Coron, Palawan is a tropical paradise in the Philippines with some of the most stunning scenery in the world. The town of Coron is on the island of Busuanga and serves as a good home base for exploring the incredible nearby destinations.
It’s just a short boat ride over to the famous Coron Island. Where jagged rock formations tower over turquoise waters, caves, and mysterious fresh water lakes. And the vibrant underwater world in the area provides world-class snorkeling and diving with incredible marine bio-diversity.
So, let’s get into our Top 10 Things to do in Coron!
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Barracuda Lake
Without a doubt, a must-do thing when coming here is a boat tour to Coron Island. This sacred island is home to many of the most incredible landmarks near Coron.
And for us the coolest experience was swimming in Barracuda Lake. The views above the surface are beautiful for sure. But really, it’s what lies beneath the water that is so incredible. It’s one of a few mysterious fresh water lakes on Coron Island. Well really, being just a couple rickety staircases away from the ocean, the salinity of the water ranges from fresh water to salt water depending on the depth.
And jagged rocks form cool vertical columns, that are so mysterious and even maybe at little scary. It just feels like a prehistoric monster is about to rise up from the depths. Buuuuut, luckily we didn’t see anything bigger than just some weird little fishies.
Barracuda Lake is a popular tour stop for swimming and snorkeling. On regular tours, everyone is required to wear life jackets at all times. But, we did do a little free diving on our own, which wasn’t exactly “following the rules”. Since the water is mixed with fresh water, you don’t exactly float back up like you would in the ocean, therefore, you have to swim back up making it more of a risk for free-diving.
But if you really want to explore more of what lies underwater, you really should sign up for a specific free diving or scuba diving tour. Aside from the cool rock formations, the lake is famous for it’s halocline and thermocline. Where the temperature and salinity of the water changes dramatically with depth, sometimes even visible to the naked eye.
And aside from the amazing coral reefs and Lake Barracuda, the Coron area is also home to 8 WWII shipwreck dive sites. So if you are scuba certified or have always wanted to do it. Coron is an world-class dive destination. Check out Corto-Divers for some incredible tours.
Lake Kayangan
Also on Coron Island, this is another equally impressive semi-fresh water lake. It’s similar to Barracuda Lake in a lot of ways, beautiful limestone scenery above and below the water. And a really incredible place to swim and snorkel. But as far as I could research, it’s not a regular dive site.
The lake is a little harder to get to than Barracuda. The oceanside entrance itself is within an absolutely beautiful lagoon. And after unloading at the dock there’s about a 10-15 minute hike to reach the lake.
Along the way there’s a beautiful viewpoint above the lagoon. But because of tour groups, it can easily form a long line just to snap a photo.
And even though the swimming area at Lake Kayangan was a lot bigger, it was much more crowded than Barracuda Lake. But it may have just been the time of day.
And just a little bonus activity on our tour was kayaking around the lagoon at the entrance. It was amazing to paddle our clear kayak over the reefs, and then they led us into a hidden lagoon, that was just surreal.
Twin Lagoon
This is yet another stunning destination on Coron Island. A pair of tantalizing lagoons connected by a small tunnel in the rocks. It’s a beautiful place for swimming, snorkeling, and kayaking.
To me, this was the best place to admire that iconic Coron scenery. Just a maze of jagged limestone cliffs towering over tropical lagoons and coral reefs. And the contrasting colors of the ocean between the shallow and deep sections is just mesmerizing.
If you chose to pay for the kayak, they let you kayak through both lagoons and then complete a loop around that passes over the famous, Blue Hole.
Which admittedly is more impressive from a drone’s point of view, but still cool from the sea level too.
And just a quick note on that, but I am quite certain that drones are not allowed at either Lake Kayangan or Barracuda Lake. And on a moving boat tour full of other people, there really aren’t that many good opportunities to launch a drone. If we weren’t content creators, we would seriously consider just leaving the drone at home for this tour.
CYC Beach
This is a popular white-sand beach on a small uninhabited island near Coron. It’s excellent stop for swimming, sunbathing, snorkeling, or kayaking.
It has soft white sand and is surrounded by coral reefs.
Luckily, everything we have mentioned so far can be visited on a single day-tour.
We booked the Coron Ultimate Tour, that includes 7 destinations, plus lunch and hotel transfers. On one affordable day tour we got to experience; Barracuda Lake, Lake Kayangan, Twin Lagoons, CYC Beach and more.
We stopped for an incredible lunch spread at an over-water picnic table. And we also snorkeled at a coral reef and WWII shipwreck site.
