When shipwrecks, silvery beaches, beautiful lagoons, turquoise waters, and amazing marine life combine at one place, what else do divers, especially wreck divers, need? That is why they flock to the town of Coron in the Philippines, together with beach lovers, nature enthusiasts, and holiday fun-seekers.
How to reach Coron
Coron is situated in the northern part of the province of Palawan in the Philippines. The airport serving Coron is Francisco B. Reyes Airport, which serves the municipalities of both Busuanga and Coron. Airlines like Cebu Pacific, SkyJet, AirAsia Zest, and PAL express have daily flights to Francisco B. Reyes Airport from Manila. The flight time is about one hour.
How to get around in Coron
Tricycles are available all the time and everywhere in Coron. Buses and jeepneys that serve the place start from the Jeepney Terminal nearby. (Jeepneys are a type of jeep commonly found in the Philippines.) While motorbikes are available for rent, taxis are completely absent in Coron.
Where to stay in Coron
There are all types of lodges, inns, hotels, and resorts catering to differing tourist needs. However, the place can be a bit crowded in summer so that to get accommodation, you may have to do advance booking. The more popular luxury resorts of Coron are Club Paradise, Sangat Island Dive Resort, Two Seasons Island Resort & Spa, and El Rio Y Mar Resort. Resorts offer various facilities like private beach, gym, massage parlor, motor sports, babysitting, airport transfer, and laundry service.
Coron Bay – Sangat Island Dive Resort
10 exclusive individual cottages are the accommodation type of the resort. These accommodations are architecturally designed using local construction materials. All offer superb views of the beach, the ocean and the bay in Coron. You have the choice to choose from Beach-front Cottages, where you can hear the calming breeze of the sea or the Cliff-side Cottages, where you can hear the serene sounds of the birds around the island.
What to do in Coron
For divers, the most attractive option in Coron is wreck diving though it will take many days to see all the wrecks. Most of the wrecks in Coron Bay are vessels of Imperial Japanese Navy that were sunk by the US Navy by bombing or torpedo attack. As such, the site has a lot of historical importance also.
For divers and non-divers alike, island-hopping can be an interesting pursuit. The enchanting Black Island on the north side of Busuanga, with its cliffs, caves, and a lagoon inside a cave, is a tourists’ favorite. So are Banana Island, a 1.5hr boat ride away from Coron, and Atwayan Beach with its little huts on the sand. Banol Beach is a white-sand beach where lunch is often served during island-hopping tours. CYC (Coron Youth Club) beach, Barracuda Lake, Kayangan Lake, Twin Lagoons surrounded by towers of limestone, and Green Lagoon are also among the many places included in island-hopping tours.
Sight-seeing tours are of many types. Culion Tour lasts a full day while Town Tour is of half-a-day duration. Calauit Safari Tour will take you to an African wildlife park.
Maquinit Hot Spring is a place where you can have a relaxing soak after a tiring day of sightseeing or trekking. Kingfisher Park is a good place for bird-watching and kayaking. Mountain biking, horseback riding, trekking, and hiking to the top of Hunter’s Peak are some of the other activities in which you can engage in Coron.
Best time to visit Coron
January to May, when days are bright and sunny, is a good time to visit. June to October period is not very popular with tourists.
Scuba Diving in Coron, Palawan?
Check out our Coron, Palawan dive guide and start planning your next dive trip!