Day 1 – Coron Island Hopping
Spend your first full day in Coron, Palawan on a boat exploring the stunning islands nearby. The island hopping tours are one of the main things to do in Coron. Private and shared boat tours are being offered all around town and can be booked online as well. Visit Barracuda Lake, Twin Lagoon, Banol Beach, and Kayangan Lake all in one beautiful day trip.
The price for Coron island hopping is quite high. Expect to pay 1600 PHP (30 USD) for a shared boat and 3000 PHP (60 USD) for a private boat. On top of that, every location that you visit charges an entrance fee which varies from 200 – 400 PHP. Read: Ultimate Philippines Travel Guide
It’s good to keep in mind that the Coron Island Hopping tours are incredibly popular. We recommend you to leave at the harbor as early as possible to avoid the crowds where possible.
Coron Market
Start the day with your guide at the local market, get some fresh fish, veggies, fruits for your lunch prepared by the boat staff, and drinking water to keep you hydrated throughout the day.
Have a firm breakfast before heading to the market because the smells of raw meat can be quite intense in the morning.
Kayangan Lake Coron
Crystal clear emerald water is only accessible via a short 300-step hike: Kayangan Lake holds the title “Cleanest lake in the Philippines”, all because a group of Filipinos takes care of the lake. Fantastic work, guys! The hike to the top also leads to a viewpoint that has a beautiful view over the boat docks.
Twin Lagoon Coron
Twin Lagoon in Coron Philippines is a large lagoon accessible via a small swim-through gap between cliffs. Snorkel along the cliff and see the incredible underwater life. Ask your captain, to avoid the tourists as much as possible since you don’t want to be in the water with hundreds of tourists.
Banol Beach Coron
Soft white sand, crystal clear water, and a fantastic place to have a delicious lunch with the products you bought at the market and sunbathe afterward. Banol Beach is one of the most stunning beaches in Coron.
Barracuda Lake Coron
Snorkel or dive in unreal clear emerald water in Barracuda Lake. The water is so clear that you can see the limestone cliff go all the way down when you’re still standing on the wooden dock. We highly recommend snorkeling here.
Tip: Bring flippers. The water is sweet and unlike salt water, it won’t takes you back to the surface as quickly.
Have dinner at Altrove
Altrove makes delicious pizzas and is one of the few good restaurants in Coron. That’s why there is a line at the door every single evening. We recommend you to be there before 7 PM so you won’t be waiting in line for too long.
Day 2 – Things to do in Coron Town
Rent a motorbike in Coron for 500 PHP (9.5 USD) and explore the town’s surroundings. We rented a motorcycle at a shop on the corner of the street across the fountain.
Tip: Love tropics? See Siquijor Island.
Cabo Beach
First stop, Cabo Beach, a small stretch of sand with huts where you can relax. The entrance to the beach is 50 PHP per person. Search for Cabo Beach on Google Maps and make sure to follow the path along the waterside. This dusty road takes you through local villages with kids who are very interested in interacting with you.
Mt. Tapyas – Viewpoint of Coron
One of our favorite things to do in Coron was hiking Mt. Tapyas. A stair of 750 steps that leads up the hill with Hollywood-like letters saying ‘CORON’. Start the walk at 4 PM, after the heat of the day. It is not as bad as it looks and once on top, you will get rewarded with a view over the entire bay.
Don’t forget to explore the hills on the opposite side of the bay; it felt like pure magic seeing the sun go down from here.
Maquinit Hot Springs, Coron
Relax your muscles from the hike at Mt. Tapyas in the 40 degrees water of Maquinit Hot Springs. The natural salt-water hot spring is surrounded by a mangrove forest, has a beautiful view over the ocean, and is a good location to see the sunset as well. The entrance fee is 200 PHP (4 USD) per person.
How to get to Coron
The island is accessible via boat or direct flight from Manila or El Nido.
Manila to Coron by airplane
A flight takes about 1.5-hour to Busuanga Airport and another 30-minute drive to town. A flight in high season would cost you about 90 USD per person.
Manila to Coron by boat
The overnight ferry from Manila takes 11 hours but only sails on Thursdays and Sundays.
El Nido to Coron by boat
The fast ferry from El Nido takes about 4.5-hours, although the advertisement says 3 hours. The ferry ride costs about 30 USD per person.
El Nido to Coron by airplane
A short 40-minute flight from El Nido takes you to Busuanga Airport on Coron. In high season, these flights cost 100 USD per person.
Where to stay?
Hotels in Coron are available for every kind of budget, however, traveling on tight budget limits your choices drastically. The best place to stay is in town; this has the most options, with the only downside that you won’t have any beach near your hotel.
Please note that WiFi is very limited in Coron, Philippines. It’s best to buy a SMART sim card to have a bit of connectivity throughout the day.
Hotels in Coron
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- Find Hotels via Booking.com
- Find a Rental Car via Sunny Cars
- Find Cheap Flights via Skyscanner
- Get a Travel Insurance via Heymondo
- Book Tours & Attractions via Viator
- Book a Bus/Train/Transfer via 12Go
Looking for more travel information? Plan a chat with us for personalised travel advice or get an answer from the Salt in our Hair Travel Community on Facebook.
Hey, at first your insights are very helpful for planning a trip to the Philippines!! Maybe you could say which company you used for the island hopping, that we did not choose for our trip? :)
Hi, great to hear that! Thank you. We haven’t used a company that we like to recommend. If you want to be sure of a good option, the ones linked in the guide. These all have been reviewed by people.