Last Updated on December 18, 2025 by Sammie
Coron Palawan:
Everything You Need to Know
Coron is a dreamlike island located in the Palawan province of the Philippines. It is known for its glasslike lagoons and dive sites that spark lifelong passions. People cross entire oceans to step into the postcard scene of Coron and convince themselves it’s real.
Jump to my list of What to do in Coron
The water isn’t fake, it’s truly this beautiful.
It’s hard to choose one place to go in the Philippines, but Coron Palawan, would be my recommendation. I would describe it as the younger brother of El Nido. A little unkept and grungy, but maturing quite nicely. Not as developed with tourism, but the natural beauty is unmatched. I’m quite content we chose to spend most of our time in Coron over El Nido.
My boyfriend and I traveled to Coron during holiday from our circus show in Macau. We had a genuinely hard time deciding where to stay. Seeing as every island seems more beautiful than the next. Each has its own serenity and breathtaking natural attractions. However, with plenty of recommendations and research, we ultimately decided to spend most of our time in Coron. It would serve as our base for a majority of the must-see and must-do activities in Palawan.
Where is Coron in Palawan?
Okay, get ready. It’s a bit confusing, but Coron is both a town and an island. Coron TOWN is located on Busuanga Island. And Coron Island is located straight west of Busuanga Island. Coron Island and Busuanga Island (home to Coron town if you’re following) are a part of the Calamian Islands, approximately 310 kilometres southwest of Manila. When people say they are staying in Coron, they typically mean Coron Town on Busuanga Island. There are very few resorts on Coron Island, and they are quite expensive.
If you’re interested in learning more about Palawan, check out my COMPLETE PALAWAN GUIDE
How to get to Coron, Palawan?
Remember, getting to Coron usually means getting to Busuanga Island. If you want to get to Coron Island, that will require a few extra steps. However, getting to Coron (town) is not as big a headache as people make it out to be.
The unbelievable lagoon in front of Pukaway Cave
Option 1: Fly to Francisco B. Reyes Airport (USU)
Direct flights to Francisco B. Reyes Airport (USU), located in Busuanga, are available from a few larger Philippine cities such as El Nido, Manila, and Cebu. The airport is teeny tiny, but it gets the job done. If you are traveling from an international location, you will first have to fly to one of the cities listed above and get a connecting flight to Coron.
From the airport, it is approximately a 40-minute drive to Coron Town, depending on where you are staying within the town.
Option 2: Ferry to Coron Town.
There are two ferry routes to Coron Town. One from El Nido and the other from Manila.
From El Nido
Typically, there are two ferries a day from El Nido to Coron. One is at 12:30 PM, while the other is an evening ferry at 5:00 PM.
Time: 3.5-5 hours
Cost: 1,760 pesos to 3,980 pesos
From Manila
The only option currently to get from Manila to Coron is an overnight ferry. These ferries are less often (once or twice weekly) and change days depending on the season. Check on the ferries website to get accurate departure dates and times. Manila North Harbor Pier 4.
Time: Around 13 hours
Cost: 1,400 pesos to 3,600 pesos.
Personally, we opted out of the 13-hour ferry ride. But to each their own.
Might be long, but you can’t beat the views.
How to get to Coron Island from Coron Town
Coron Island is owned by the Tagbanua tribe and limits the number of tourist accommodations on the island. But it is easy to get to this island to see the attraction from Coron Town.
You can either take a local boat to the island or take an organized boat trip. Both can be organized at the Coron Town port. If you’re in town, you will see plenty of shops offering organized boat tours for the attractions. This is a VERY popular activity and thus is very easy to organize. But if you’d prefer, you can organize these boat tours in advance as well.
Where to Stay in Coron, Palawan
Coron Town-
If you want the greatest convenience, you’ll want to plop down in Coron town. It has the greatest number of hotels, restaurants, and cafês. The biggest draw of Coron town is the Central Pier. This is where you would take any boat to go for a day trip. If you’re exploring the island, you can get to most places by a tricycle, but renting a motorbike does make it easier. There isn’t a lot of shopping around, so that shouldn’t sway you one way or another. This will be your best option if you are only spending a few days in Coron and want to spend most of your time doing the day tours around the islands.
Busuanga-
I wouldn’t count Busuanga out. It is very quiet for sure, but with enough foresight and planning, you can have a lovely mix of adventure and relaxation. What’s great about Busuanga is the fact that you are much closer to the beautiful beaches, Ocam Ocam or Lakdayan Beach, while there aren’t many options in Coron Town. The downside could be that it is a bit far away from Coron Town. So if you are only doing Coron for the boat tours, this might not be your option. But if you have days to spare and time to make a coupleof trips to town, I would recommend Busuanga.
Private Island-
NOTE: Coron Island is not a private island but a protected natural reserve. The following is still relevant.
This is an option for those with a bit fatter wallets. There are some BEAUTIFUL resorts available with private beaches and private tours of Coron’s finest attractions. If you are only visiting Coron, and it’s your main stay in the Philippines, and you feel like money’s no object, this is for you. However, if you have other places on your list and feel like you can get your beach fix elsewhere, save your money. You can enjoy a gorgeous beach by taking a day trip north of Coron Town to Ocam Ocam Beach.
