When anyone mentions Palawan, most people usually think of three main spots: Puerto Princesa (the capital and gateway via the international airport), El Nido (the backpacker paradise on the mainland) and Coron (a separate island from the main Palawan Island). Busuanga is the largest Island of the Calamian archipelago in the Northern part of Palawan province generally known for its beautiful beaches, stunning landscapes and snorkeling and diving spots.

Compared to El Nido, which is popular with international backpackers, couples and honeymooners looking for vibrant nightlife, Coron is smaller and more family-friendly. While tourists used to have to choose between the two main destinations because of the location of the airports, getting to and from El Nido to Coron is now easier via sea travel. There are public sea vessels that offer 4-hour boat trips between Coron to El Nido so it’s possible to visit both places in one trip by choosing one main entry and exit point. You can also book private custom boat tours between El Nido and Coron for greater flexibility.

For those planning their trips to Coron in Palawan, here’s a quick look at the top activities you can do there.

1. Visit Kayangan Lake

Kayangan Lake is said to be the cleanest lake in the country. The most iconic and photographed site in Coron is the view of the sea from an elevated cliff on the way to Kayangan Lake and not the actual lake.

With trees framing an island in the background surrounded by clear waters and the tiny boats below, it’s a perfect shot every time.

Kayangan Lake is part of the ancestral domain of the indigenous Tagabanua people. Entrance fees go towards the Tagbanua Tribe of Coron Island Association Inc. (TICIA). Visitors can go swimming in this stunning lake and see some surreal and interesting rock formations underwater.

2. Take an island-hopping tour

Most standard island-hopping tours around Coron usually take you to Kayangan Lake and Twin Lagoon as the main highlights. For Twin Lagoon, the outer lagoon provides a docking area for boats while the inner one can only be accessed by passing through a cave-like passage. If it’s low tide, you can swim and pass under a small opening in the rocks.

If it’s high tide, there’s also a short ladder on the rock formations that you can climb up to jump into the water below. Other notable spots you visit on island-hopping tours (depending on the tour operator and duration of your tour) include Siete Pecados Marine Park, Beach 91, Skeleton Wreck, Malwawey Reef & Coral Garden and CYC Beach.

The neighboring islands of the Malcapuya, Banana and Bulog Dos are home to the most beautiful waters and beaches in the Coron, Palawan. While most visitors come here on day trips, if you have time to spare, you can opt to camp out on Malcapuya Island, about 1.5 hours away by boat from the Coron town proper. Banana Island has a short strip of white sand beach while Bulog Island has a short sandbar during low tide. Other great beaches usually visited during Busuanga Island Hopping tours can be found Pamalican Island, North Cay and South Cay.

3. Go wreck diving

For scuba divers, the main draw of Coron is the world-class wreck diving sites. The channels between Busuanga and Culion are home to a number of impressive wrecks from a Japanese supply fleet bombed in September 1944.

Wreck dive sites are found in a depth as shallow as 10–30 feet and as deep as 120–140 feet. Most are in the range of about 60–80 feet, perfect for sports divers. Some sites are also visible even if you’e just snorkeling. Popular wreck diving sites include Pass Island, Lusong Gunboat and Lusong Coral Gardens.

4. Hike up Mt. Tapyas

At 210 meters, Mt. Tapyas is the second tallest mountain and one of the most dominant land features in Coron. From the town proper, you can easily get a view overlooking the entire town and coast by a 15-20 minute climb up paved stairs to the view deck.

This is usually included in packaged half-day Coron Town Tours (along with Maquinit Hot Springs and other landmarks for P700) per person, but you can do this easily for free if you have free time in town. The best time to go is around sunset. There’s no entrance fee to climb the stairs and hike up to enjoy the view.

5. Take a dip at Maquinit Hot Springs

Maquinit Hot Springs, about 30 minutes away from the main town proper by tricycle is located in a mangrove forest beside the sea. Said to be one of the very few natural saltwater springs in the world, the main swimming area is composed of three pools including a main pool that can accommodate at least 100 people, and two smaller pools.

The site also contains wooden bridges and walkways where you can just go around and enjoy the view at a section of the forest. Because of the tropical weather, swimming in a scorching hot spring during the day especially around noon is a bit of overkill.

