Coron is a town located on Busuanga Island in the Philippines. It’s a less popular destination than El Nido and to be honest: we don’t know why. The spectacular natural beauty that surrounds the island is breathtaking. Coron is a perfect place to relax on one of its many white sand beaches or have a thrilling adventure scuba diving next to ship wrecks or even swim in crystal clear waters of the world famous Kayangan Lake. In this guide you will find all the reasons, why Coron should be on your bucket list!

Go island hopping

Similarly to El Nido, island hopping is the most popular thing to do in Coron. There are 4 tours A, B, C and D. Tours A and B cover the most popular spots, like Kayangan Lake or Baracuda Lake, while C and D go to more remote locations like Malcapuya Island or Pass Island. We suggest a customised island hopping adventure, to ensure that you visit the most beautiful places and beat the crowds.

↬ Read : Island Hopping in Coron, the best spots to visit

Snorkel at Siete Pescados Marine Park

Siete Pescados is an incredible marine park, accessible from the main island. Located only 5 km from Coron town, you can reach it by a motorbike or a tuk-tuk. There is 100 PHP (1,7 EUR) entrance fee. Make sure to bring your own snorkel gear. The best way of visiting the Siete Pescados is renting a kayak from the locals. Paddle just a hundred meters from the shore, slide from your kayak into the turquoise waters and submerge into the underwater life of colourful coral, hundreds of fish and starfish.

↬ Important : DO NOT wear a sunscreen and if you must, then make sure its biodegradable.

↬ Read : Simple hacks to be eco friendly while traveling

Relax at the Maquinity Hot Springs

After snorkeling in Siete Pescados, let us guide you to this cool spot in Coron. You just might enjoy relaxing in Maquinity Hot Springs. They are located just few minutes from the Siete Pescados Marine Park. It’s a perfect place to relax after a long day of island hopping. The hot spring oasis are set in tranquil environment with beautiful views of the ocean. It’s a salt-water hot spring and the temperature inside the pools is 37-40 degrees.

Hike up Mt. Tapyas

Coron has a nice little hike up 742 steps to the top of Mt. Tapyas. It’s one of the most recognisable things on the island: it’s hard to miss a giant CORON sign overlooking the town. It does remind a bit of Hollywood sign in Los Angeles. It will take you only 15 minutes to reach the top, and it’s a great workout. From the top, the view of town below and nearby islands is just stunning.

↬ TIP : It’s a great spot to watch the sunset from!

Scuba dive in next to ship wrecks of WWII

Coron holds not only stunning marine life with colourful corals, plenty of fish and turtles, but also many ship wreaks that remain at the bottom of the sea from the battles that took place here during the WWII. There are a few sinked Japanese ships that lie at low depth, which means that you can be a beginner diver and still get to explore them.

↬ TIP : If scuba diving is not your thing, there are some shipwrecks that are clearly visible in the waters around Coron, like Skeleton Wreck!

↬ Read : Scuba diving next to ship wreaks in Coron

How to get to Coron

Coron is a town located on Busuanga Island in the Philippines. The easiest way to get to the island is by flight. Direct flights arrive from Manila, Angeles City, Cebu, El Nido, Puerto Princessa and Boracay.

The airport is located about 30 min drive from Coron town and is easy to get to. There are small vans departing from the city centre & back and the price for a shared van is 150 PHP (2,5 EUR). You can also arrange a private transportation from your hotel or resort, at a price ranging from 500 to 800 PHP (9-14 EUR) depending of your location.

If you are traveling to El Nido, the easiest and cheapest way is by Montenegro Fast Ferry Coron – El Nido. The ferry departs daily from Coron Port at 12.00 PM and the trip takes 3,5 hours.

How to get around

The easiest way to get around the island is by renting a motorbike. The price varies from 350-600 PHP (6-10 EUR) for a day rental. Another way to get around is by tricycle, which works like a tuk-tuk, Filippino style.

Good to know

There are 2 ATM in Coron and one of them is usually out of service, which means that the queue to the only machine working in town will be long. You should have plenty of cash as most of restaurants and tours do not accept credit cards.

Where to eat

That’s a bit tricky. There aren’t really great restaurants in Coron, one that you could just sit, enjoy the view and have good food. There are places where the food is ok, but do not expect same range of choice as in El Nido.

Altrove: probably the best restaurant in Coron. Serves Italian style dishes like pizza and pasta.

Poco Deli Coron: a new restaurant with cute ambience serving international style dishes.

Winnie’s: great seafood.

Full Lotus: great place for coffee and snack food

Summer Cafe & Bar: probably the best breakfast in Coron.

↬ Fun fact : We tried The View Deck Grill House for dinner. The food was decent, but the fun part was the drinks we ordered. Martyna ordered a mojito (classic cocktail with rum, lime, mint and soda), but got a drink with vodka, lemon and soda instead. Confused we pointed out that the drink is not what she ordered. The waiter answered that he knew. And also that the bar ran out of Rum, and that they didn’t get a delivery of lime and mint that day so… they improvised ?

Where to stay

If you stay in Coron just for few days, it’s good to stay close to the city, as everything is happening there. There are a few beautiful resorts in the further parts of the island, but we’d recommend them only to those traveling with a big budget as nights start at 160 EUR.

↬ Find all hotels in Coron on booking.com

We recommend: The Bay Area Coron – Sophia’s Garden Resort

You just read our Coron Guide. But have you planned your whole Philippines itinerary yet?