Travel Guide and Itinerary for Coron Palawan
TL;DR
Our no-fluff Coron guide breaks down what’s truly worth it and what to skip. Our Coron 3 days itinerary shows you exactly how to see the best lagoons, beaches, reefs, and viewpoints without wasting time or money.
Many travellers arrive in Coron feeling underwhelmed at first glance. The real magic isn’t in the town itself – it’s in the limestone cliffs, lagoons, shipwrecks, and unreal turquoise lakes just offshore. Figuring out how to access those highlights, which tours are actually worth your money, and how many days you really need can feel overwhelming when you’re short on time and don’t want to waste a single day of your Philippines adventure.
That’s where experience makes all the difference. After exploring the area ourselves, sorting through the must-do boat tours, and balancing budget-friendly options with once-in-a-lifetime experiences, we’ve put together a practical, no-fluff Coron travel guide that tells you exactly what’s worth it – and what’s not.
Whether you’re a backpacker mapping out your Southeast Asia route, a couple planning an island-hopping escape, or an underwater lover chasing world-class snorkelling and wreck sites, our guide will help you build a Coron travel itinerary that fits your travel style.
Let’s get you past the guesswork and straight to the lagoons, reefs, and viewpoints that make Coron one of the most unforgettable destinations in the Philippines.
Coron Travel Guide
Coron Philippines Map
Is Coron Worth Visiting?
First of all, let us get the terminology straight. Coron can refer to both Coron Town and Coron Island:
Coron Island features stunning lagoons and limestone cliffs. Additionally, snorkelling and Scuba diving (especially wreck diving) are first class here.
If you’re wondering if Coron Island is worth a visit, our honest answer is absolutely yes. The downside is that Coron Island consists largely of protected indigenous land. Your only option to stay close to the island is (rather upscale) houseboats. The majority of travellers will stay in Coron Town.
Coron Town is not located on Coron Island but on the island of Busuanga, which is roughly a 20-minute boat ride away. There are loads of tourist infrastructure, including hotels and restaurants, but it’s not very scenic.
If you’re wondering if Coron Town itself is worth a visit, our honest answer is no. But Coron Town is a super convenient base to explore the surrounding paradise islands, including Coron Island, so don’t hesitate to book a trip!
Where to Stay in Coron
We stayed at Sunburn Suites and Rooftop Bar. The location, the staff, and the rooftop were great!
How to Get to Coron
Like many other places in the Philippines, Coron is an island destination. That means your only two options to get here are by plane or by boat.
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You can fly directly to Coron from Manila, El Nido, and Cebu – note that the airport is called Francisco B. Reyes Airport or Busuanga Airport (USU).
The airport is roughly a 40-minute drive from town. You can book an airport transfer (e.g. on Klook) for less than 5$.
💡Bucketlist2life tip: There’s not a ton of flights to Coron, and prices go up quite substantially closer to the travel date, so we highly recommend you book well in advance. -
Coron is connected by ferry to places like El Nido (around 3.5 hours, 40$) or Manila (around 13 hours, 60$). You can check times as well as prices and book tickets on 12Go.
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The most scenic and fun way to travel between El Nido and Coron is by island-hopping tour. You’ll sleep on remote islands and visit remote beaches as well as snorkelling sites. We have written a full review of our experience:
How to Get Around Coron
The centre of town is walkable.
For longer distances, tricycles are readily available all around town.
You can also rent a scooter, but the roads outside of the centre can be in pretty rough condition, so we did not even bother driving ourselves.
Things to Do in Coron
1. Coron Super Ultimate Tour
Yes, we could list all these things independently, but the truth is that the Coron Super Ultimate Tour visits all the best spots in Coron, which include
- Kayangan Lake – a crystal clear lake surrounded by limestone cliffs
- Barracuda Lake – a crystal clear lake surrounded by limestone cliffs
- Twin Lagoon – two adjacent lagoons surrounded by limestone cliffs
- CYC Beach – a sandy beach on a desert island
- Coral Garden – a snorkelling spot
We highly recommend booking this tour we have written a full review of our experience:
2. Coron Island Escapade Tour
The Coron Island Escapade Tour is another tour that will bring you to a second set of amazing destinations – this time with a focus on picture-perfect beaches:
- Malcapuya Island – long beach with white fine sand
- Ditaytayan Island – sandbar and white sand beach
- Bulog Dos Island – stunning sandbar
You can book the tour in town or online on GetYourGuide or Klook.