These group tours are one of the most cost effective ways to see all the best sights around Coron. But the compromise is that you are with a big group, and often visit sites at the same typical times as lots of other tours too.
One thing to know is that kayaks, snorkels, and fins rentals are optional and all cost extra. Kayak rentals are an additional 1500 PHP ($25) for a clear one or 1200 PHP ($20) for a regular one. And Snorkels are an additional 200 PHP ($3.32).
You could probably skip the fins, and unless you have a specific reason, I would not skip the snorkeling and kayaking, as they provided some of the best moments of the experience.
Hike Mt. Tapyas
Anyone who visits Coron won’t miss this mountain above town, with its Hollywood style Coron sign and a giant cross. And if you follow our adventures, you know Emily and I can’t get enough of stunning viewpoints. And the 360 panoramic views from the top are absolutely amazing.
The short but steep round-trip hike is about 1.1km (or .7 miles). It’s 700 well-paved stairs to reach the top, with benches along the way to catch your breath. The hardest thing about the hike is just that it’s almost always hot, and the stairs themselves face west. If you are really motivated you could hike it for sunrise to avoid the heat, and most of the crowds.
But if you are lazy like us, sunset is the next best thing. Yeah, the way up is hot and sweaty, but watching the sunset from here is an amazing way to cap off a day.
And the path is well lit, so you don’t have to worry about coming down in the dark. And it’s just a stunning place to take in the scenery and watch the golden light reflecting off the ocean.
Bam Bar
If you are looking for a fun place to go out in the town of Coron, this was our favorite spot. It’s a giant food hall that brings together so many great restaurants into one place, plus the local brewery and of course the Bam Bar itself.
We loved being able to enjoy delicious craft beers from the Coron Brewery and enjoy live music.
Their colorful indoor/outdoor space is perfect for groups of all sizes. And you can order off the menu of about 8 different restaurants. With basically any kind of cuisine you could ask for. From Filipino to French, American to Mediterranean. But a special shout out to the Beef Borginuon from the French place Amihan Bistro. Soooo good.
So if you’re with a group who can never agree on one cuisine, this is the spot!
list of restaurants at the Bam Bar:
- Amihan Bistro: French
- Mediterrania Coron: Mediterranean
- Chowline: Pizza/American
- Señorita: Filipino
- Inasal Eats Co: BBQ
Maquinit Hot Springs
We take a lot of pride in actually doing all the things we show on our channel. But this is one experience we missed because our time in Coron was cut one day short.
Maquinit Hot springs is a unique oceanfront salt-water hot spring. If you have the time, find a morning or evening to come soak in the naturally heated water.
Honestly, we were negotiating with a tuk tuk driver to take us there. But he cautioned against going in the middle of the day because it would be too hot. So we pivoted and went to this next place on our list instead.
Siete Pecados Marine Park
This small unassuming cluster of islands just off the coast of Busuanga, ended up being one the most unexpected snorkeling experiences of our trip. They are surrounded by quite possibly the most vibrant and active coral reefs we have ever seen.
If you think you need to go on some far away boat trip to see the best snorkeling near Coron, think again.
It’s about 4kms from the town of Coron to the check in office. Although I’ll admit, the roads aren’t the best. And this place is also pretty close to the Maquinit Hot Springs. So it’s not a bad idea to see both in the same trip if you can.
To visit this protected marine park you must pay the entrance fee of 100 pesos ($1.63) per person. And then you can rent kayaks or hire a private boat driver. (Lifejackets included) And they have snorkels for rent.
It’s only like a half kilometer from shore. But since the price for the private boat captain was the same as 2 kayaks we went for the boat captain. He spoke practically no English, but that didn’t matter much for such a simple excursion. He was friendly and pointed out the best places to snorkel.
We have done lots of snorkeling all over the world, and this was the first time that we truly saw coral reefs like this. A massive deep web of interlocking coral that provides protective habitat for all kinds of unique and beautiful marine species.
One of the best spots was the north side of this island, where the reef forms a vertical wall that’s really fun to freedive around.
Don’t Forget Your Reef-Safe Sunscreen
There is considerable research indicating that traditional sunscreens are harmful to coral reefs, destroying this essential habitat that is the backbone of entire ecosystems of marine life.
So when recreating so close to coral reefs, we highly recommend Stream2Sea’s line of reef-safe sunscreens. They are the leading brand of reef-safe sunscreen and other ocean-friendly products.
We have tried a variety of their products, and personally our favorite for travel is the Zinc balm. Because it comes in a plastic-free aluminum tin, and also doesn’t count as a liquid for airplane travel.