Where we stayed: Two Seasons Coron Town
This hotel was highly recommended on numerous blogs and through Google reviews. And with that, it was perfect for what we needed. A well-located hotel with a nice pool, a good breakfast, and a balcony (I love a coffee on a balcony in the morning). It checked all our boxes. For as much research as I could manage before the trip, I think this was a well-scouted option.
Where I wish we stayed: Marina Del Sol
Without having had a scooter, this would’ve been a rough choice. But had we known EXACTLY what we wanted to do, this would’ve been our choice. The location is gorgeous, but not convenient to all of the tours leaving from Coron Town. We stopped here for lunch one day while we were zipping around, and I was left bummed that I hadn’t come across it in our research. So enjoy! Check this spot out if you don’t mind being a bit outside the city. The upside is that you are much closer to the beaches. The downside is that it takes a while to get to town to do a tour.
Curious about other locations in Southeast Asia? Check out my post,
The Bali Itinerary For Any Budget
Things to Know before
going to Coron
- Cash is king. Your VISA with 0 foreign transaction fees will not get you far in this country. But don’t worry, there are plenty of ATMS.
- Coron Town does not have a beach, so choose your destination wisely.
- Don’t skimp on the dry bags. They are essential for island-hopping adventures. Plus, these bags would be WAY more expensive if you bought them in the USA. A win-win.
What to do in Coron, Palawan
Keep in mind that some of these activities are near Coron Island, while some are accessed near Coron Town on Busuanga Island. Coron Town was our base for our trip to Coron, and with that, we were able to do a LOT. So much so that our relaxing beach holiday turned into a full sweep adventure tour. I loved it. But having done it again, I think I would have planned for some downtime to relax because it’s hard not to get carried away with all the gorgeous glassy water viewpoints, waterfalls, fishing, free diving, snorkeling, boating, eating, and more.
1. Baracuda Lake
One of the top things to do in Coron, Palawan. And I think my favorite thing I did. HOWEVER, the only way I personally think this is worth it is if you do a free diving tour. What they won’t tell (or show you in photos) is that if you are only there to snorkel, you are confined to the entrance of the lake and just sort of…float around in a roped-off area. I realized we were really lucky when we got to swim past the ropes and do our own thing, completely alone, because we were free diving and not snorkeling.
As for the lake. It’s insane. It’s one of the only places in the world where fresh water meets salt water and has an intense thermocline. The term thermocline didn’t mean much to me, but now I know it basically means it’s cold on the top and gets hotter the further you dive down. And I don’t mean, ‘oh, that’s a little warm’. I mean, hot d*** I just went from swimming in a lake to a hot tub. So cool.
Barracuda Lake Entrance in Coron
2. Skeleton Wreck
One of the WWII shipwrecks that’s more accessible to beginner free divers and snorkelers. I can free dive down to about 7 meters, which is not very impressive in free diving terms, but thankfully, this ship wreck is about 5 meters (give or take, depending on the tide) down. I was happy that our tour guide was willing to take some videos for us as we dove (not uncommon, so don’t stress when booking a tour). It was deep, but it wasn’t easy for me to get down to touch the boat.
If you get down there, you’re in for a treat. It’s teeming with fish and coral, covering what remains. It’s the bare bones of a boat, but you can still imagine the extravagance that once was. Most Coron tours will include this stop.
Skeleton Wreck Site. Much more exciting under the water.
3. Siete Pecados
This was our first dose of free diving in a coral reef. Unfortunately, a lot of it was dead due to the bleaching. I also noticed that our guides weren’t too aware or potentially concerned with one of the ladies on our tour absolutely obliterating the coral with her fins. I wouldn’t say you shouldn’t do this spot, as part of it is incredible, and our tour guides did guide us to better vantage points to see some impressive marine life. But if you don’t get to this spot, I wouldn’t cry over it.
4. Pukaway Cave
I was not keen to go here as I only had the stamina for 3 spots, and our tour (to my surprise) came with 4. That being said, unique as all hell spot to check out. First off, the outside of the cave, the bay area, is gorgeous. We were lucky, there weren’t any other tour boats there when we arrived, so we were able to get some Instagram-worthy snaps before heading inside.
The inside of the cave is amazing. The water is freezing, you should know. But it’s worth it for the sites underneath the water. Plus, you get used to the cold, it’s not as bad as you’d imagine. If you’ve ever been to a Mexican cenote, this is reminiscent of that. The water is so clear, it feels like you’re floating. NOTE: To get to this cave, it requires some descending through small holes and down a long ladder. I’m not claustrophobic, but it was testing my limits.
It is so much cooler figuratively and literally under the water.
5. Dugongs
This was not on my radar for things to do in Coron, Palawan, until I arrived, so I had not planned to do it. Unfortunately, we didn’t get around to doing this. However, the more I learned about it, the more I questioned how ethical some of the organized tour operators are. I also spoke with some locals who mentioned that sometimes you can see them when you go snorkeling or free diving further from the tourist hot spots. Otherwise, check out some of these well-researched tour operators known for their responsible and ethical practices for Dugong tours.