It’s best to go here in the late afternoon to early evening when the weather is cooler, though expect it to be more crowded at this time. The entrance fee to the Maquinit Hot Spring is Php 150 per person.

6. Go on a food trip

For a small, laid-back town, Coron has a lot of restaurants serving a variety of international fare. Dining out can be pretty expensive though, so you’ll want to plan your meals strategically. Popular restaurants include Trattoria Altrov’é (Italian), Bistro Coron, Lolo Nonoy’s Food Station, Coron Village Lodge and Kawayanan Grill (Pinoy food &  seafood specialties). For a sampler plate for sharing, try the Kawayanan Platter (which comes with grilled crab, fish, squid, shrimps, lato (seaweed) and grilled kibiao (clams), which is a local specialty.

For a unique dining experience, you might want to check out the Glittering Fireflies Night Tour with Buffet Dinner. This tour takes you to the largest mangrove forest in Coron Town where you can enjoy a romantic boat ride along the mangrove swamps to catch the colonies of fireflies producing magnificent twinkling lights. 

Spend time on the water experiencing nature’s magic – the supernatural glow of bioluminescence. The evening is capped with a buffet dinner at a floating restaurant in Coron – Pange’t Firefly Floating Resto (Pange’t is a local term for Fireflies). The Glittering Fireflies Night Tour with Buffet Dinner costs P950/person.

7. Bike around the town proper of Coron

For those who prefer land-based attractions to island-hopping, you’ll be happy to know that mountain bike rentals are widely available in Coron. For a relaxing half-day tour, you can rent a mountain bike to go around town and visit nearby attractions (like Maquinit Hot Springs).

You can also visit other landmarks which are usually included in the town tour like the Public Market, Town Plaza, Lualhati Park, Souvenir Shops, St. Augustine Church, Harbour Center and Cashew Harvest. Payong Bikes rents out mountain bikes for Php 80 an hour, Php 300 half day, and Php 500 whole day. You can reach them at 0918 5667838 and 09215603525 or through their FB page

8. Explore by motorcycle

The highlight of our first visit to Coron was circling the entire Busuanga Island by motorcycle, which at the time of our visit had a lot of rough roads. Motorcycle rentals are widely available for those who want an easy way to get around town. For an amazing adventure, you can drive yourself to the jump-off point to Calauit Nature Reserve and visit sights like Concepcion Waterfalls, Kingfisher Park, Rio Playa Beach and Ocam-Ocam Beach along the way.

Motorbike rental varies in Coron town from P500-800/day depending on the operator. We were charged P500/day + 100 extra fee (total P600) for 24-hour use of the XRM motorbike at Zurich Pension House in Coron, which also manages motorbike rentals.

9. Visit Calauit Safari Park

Aside from island-hopping, one of the best attractions on Coron is Calauit Safari Park, a game preserve where animals like giraffes and zebras roam freely, located on a small island at the tip of Busuanga Island. It’s roughly 70 km away from the Coron Town proper.

Most visitors come here on day trips via package tours either by land or by sea. We traveled DIY by land going there, but if you’re traveling by sea, you can enjoy a more scenic boat tour from Coron town passing by Gutob Bay and uninhabited islands to Calauit Island. Take the opportunity to feed the exotic animals and learn more about the endemic and endangered animal species of the province.

The Calauit Safari Park Day Tour from Coron usually costs P2500-P3000 per pax while a private boat will cost: P8000 for 2-4 pax, P9000 for 5-8 pax, P15000 for 15 pax.

10. Explore Culion Island

Usually offered as a historical day tour from Coron, Culion Island offers an amazing destination in itself where you can spend a couple of days. Once known as the world’s largest leper colony, this island was isolated for over a century. In 2006, the island was declared leprosy-free by the World Health Organization and offers an offbeat destination for travelers.

Highlights in Isla Culion include visiting the well-preserved and curated Culion Museum & Archives, The 17th century La Inmaculada Concepcion Church, and the remains of Fort Culion. Crowning Glory Reef, a Marine Protected Area (MPA) just near the shore of Culion offers an amazing site for snorkeling.