CORON PALAWAN TRAVEL GUIDE
All you need to know for a great stay in Coron Palawan
Coron town is located in the south part of Busuanga Island and is the central hub to explore the stunning Calamianes, a group of islands that dot the sea in north Palawan. The tourists often associate all the attractions of this area with Coron, even they are part of other municipalities. Anyway, with its lagoons, lakes, limestone hills and cliffs fringed by a crystal sea, white beaches, shipwrecks and coral garden dive sites, it’s indeed a destination not to be missed in Palawan.
- HOW TO REACH CORON
The main gateway of Coron is the small Busuanga Airport (Francisco B. Reyes airport), served only by domestic flights, and the port with rides from Manila, El Nido and Puerto Princesa.
by flight
There are only 4 companies that fly to Coron:
- Skyjet (from/to Manila)
- Cebu Pacific (from/to Manila)
- Philippines airline (from/to Manila, Clark and Cebu)
- Airswift (from/to El Nido – only 1 flight a day)
By boat
The port of Coron is served by Montenegro lines, Jomilia Shipping and Phimal Fast Ferries from/to El Nido port. The ride usually takes about 4 hours. We took Montenegro lines, but we suggest catching Jomilia shipping. During the dry season, especially from December to March, the wind is strong, and the sea could be rough. Montenegro speedboat is quite small, and if you suffer seasickness, the Jomilia shipping speedboat is a bit bigger.
You can use 12go.Asia.com transports search engine below to check fares and schedule of flights and ferries.
How to reach/leave your accommodation: next to the port entrance you’ll find tens and tens of tricycles ready to take you everywhere. The ride to Coron town takes a few minutes and costs 50 pesos. Be prepared because the driver will ask you for 200 pesos. Outside the airport, you’ll find a shuttle van waiting for passengers. The ride to Coron Town takes 30 minutes and costs 150 pesos. We arranged the trip to Busuanga airport through our accommodation. You can easily book in advance using the web platform klook.com. Click here to book your transfer.
- HOW TO MOVE IN CORON
Every corner of Coron town is plenty of tricycles. Therefore, it is easy to go around. If you want to visit the attractions on the mainland or the nearby towns, the best option is to rent a scooter, and it costs 400 pesos x day.
- WHERE TO SLEEP IN CORON
Coron town offers a wide range of accommodations, from homestays to luxury hotels. Despite all, as in El Nido, it is always better to book in advance as the town is always crowded. We slept at Bangles Homestay, a very friendly and cheap accommodation in the centre of Coron. Click here to check availability and rates. Another option is to relax in an exclusive Resort on one of the many islands of Coron bay, but it is more expensive.
- WHERE TO EAT IN CORON
Coron town is plenty of restaurants, and they are quite expensive. The main course ranges between 250-400 pesos. If you want to save money, there are some small local eateries cheaper than the tourist restaurants. Here are some good restaurants that we tried:
- Trattoria Altrove;
- Rosa’s Cantina;
- KTM burger night;
- Get Real Bar & Restaurant;
- Hermanos Tapas and Wine Bar.
Click here to see all the restaurants and the customers’ reviews.
- ATMs AND MONEY CHANGER
The method of payment is mostly cash. There are several ATMs in town and some Pawnshops where you can exchange your currency.
- WHAT TO SEE AND DO IN CORON
The main activity of Coron is the exploration of the beautiful islands that dot the bay. You have 2 options: join a shared tour or hire a private boat.
Shared tours
If you are travelling alone, it is indeed the cheapest option. The tour operators in town offer a wide choice of boat tours and diving expeditions. We booked our trip through the web platform klook.com. It was managed by the good Calamians travel and tours. The cost of the boat tours ranges between 1000 to 1800 pesos and includes the environmental fees, an English speaking guide and the lunch buffet. The snorkelling gear/fins are not included (it costs 150 pesos each).
Private tour
It’s the best way to enjoy the most beautiful spots of Coron without rushing. Even though there is a suggested itinerary like in the shared tours, you have total control of your time. You can rent your private boat at the office of Calamianboat association, next to Lualhati park. The price depends on the size of the boat you need. The rate for the boat up to 4 pax is 2700 pesos, up to 8 is 3250 pesos. The price only covers the boat and doesn’t include lunch, the environmental fees and the guide. You have to add about 700 pesos for each person for fees and ticket entrances to some attractions like Kayangan and barracuda lakes. Basically, if you are 2 people, the amount should be around 2100 pesos each (around 40 USD each).
What are the boat tours and which to choose?
The tours are divided into different packages like tour A, tour B, tour C, Coron ultimate tour, Coron super ultimate day tour, Coron escapade day, Coron reef and wrecks tour and others. The most popular trip is the “Coron super ultimate tour” since it covers the highlights of Coron Island like the Twin lagoon, Barracuda lake, Kayangan Lake and some excellent stops for snorkelling like Malawawey reef, Skeleton shipwreck and Seven Picados. Another nice trip is the “Coron islands escapade tour” that covers the most beautiful beaches of the southernmost islands of Coron bay.
Tour we tried in Coron
During our stay, we did the “Coron super ultimate day tour”, the “Coron escapade day tour”, and the “Calauit park with Black island”.
- Click here to read about our Coron Super Ultimate Day Tour;
- Click here to read about the Escapade tour;
How to book the tours
You can book the tours through the operators in town, your accommodation, or, as we did, use the web platform klook.com to book a private boat.
7 Comments
We have only a week to spend in Palawan so we don’t know yet what to do. Do you suggest going to Coron or only stay in El Nido?
Hi Beatrice! It’s a hard choice, it depends on what you want to do. If you want to relax and not to be on the go, you could enjoy a week in El Nido, do some boat tours and chill on the stunning Nacpan beach. In the other case, you can split your week with 4 days in El Nido and 3 days in Coron. Both are amazing!
Coron is on my list!
Hi Ben, You’ll love it!
Can’t wait to visit Palawan! Great post, thank you!
As soon as we can travel again, Palawan will be my first destination!
So sad to see these amazing shots and not to be able to go there!