Hari Ng Larga: Coron Palawan - Dream of Coronication

When we hear the word Coron, we think of majestic islands, beautiful beaches with turquoise waters, snorkeling, and diving. Basically, a paradise for those who love island living and beach bums like me. What more to enjoy the beauty of Coron, by exploring it with your barkadas. And that is what we did. We booked our worry free accommodation and tour escapades through Islands View Inn which was located at the town proper ===>click here for their website.

Coron is an isolated island in the northern part of Palawan. It is accessible by a 40-50 minute plane ride via Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Sky Jet, and Air Juan from Manila.

We arrived late on our first day. So, our scheduled Coron Town Tour was cut short. We just passed of some of the different establishments in the town and head straight to Maquinit Hot Spring.

Maquinit Hot Spring

Maquinit is one of the rarest hot springs in the country and in the whole of Asia due to it's saltwater properties. With a pool temperature of 38 to 40 degrees Celsius, it is perfect to relax those tiring muscles. At first dip, you might thought the the heat is too much but once you settle for a few minutes more, you will soon feel relaxed. Though tour guides always reminds not to take to much time under the heated water because it can cause dehydration.

Maquinit Hot Spring

Maquinit Hot Spring is a 30-minute ride from the town proper. Lucky for us, this tour is part of our package. If you wish to go there by public transport, tricycles are available at Php300 round trip from Coron town proper.

Admission Fees:

Entrance Fee: Php150 (for tourists) ; Php75 (for Coron locals)

Next, we are off to a Coron Island Tour. In this whole day tour, we will visit some of the beautiful beaches, lagoons, lakes, and some snorkeling and diving sites in Coron Island. We will also be having our complimentary lunch in one of the beaches. It is recommended that the tour start early around 8AM to maximize in each destination. The tour normally ends around 5-6PM. Normally, for small groups, you will be part of a joined tour unless you availed a more costly private tour. Here are the tour stops that we've been through:

CYC (Coron Youth Club) Beach

One of the famous beaches in Coron Island. From the name itself, it is said that this the favorite hang-out place of the Coron Youth Club and thus naming the beach after them. The beach has a very nice shore with a snorkeling area on the deeper parts. It also have lush vegetation and mangrove trees on one side of the beach.

Approaching CYC Beach

Clear blue waters of CYC Beach

Small Sand Bar in CYC Beach

The resident dog

CYC Beach

Skeleton Wreck

This wreck is perfect for diving or snorkeling. Just below that clear turquoise waters is what is believed an ancient shipwreck.

Skeleton Wreck

Smith Beach

This a picturesque beach with fine white sands and beautiful rock formations. This is also where we had our complementary lunch.

Smith Beach

Complimentary Lunch at Smith Beach

Twin Lagoon

One of my favorite destination in Coron. This place is nature's beauty at it's best. I have never seen a more beautiful lagoon than this so far. When you're here it seems like you are in an enchanted place.

Entering Twin Lagoon

Twin Lagoon

Entrance to the next lagoon, either you climb up or swim down

Twin Lagoon

Kayangan Lake

Probably the most Instagramable and FB posted area in Coron due to the view deck midway going to the lake. As per our tour guide it will take around 367 steps before you reach the lake. First you have to trek uphill and as you reach the view deck you then have to go down hill for you to reach the lake.

Docking on Kayangan Lake Entrance

Stilt Bridge going to Kayangan Lake

Some reminders

Trek path to Kayangan Lake

View from the deck

Kayangan Lake

Siete Pecados

One of the best snorkeling sites in Coron due to its shallow waters that are very rich in colorful corals and variety of marine life. Legend says that seven siblings went out to the sea despite their parents forbidding it. The seven children where never found again and later on seven small islets rose from the sea. Siete Picados also means "Seven Sins".

Siete Pecados

That caps of our Coron Island Tour. We all had a wonderful day. The weather was great and places we've been are truly breathtakingly beautiful! Actually, there are more beaches, lakes, lagoons, and reefs to visit, and one day is not enough.

Next day, we are off to an Island Escapade Tour where in we will visit 3 islands. On our itinerary are, Malcapuya Island, Banana Island, and Bulog Dos Island.

Malcapuya Island

Our first island stop, Malcapuya Island, is a small island just southwest of Culion Island. It is very popular for it's white powdery sand beach with shallow blue waters. With several nipa cottages and coconut trees on the shore area, it is perfect beach to relax and hang out.

Malcapuya Island Beach

Panorama View of the White Sand Beach

Malcapuya Island Beach

Banana Island

Next stop is Banana Island. By the time we got to the island, it started to rain. Nevertheless, it never stopped us to continue and enjoy the beauty of the island. This is also where we had our complimentary lunch.

Beach at Banana Island

Secluded area in the island

Our complimentary lunch

Bulog Dos Island

Just a few minutes boat ride from Banana Island is Bulog Dos Island. It is a small island with a small stretch of a sand bar. Just next to it is the island where Two Seasons Resort is located.

Bulog Dos Island

That ends our Coron Adventure. And there's a lot more destinations in Coron that we need to explore. Well, it's just more reason to go back to this enchanting place. If you have never been to Coron, I suggest you do. It is a paradise on earth.

Here are some tips if you want to visit Coron:

Coron is all about outdoor adventure, island hopping, snorkeling, diving etc. This means that you will not be staying in your hotel room most of the time. Unless your in a honeymoon or you're really in to 5 star hotels, i suggest you acquire accommodations that are budget friendly. As long as it is clean and with amenities that suits you, then it will be fine.
I suggest that you get an accommodation within the Coron town area. Not only you can get more low cost accommodations but you will have the ease of exploring the town by foot. Also, most of the restaurants and hangout bars are within the area.
When booking a flight for Coron, it is best that you take early morning flights. By arriving early, you can maximize touring the town.
Make sure you bring your water proof accessories (water proof bags, cellphone cover, etc.) since most of your adventures will be in the water.
Snorkeling gear and aqua shoes are available for rent during the tour ranging from PHP150-200 each per day. It will also be advisable to bring your own especially if you if your tour will be more than 1 day.
Before you start with the island tours, make sure you have everything you need. There are no sari-sari/convenient stores in the area.
Ensure your cellphones and cameras are fully charged or bring back-up power banks. The scenery in Coron is surely breathtaking and I'm sure your cellphones and cameras will be utilized to the fullest.
For the tours, I recommend booking the hotel packages. Depending on the hotel you would be staying, most hotel offers packages at a reasonable price that includes accommodation and tours. In case you want to know how much tours cost, here are samples: