Things to do in Coron
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Coron
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best months. Driest weather, clearest water, with April turning hot and busy into Holy Week and summer.
Value shoulders. Mostly dry, thinner crowds, occasional wet days.
Beautiful and the most crowded and expensive, especially Christmas and New Year.
Wet season. Cheaper and quieter, with routine rain, rougher crossings and the highest storm disruption risk in September and October. July is the wettest month.
What's on
- Kasadyaan Festival Late August, climaxing around 28 August
Coron's fiesta for St Augustine, with street dancing rooted in older Ati ati style tradition, sports and community feasting.
- Holy Week (Semana Santa) March or April, movable
The Philippines' biggest domestic travel week. Flights, island resorts and boats book out and prices peak.
- Christmas and New Year Late December
Coron at its fullest and priciest, with Filipino family travel in full flow. Book months ahead.
Best things to do in Coron
Kayangan Lake
Coron's signature brackish lake inside black karst, with a famous bay viewpoint on the climb up.
Twin Lagoon
Two lagoons joined by a swim through gap, with warm and cool water layers and sheer limestone walls.
Barracuda Lake
A karst lake where the water gets hotter as you descend, unlike any other swim or dive in Coron.
Siete Pecados Marine Park
Seven islets with Coron's most accessible coral garden snorkelling, minutes from town.
Skeleton Wreck
A shallow WWII cargo wreck you can snorkel and freedive, the easiest way to touch Coron's wreck story.
Mount Tapyas
Coron Town's sunset hill, 720 steps to a cross and the best free view over the bay.
Maquinit Hot Spring
Rare saltwater hot spring pools in mangroves, best as an evening soak after a boat day.
Pukawai Cave
A limestone cave opening onto a deep blue underground lake you can swim in, still uncrowded.
Where to stay in Coron
Coron Town Proper (Poblacion)
first trip, divers, multiple boat days, eating out nightly
Walk to the pier, market, tour shops and restaurants, with rough, noisy streets and no beach.
Governor's Drive / Sitio Jolo, just west of town
couples, families, light sleepers, rest days
Quieter, larger pool hotels a short tricycle ride from town, with no walkable neighbourhood life.
The offshore islands
luxury finale, honeymoon, house reef snorkelling
Private beaches and house reefs by boat, fully dependent on the resort for food, tours and transfers.
West Busuanga / Concepcion side
repeat visitors, dive and silence base near Black Island and Lusong
Rural and quiet, closer to the west side sights and much further from town tours and restaurants.
Think twice about
- National Highway main strip, Coron Town Proper
The loudest, smokiest sleeping streets in town from early morning. Stay a street or two back or on the western edge for quieter nights.
- West Busuanga / Concepcion side as a first trip base
It strands you far from Coron Town's early boat departures, tour shops and restaurants. It suits repeat visitors, not a first trip.
Best restaurants in Coron
El Kuvo
Coron's consensus best all round restaurant, fresh seafood, kinilaw and proper cocktails.
Gran Italia Coron
Coron's serious Italian table for pizza and fresh pasta, the divers' break from grilled fish.
KT's Sinugba sa Balay
A bamboo native grill house for sisig, grilled chicken and big Filipino portions at local prices.
Santino's Grill
The ribs place, tender baby back ribs and grilled shrimp in generous, group friendly portions.
Lobster King
The live tank seafood splurge, garlic butter lobster and cheese oysters with weekend live music.
Hermanos Tapas and Wine Bar
Coron's wine bar date night, Spanish leaning tapas and the town's most serious wine list.
Amihan Bistro
A small French European bistro for pasta, beef, crepes and creme brulee, Coron's quiet formal dinner.
Winnie's Restaurant
A tiny, easy to miss Filipino seafood restaurant with honest prices and a dinner queue for a reason.
Outdoor things to do in Coron
Neptune Dive Center
PADI 5 Star and TecRec centre for the big wrecks, Okikawa Maru and Irako, recreational and technical.
Reggae Dive Center
Long running full service shop for beginner friendly wrecks like East Tangat and Olympia Maru.
Freediving Coron
Coron's first freediving school, for Barracuda Lake descents and shallow wreck line dives.
Malcapuya Island
Coron's best white sand day, a long powdery beach and lagoon clear swim on the Island Escapade route.
Calauit Safari Park
A vast island sanctuary where you can hand feed giraffes alongside zebras and endemic Calamian deer.
Black Island
Black limestone over white sand, with a huge swimmable cave and quiet snorkelling water.
Lusong Gunboat
A very shallow WWII gunboat you can explore properly by snorkel, beside the Lusong Coral Garden reef.
Tao Philippines
The original multi day expedition to El Nido, off grid basecamps and remote Linapacan islands.
Best hotels in Coron
Hop Hostel
Coron's standout hostel near Mount Tapyas, with dorms, privates and an easy tour group social scene.
Corto del Mar Hotel
The town's classic mid range full service hotel, central, with a pool and its own restaurant.
The Funny Lion
Coron Town's boutique benchmark, safari styled with a pool, rooftop views and standout service.
Two Seasons Coron Bayside Hotel
A polished bayside hotel near the port, with sea view rooms and a bay facing pool.
Zuri Resort
The most complete resort facilities in town, with a big pool scene, spa and gym, and no beach.
Two Seasons Coron Island Resort & Spa
Coron's flagship luxury island resort, two beaches, a sandbar, house reef and turtle sanctuary.
Discovery Coron
Formerly Club Paradise, a 700 metre beach island resort known for turtles and dugong trips.
Sunlight Eco Tourism Island Resort
A large modern private island resort off Culion, with extensive villas, pools and a long house reef.
Is Coron expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | ₱3,800 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | ₱8,500 a person |
| Splurge | ₱22,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Kayangan Lake: a few days ahead
- Twin Lagoon: a few days ahead
- Barracuda Lake: a few days ahead
- Pukawai Cave: a few days ahead
- JY Travel and Tours: a few days ahead
- Neptune Dive Center: weeks ahead
- Reggae Dive Center: a few days ahead
- Freediving Coron: weeks ahead
- Book island resorts, Tao sailings and peak week flights weeks to months ahead.
- Book private boats, freediving courses and Calauit tours days ahead. Joiner Tours A and B can usually be booked on arrival outside peak weeks.
- In wet season, keep bookings flexible and leave one unbooked buffer day.
Is Coron safe?
- Wear life jackets in the lakes at all times and dive only within your certification and training.
- Aqua shoes protect against sea urchins and sharp limestone at lagoons, wrecks and caves.
- Carry insurance that covers scuba, freediving and evacuation. Serious cases are evacuated to Puerto Princesa or Manila. Emergency number 911.
Coron travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Midday Super Ultimate joiner tours rush Twin Lagoon at its most crowded. Split Tours A and B or take a private early boat.
- A cheap pier price often excludes the site fee stack of PHP 600 to 900 per person, kayak and mask rental. Ask for the all in price.
- CYC Beach is a pleasant swim stop, not a destination. Do not trade lake or wreck time for it.
Getting around Coron: public transport and more
- Fly to Busuanga Airport USU, then a 30 to 45 minute van to Coron Town. Book the transfer through your hotel.
- In town, walk or take tricycles. Agree the total fare before you board and confirm if it is per person.
- All boat tours leave from Coron Town pier. Carry a dry bag, cash in small bills and offline maps.
Who Coron suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Coron your trip
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