Skipping the usual popular island hotspots of Philippines like Cebu and Boracay, we took a little detour and went a little further out to a less known but equally beautiful part of the country – the pretty little island of Coron, which is a part of the Palawan province.
Jac from The Occassional Traveller and I flew over from Singapore to Coron via their local carrier Cebu Pacific Airlines, and arrived safely at Francisco B. Reyes Airport, the official Coron Airport, formerly known as Busuanga Airport.
Travel to Coron Palawan- How to get there
One can fly into Coron and transit via Cebu or Manila Airport, depending on whether you want to do a stopover and stay 1-2 days in those cities. If not, I would recommend to transit via Manila to avoid the longer layover at the airport. The domestic flight into Coron is quite a fun experience as we took a small propeller plane instead of the usual winged one. Despite some slight wind, the flight was a very stable one and the view when coming into Coron was quite breathtaking. On the pending list to be UNESCO World Heritage site, it’s one more reason to travel to Coron Palawan now!
Our Cebu Pacific Airline propeller plane unloading our luggage Catching up on reading on flight. This book has been unfinished since I bought it almost 2 years ago. #saysalot Hot meal on board the flight – quite pleased it is Yoshinoya actually. #comfort food Little choc banana croissant served during the domestic sector. The warm chocolate and banna cream oozed out the minute you took a bite into it. It was actually really delicious despite its average appearance.
After the half-day of rest in our hotel Coron Westown Resort and exploring the town, we booked ourselves a full day island-hopping excursion/ tour the next day to visit some of the popular iconic parts of Coron. There were many to choose from, but excursions to the lakes of Coron are definitely the #1 must do. Here’s a little activity checklist of the best of Coron for your consideration:
1. Breathtaking limestone rocks of Coron Island
Rich in flora and fauna, these pretty limestone rocks of Coron Palawan with crystal water just beneath it is a real marvel. As the boat turns into the narrow lagoon, you can see the glowing hues of turquoise the water, the sight of it looked so pristine and magical.
2. Long Boat Cruises and Sun Tan
Coron island-hopping boat tours
Join one of the Coron tours by boat when you are here. If you are one of those who loves the sea breeze, then taking one of these Coron Island-hopping excursions are a must-do. Get some much-needed sun, and whenever you get the chance, snap some beautiful images at the head of the boat and jump off it into the water after which.
loads and loads of islands walking along the boardwalk – Our boat resting at the Kayangan lake docking point
To read more about other destinations in
Philippines like Bicol or Grand Cordillera.
3. Lagoons, Lakes and more Luminous Lakes
Coron is made up of multiple stunning hidden lakes which we got to visit during our island-hopping excursion. The limestone rock in Coron with the turquoise waters just makes it so beautiful to behold.
Island-hopping at these lakes consist of a lot of snorkeling, so one is recommended to bring your own snorkeling gear when you embark on these tours, as you would need to pay extra for snorkel and fins respectively as it is not included in the package.
Lakes you will visit:
- Twin Lagoons
The last pit stop of the excursions, this is one of my favourite as you get to do a little adventure, one of the best things to experience in Philippines. We were lined up in a row with our life jackets on and dragged gently through a narrow low hanging cave into the lagoon.
- Kayangan Lake
The most iconic lake of Coron, which is always featured in tourist magazine and all, this warm enclosed lake has a walkway surrounding it for guests to walkabout. It is also best admired from the high lookout point when you trek up to enter the lake at the other side.
Coron Diving and Snorkeling Spots:
- Siete Pecados Marine Park
- Malwawey Reef
- Skeleton Wreck
- Coral Garden
- Beach 91 ( local beach that does not have any charges to utilize)
- CYC Beach
All the boats will stop here for a sumptuous lunch with a roving guitarist serenading us with songs.
4. Explore underwater wrecks in Coron via snorkeling and diving
WRECKS..so many of them in this part of Philippines.
One of the most iconic one is the shipwreck of Lusong gunboat, situated nearby Coral Garden. It was one of the pit stops during the island hopping. Most of the other underwater wrecks in Coron require you to have a dive license as they are much deeper and cannot be so visible from the water surface.
Snorkeling and diving in Palawan is something all outdoor and diving enthusiasts shouldn’t miss. Other wreck spots that I didn’t have time to check out:
- 35 metres length Tangat Gunboat or U-Boat Hunter
If you would like to understand a different side of Philippines, check out the Happyland Slums.
5. Hot Springs in the Philippines??
Long day of island-hopping or aching from too much snorkeling? Visit the Maquinit Hot Springs and relieve all the stress in your muscles and shoulders. The temperature of the water isn’t too warm and the smell is still quite tolerable compared to some of the other hot springs I have visited in Canada.
Recommendation: Come earlier at 5+ so that you can avoid the crazy crowds and catch the beautiful sunset just over the lake.
Other outdoor adventure tours one can do in Coron:
- Trek to Mt Tapyas
- Dig your feet into the white sandy beaches of Malcapuya Island/ Banana Island
- Culion – a previously known leper colony ( wish I had the chance to go there to learn about the history of what happened in the past)
Getting from Cebu to Coron
BY FLIGHT
We took Cebu Pacific Airlines that flew us in from Singapore to Busuanga Airport in Coron transitting via Cebu airport.
Hence concluding the outdoor adventure tours on the magical island of Coron in Palawan province with its enchanting lakes, wrecks, and the sunshine. I hope to be back one day to explore all the mysterious underwater wrecks and learn about the history of them all. If you would like to find out more about the tours and Coron resort hotels we stayed in, drop me a comment or note!
This Coron destination trip is in partnership with Cebu Pacific Airlines. For deals and flight timings to Coron Busuanga Airport, click here.