Compared to traditional sunscreen, it’s rather pricey and application takes a little practice because it doesn’t spread like a lotion.
But the vibrant underwater world is one of our main reasons for coming to the Philippines, so for us it’s important to know we are doing our part to protect coral reefs.
So we like using Stream2Sea’s Reef-Safe sunscreens, in combination with physical coverage like a rash guard to protect ourselves and the beautiful marine life we came to see.
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Visit A Rooftop Bar for Sunset
So, maybe you’re not up for hiking Mt Tapyas. But don’t worry we found a couple of great rooftop bars if you’re looking for that epic sunset spot without doing a full-on hike.
One great sunset spot is the Sunburn Rooftop Bar right along the Main Street. There’s no elevator, and it’s still quite a maze of stairs to reach the bar. But we liked their funny signs along the way to keep you motivated. The bar and rooftop deck are simple but classy, but you don’t need much with views like these.
Quite possibly the best views in town is at the Hop Hostel. You don’t need to be staying here to visit their rooftop bar. It’s a fun place that draws a younger backpacker type crowd. And they even had drinking games set up if you’re looking to get the party started. We only visited after dark. And this one is even farther up the hill, and again no elevator.
Salud
This was one of our favorite restaurants in Coron. It’s a lively and colorful Mexican restaurant that will surprise you. Their attention to detail and great flavors come through across the whole menu. Like tacos, burritos, quesadillas, cocktails, and more. We enjoyed having some margaritas, local and imported Mexican beers.
Personally, the nachos were the only thing that we thought were just okay, but the burritos and quesadillas were so good we had to come more than once.
Multi-Day Boat Trip To El Nido
If you’re planning on visiting El Nido as well, then we think these multi-day boat trips are the most fun way to get between the two.
You get to embark on a 3, 4, or 5 day excursion to embrace the seafaring lifestyle. Bouncing from island to island, camping in huts on the beach, snorkeling at reefs, and more.
And the route we took didn’t overlap with any of the regular tours in El Nido or Coron.
It was a fun adventure, disconnecting from the regular world for a few days. Exploring islands that few people get to visit. You should expect an action-filled itinerary, with back to basics type comfort.
And the tour company handles everything, including all your transportation, daily activities,3 meals a day, plus snacks and drinks, and nightly entertainment.
We’ll leave a link in the description to the same trip we booked.
The scenery isn’t quite as dramatic as the volcanic rocks surrounding El Nido and Coron.
However, the snorkeling we did along this trip was some of best we’ve ever seen.
If you are interested in this trip, we made an entire video about planning something like this for yourself. And we will leave a link to this tour in the description as well!
Book A Tour:
Also, check out our Youtube Video Exploring Coron
Where To Stay In Coron, Palawan, Philippines
Most travelers stay in or around Coron Town, which is where you’ll find the restaurants, bars, shops, and island-hopping tours. There are also some beautiful resorts just outside of town if you’re looking for a quieter and more relaxing stay.
Hop Hostel & Outpost Hostel – Best for Backpackers
If you’re looking for a fun, social atmosphere, both Hop Hostel and Outpost Hostel are great options. They attract a young, backpacker-heavy crowd, making them especially easy places to meet other travelers and find people to join for island-hopping adventures. Hop is centrally located in town, while Outpost has a great rooftop pool and sunset views over Coron Bay.
Sunburn Suites – Best Rooftop Views
Sunburn Suites is another fun option right in Coron Town, but the real draw is the rooftop bar. Head up around sunset, grab a drink, and enjoy the panoramic views over the town and bay. Even if you stay somewhere else, we think the rooftop is worth checking out!
Baydreams Inn – Best Mid-Range Option
This is where we stayed in Coron, and we thought it was a great value. It’s a little removed from the busiest part of town, but still close enough to walk into town for restaurants and shops. The rooms are clean and comfortable, and the quieter location was a nice place to come back to after a long day of island hopping.
Two Seasons Coron Bayside – Best for Views & a Pool
If you want something a little more upscale without completely leaving town, Two Seasons Coron Bayside is a great choice. It sits right along the bay and has a beautiful infinity pool overlooking the water, making it a great spot to relax after a day of exploring.
The Funny Lion – Best Boutique Resort
For something a little more luxurious and secluded, The Funny Lion is a stylish boutique resort on the edge of town. It has a fun safari-inspired design, multiple pools, and views of Coron Bay, while still being only about 10 minutes from the center of town by tricycle.
Or use the map below to find other accommodations that suite you best.
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