3. Climb Mount Tapyas
Climbing the more than 700 steps to Mount Tapyas is a lovely free activity you can do in Coron Town. From the top, you have great views across Coron Town as well as Coron Island and Uson Island in the distance.
At the top, you can also find a big cross and a Hollywood-like Coron sign, which are great for photos.
Many people go for sunset, but we went in the morning and had the place almost to ourselves.
4. Soak in Maquinit Hot Springs
Visiting the Maquinit Hot Springs was our favourite budget-friendly activity in Coron. You can take a scooter (the road is pretty rough) or a tricycle from town.
We loved soaking in the hot water – yes, the water was seriously hot and not just warm when we visited.
We went in the morning and had the place almost to ourselves. According to other travellers, it can get quite crowded around sunset.
5. Snorkel at Siete Pecados Marine Park
While we didn’t do this ourselves, we heard that snorkelling at Siete Pecados Marine Park is a great budget-friendly alternative. You can take a scooter (the road is not in good condition) or a tricycle to the entrance. For a small fee, you can rent a private boat for two hours that will bring you to two different snorkelling spots.
6. Wreck Diving or Snorkelling
Coron is one of the world’s prime destinations for wreck diving – both free and Scuba – and snorkelling.
For time reasons, we opted for the Coron Super Ultimate Tour that includes a snorkel stop at Skeleton Wreck.
Another popular wreck is Lusong Gunboat, a sunken WWII boat, but there are loads more.
Where to Eat in Coron
To be honest, we were not the biggest fans of the food options in Coron. Here are some of the places we liked:
- Kuyas Kocina for affordable Filipino food
- Coffee Kong for breakfast – including bowls
- Pacifico for Western food options
- Ramen Sakura for surprisingly authentic Japanese food
How Many Days in Coron Do You Need
We think two to three days in Coron should be the sweet spot for most travellers. We chose two days for our 2 week Philippines itinerary as we also included island hopping from Coron to El Nido, which is very beach and snorkelling heavy.
You need more time in Coron if you’re very into snorkelling or diving (free as well as Scuba) – especially wreck diving is world class here!
Coron 3 Day Itinerary
Here’s how we would plan our perfect Coron Palawan itinerary:
Day 1 – Explore Coron Town
This is what our perfect day in and around Coron Town would look like:
Start by making your way up the 720 stairs to Mount Tapyas to enjoy the views over Coron Town and Coron Island in the distance without the crowds.
Afterwards, relax your sore muscles at Maquinit Hot Springs.
If you still have the time and energy, stop for a 2-hour private snorkelling tour at Siete Pecados Marine Park on your way back to town.
For sunset, head to Sunburn Suites and Rooftop Bar.
Day 2 – Coron Super Ultimate Tour
Today, tick off all the highlights on your Coron bucketlist with the Coron Super Ultimate Tour.
- Go kayaking at Twin Lagoon.
- Admire the crystal clear water at Kayangan Lake and Barracuda Lake.
- Snorkel at Coral Garden (and Skeleton Wreck if you book the same tour option as we did).
- Relax at CYC Beach.
Day 3 – Coron Island Escapade Tour
A trip to Coron wouldn’t feel complete without a visit to the breathtaking beaches on the surrounding islands, and the Coron Island Escapade Tour is the best way to experience the sandbars of Ditaytayan Island and Bulog Dos, as well as the picture-perfect beach on Malcapuya Island.
Coron Tips
ATMs in Coron
As Coron became more popular with travellers, ATMs popped up all around town. Not all of them are reliable, but there are enough ATMs dotted around town to try several. We used the BPI one, which worked fine.
Supermarkets in Coron
There are some small to mid-sized supermarkets dotted around town. We found that eating out in a budget-friendly eatery is often more affordable than shopping for groceries.
Internet in Coron
The internet in our accommodation worked well and was fast enough for remote work and video calls. Our eSIM card worked fine around town, but the connection further out – especially while island hopping – got very patchy.
Is Coron Safe
Coron is a rather small town, which is frankly quite full of tourists. The risk of robberies and violent crime is generally low, especially if you stick to your common sense.
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