- Dugong Dive Center
- Green Gecko Tours
- Pirates Diving Center
The longer we were in the Philippines, the more we realized that the Philippines has way more to offer than the top ten things/places to do/see. I tried my best to add what we found worth it that isn’t mentioned on the top websites, but my best advice is to talk to locals about what you like to do and see what they recommend.
Dugong or Sea Cow in case you had no idea what a dugong was!
6. Ocam Ocam Beach
One of the reasons I recommend staying in Marina Del Sol is for the closer proximity to Ocam Ocam. Most of the crowds will be stuck in Coron town, so there is a non-zero chance you will have this entire beach to yourself. The sunset here is enough of a reason to go. Grab a towel and a couple of beers and pitch up for an easy evening. If you get there before the sun goes down, bring some snorkel gear because there is some nice snorkeling to do around the shoreline. Also speaking of Dugongs, the area for dugong watching isn’t too far from here.
*If you plan to visit Ocam Ocam Beach, you may also want to consider visiting Black Island. This spot ironically has white sand (sorry to disappoint), but it is as soft as powder. It got its name from the immense limestone cliffs towering over the beach.
7. Go Fishing (A MUST DO)
My favorite thing that we did in Coron! For some unknown reason, I love fishing. I did not grow up doing it. I don’t have fond memories of fishing with my grandfather or anything, but I did it once with my dad, and I was hooked (Ha). Fast forward to Coron, and I was asking every local I met if they knew where I could go fishing. Just so happens that a wonderful guy who was working at our hotel loves fishing and offered to take us on his day off!
The day was incredible. He refused to let us pay him, so we just took care of his bike, gas, and some food for the day. Oli organized everything. We started early in the morning and drove to the port, and by around 8 AM, we were out on the calm waters fishing in complete serenity. He even took us to an island where we were completely alone, basking in the sun and dipping in the ocean. He made us lunch from the fish we (he) caught and then finished the day with some more fishing. It was perfect. Had we had more time, he also offered to take us to see some dugongs, but sadly, we had to get back to town.
Please message below if you are interested! Our friend here is trying to start a business (on the down low), and I would love to help him along! He is the kindest person we met in the Philippines. Incredibly hospitable and a knowledgeable fisherman.
If you have the slightest interest in doing this activity, please drop a comment because our guy Oli is trying to start a fishing business!
8. Sunset Bat Migration
If you’re looking for something unique to do in the Philippines, this should be on your list. Grab a coffee or a beer and catch a spectacle of bats ascending into the colorful orange and pink sky after sleeping the day away. Every day around sunset, witness thousands of fruit bats emerge from the forests and use the setting sun to calibrate their internal compass.
The best location to watch: Bella Louise House
Bella Louise House is adorable. It’s a great place to grab a drink and watch the sunset.
9. Conception Waterfall
There are a few waterfalls to choose from in Coron, and I believe each of them is worthy of a visit. My boyfriend and I chose to check out Conception Waterfall, and it was a perfect little afternoon adventure. It’s a short “hike” (walk through nature) to arrive at the falls, and from there you can climb up and continue to explore a less manicured path.
The waterfall is set in a lush green canopy with tables and bathrooms available for public use. The falls are about 3-4 meters tall, and the pool, though wide in diameter, is quite shallow. I wouldn’t advise anyone to try any cliff jumping here, but if you’re looking for an easy, relaxing afternoon, check it out.
10. Scooter Around
One of the simplest activities with potentially the highest payoff. Renting a scooter is affordable and easy to do in the Philippines. And on top of that, quite safe. Take it from someone who learned how to drive a scooter there; the traffic is manageable, and as long as you keep your wits about you, you should manage fine.
Most things to do in Coron are either off the island or a drive out of Coron town. There are a few things you will be able to reach by foot, so grabbing a scooter is the next best thing to a boat. Renting one for the day is as cheap as taking a tricycle for 2 or 3 trips, so it is quite economical. And with it, you’ll be far more equipped to explore further beaches, waterfalls, and dining options outside of Coron Town.
11. Kayak
To cap off the list of best things to do in Coron, Philippines, is rent a kayak. As I mentioned above, most of the activities in Coron are accessible by boat or scooter. That being said, you can enjoy everything in between by kayak. A lot of the hotels in Coron will offer rentals from their property. You are more than welcome to kayak in Coron Bay (the body of water between Busuanga Island and Coron Island), but if you are looking for some more exclusive areas try:
- Dimalanta Island and the reef
- Banana Island Backshore
- Maricaban Bay Mangrove channels (west Busuanga side)
Coron, Palawan, might not be the obvious choice of where to stay in the Philippines, but I highly recommend it. Especially if you would like to avoid the more touristed area of El Nido. Coron is just as beautiful, with more than enough to keep you occupied for 3-4 days. I found the people more willing to help tourists here and approach us with honesty and hospitality, which is always appreciated when you’re exploring somewhere new.
Enjoy.
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