinit Hot Springs”)
The Maquinit Hot Springs are waiting for you on the south coast of Busuanga. It takes about 30 minutes to get there by tricycle and the round trip will cost you 400 pesos. Your driver will wait for you while you are in the hot springs. The entrance fee is 200 pesos and the hot springs are open from 8am to 8pm.
Incidentally, the water has a temperature of almost 40 degrees. This was also the reason why we decided not to visit (unlike on our trip to Costa Rica), as we were already hot enough anyway, so we felt more like cooling off than going to a hot spring. But if you like relaxing in hot springs, then this could be the right place for you.
Calauit Safari Tour
It sounds strange, but you really can go on a safari on Coron. There is a zoo in the north of the island that you can visit. There are actually giraffes, zebras and other animals from the African savannah. We found this a little strange, and as we had already seen elephants and the like in Tanzania, we decided against visiting this zoo. However, if you would like to see African animals in the Philippines, you can book a tour here*.
Book Calauit Safari Tour on Coron | Check Prices*
Travel from Coron to El Nido by boat in 3 days
This was really the highlight of our entire tour of the Philippines. In 3 days you travel by boat from dream island to dream beach and really hardly miss a highlight. You spend 2 nights on secluded beaches in beautiful bays. And you will experience things that you would never see on a day trip.
Find out more about such a multi-day boat tour in our travel report: 3-day boat tour from Coron to El Nido I An unforgettable trip
Einmaliges Erlebnis zwischen El Nido und Coron
Euch erwarten:
paradiesische Inseln- einzigartige Schnorchelerlebnisse
- Übernachtungen direkt am Strand
- Hammer Blick aufs Meer
- entspanntes Boatlife
Wir haben eine absolute Herzens-Empfehlung für euch, wenn ihr die Philippinen besucht. Eine Bootstour zwischen El Nido und Coron. Es gibt viele Anbieter, die sogenannte 3D/2N (3 Tage/2 Nächte) Bootstouren zwischen El Nido und Coron anbieten.
Hier überwindet ihr nicht nur die Distanz, sondern seht und erlebt auf der Strecke zusätzlich noch wunderschöne Inseln, Lagunen und Orte, zu denen ihr sonst gar nicht kommen würdet. Wir haben solch eine einzigartige Tour mit dem Anbieter El Nido Paradise* gemacht und können diese nur empfehlen!
Traumhafte Bootstour zwischen El Nido und Coron | Verfügbarkeit prüfen*
Coron or El Nido?
If you are faced with the choice of whether to visit Coron or El Nido in the Philippines, you have a tough decision to make. Both places offer unique and breathtaking experiences, but they each have their own character and charm. Here are some factors that can help you make your decision.
Coron: A diver’s paradise and natural wonder
Coron is famous for its spectacular wreck dive sites, which date back to the Second World War. If you are a passionate diver or would like to try out wreck diving, Coron is the perfect destination for you. The landscape around Coron is characterized by dramatic limestone cliffs and hidden freshwater lakes, such as Kayangan Lake, which is considered one of the cleanest lakes in Asia.
El Nido: Dream beaches and island hopping
El Nido is known for its idyllic beaches and excellent island hopping. The Bacuit Bay offers numerous small islands with hidden beaches and lagoons that are perfect for swimming, snorkeling and relaxing. In contrast to Coron, El Nido is a little livelier and offers a wider choice of restaurants, bars and accommodation. If you are looking for a vibrant nightlife and diverse gastronomy, El Nido might be the better choice.
More information about El Nido: El Nido Travel Guide
Which is better for you?
Decide based on your interests: Diving and untouched nature in Coron or beach life and island hopping in El Nido. Both places are easy to get to, with Coron being a little more remote, which can lead to a quieter, less touristy experience. No matter which place you choose, both offer unparalleled beauty and are a paradise for nature lovers and adventurers.