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Coron Palawan is one of the most stunning islands in the Philippines, with towering limestone peaks, multicolored lagoons, and great snorkeling or scuba diving.
Like other islands in the Philippines, Coron Island is a very budget-friendly destination where you can see beautiful white sand beaches and the best coral reefs in Southeast Asia.
While Coron isn’t as popular as its nearby cousin El Nido, it’s more affordable and less crowded, and you could argue that the aerial view of the island is just as good.
This Coron travel guide will give you some details on how to get there, things to do, where to stay and how you can experience this gem of the Philippines for yourself.
Where is Coron Island?
Coron is a small island located 100 kilometers (60 mi) north of Palawan, a large island in the Philippines.
Around Coro Bay there are dozens of small islands with white sand beaches and World War II shipwrecks that make it almost a paradise for scuba diving and tropical island hopping.
How to get to Coron Palawan?
Coro can be reached by flight or ferry.
There is an airport in Coron called Busuanga Airport (USU), but it is not served internationally, so you have to fly to one of the big cities in the Philippines, Manila or Cebu, and go from there. You can shop for flights to the Philippines on Skyscanner.
If you plan to visit both El Nido and Coro, the easiest way to get there is to take a ferry between the two places, which costs only 1,800 pesos and takes a few hours.
You can also join a 4-day Palawan sailing expedition to El Nido-Coro and see some amazing secluded islands along the way (more on that later).
Where to stay in Coron?
How to get around?
The town of Coron is quite small with a population of only about 3,000.
It’s small enough to walk to restaurants and many other things, but if you want to do some exploring outside of town, you’ll need transportation.
Scooter rentals are about 500 pesos ($10) per day. You can quote a tricycle taxi for 100-200 pesos per trip, but a scooter is more economical for long trips or multiple stops.
Shared or private airport transfers by van can be booked on Klook for as low as 180 pesos per person.
Coron Island Hopping:
Coron has become a popular scuba diving destination, but the reason most people come here is for the island’s incredible boat tours, you can’t miss them.
• Coron Ultimate Island Tour
This is the quintessential Coron Island tour and combines some of the area’s best highlights for a very full day trip.
You can land on white sand beaches, see picturesque lakes and twin lagoons, and snorkel with fish in fantastic coral gardens, as well as at least one World War II shipwreck.
If you only do one tour in Coron, make sure it’s this one. It’s as amazing as anything you can see in El Nido Palawan.
Coron Ultimate Island Tour. Book now! (or Read more)
• Tour Coron Island Escapede
This tour doesn’t seem to be as popular as others, but it’s the best if you want to relax on the beaches.
You’ll be able to walk across the ocean on the sand and see three amazing white sand beaches complete with hammocks, fresh coconuts and everything you need to relax.
The main attractions of this tour are Malcapuya Island, Ditaitayan Island and Bulog Dos Island.
Book now: Coron Island Escape Tour
• Coron multi-day trips
Aside from the popular 1-day tours, you can also join multi-day cruises in and around Coron, with some expeditions lasting up to 4 days and 3 nights, taking you from Coron to El Nido or vice versa;
This can be a great way to island hop in paradise without the crowds and time constraints of a regular day tour, and you can see many new beautiful islands that are off the beaten track and not included in the main day tours. It’s also a fun way to meet other travelers to meet up with.
There are several companies that offer multi-day trips in Palawan, but one of the top rated is Big Dream Boat Man.They are based in Coron and also have sailing expeditions that go all the way to El Nido, stopping at some amazing spots along the way.
Book now: Coron Palawan Sailing Expeditions
Karst limestone peaks in Coron Palawan
What to bring?
Most of the items below can be found in Coron City, but the quality of the items you buy on the street is not guaranteed (personally, I’m not going to use a crappy bag from a street vendor to protect my expensive camera gear).
Better to buy verified products online.
- Waterproof bag. A must for keeping your electronics safe on boat trips. I brought a 30 liter bag and was able to fit my drone, camera, phone and a bunch of stuff inside. to reach the hidden beaches.
- Waterproof phone case. Same as above, but these are just for your phone, great if you don’t have any other electronics and just need something small to protect your phone.
- Snorkeling gear. Many of the islands have beautiful corals and fish, and you won’t want to miss them. Snorkels and masks can also be rented by boat, but if you plan to do several tours, it’s more economical to bring your own gear.
- Water shoes. Save your feet a lot of grief and wear water shoes.We got so many cuts from the boat to shore.
Is Coron Palawan safe?
Yes We have spent weeks here and I would say it is a very safe place.
The Philippines has some problems with drugs and violent crime, but this has not affected the small, remote town of Coron, and it has been a popular tourist destination for many years.
You will always be surrounded by international tourists. Just keep your wits about you and follow the usual precautions and you shouldn’t have any problems.
Best time to visit Koro
Coron Island is a tropical destination, so it is warm all year round.
It is also drier than El Nido, however the best months to visit are still November to May when there is less rain and less heat.
We went once in January and once in February and both times had fantastic weather for the entire week.
How long to stay?
I would plan to spend at least 2 or 3 days in Coron Philippines.
Keep in mind that there are several different island hopping and snorkeling tours, and you can spend a day seeing things around town.
The best restaurants
Coron has a lot of great places to eat, but these are some of our favorites.
Other crown tips
- Credit cards. Most restaurants, hotels, etc. in Coron are cash only.I like to make bigger purchases online (like hotels and tours) that way I can pay for them with a credit card and save my precious cash for fresh coconuts.
- ATM Coron now has a few working ATMs with heavy withdrawal limits like 250 pesos.
- Electricity. Coron used to have long outages every day, but the power situation in Palawan has improved quite a bit. On our last visit, there were still daily blackouts, but they were pretty short and didn’t really affect our trip at all. Many hotels and resorts in Coron also have generators , if there is a problem with electricity.
- WiFi: Most of the hotels and places in Coron have poor WiFi connections, this is gradually improving. So far the best solution is to buy a local SIM card and use the phone as a hotspot.We had great speeds with Globe in the Coron area.
- Language. Like many places in the Philippines, English is widely spoken by the locals in Palawan, so you don’t need to learn Tagalog to visit.
- Hygiene. Do not drink or brush with tap water. Otherwise, eat and drink to your heart’s content.
- Mosquitoes. Malaria is present in Puerto Princesa, but it is very rare in Coron. I have never heard of a tourist getting malaria in Coron or Busuanga, but it is certainly not common in Coron is the risk of dengue fever from mosquitoes, which can be quite unpleasant, so it’s a good idea to stay away from mosquitoes in the city or jungle However, you don’t need to wear mosquito repellent while enjoying the beaches and island hopping in Coron.
Best Coron Day Tour Packages
Klook has highly rated Coron Palawan day tours at very competitive prices.
For the ultimate Coron tour, their package costs about 1,600 pesos ($30) and includes most of the usual stops like Kayangan Lake and Twin Lagoon, as well as good beaches and snorkeling spots. You also get free lunch and Hotel: This is a better price than most tour companies you will find on the street in Coron.
Another advantage of booking a tour like this online is that you can pay by credit card or Paypal, so you don’t have to run to the ATM all the time (and ATMs in Coron are not known for their reliability in the first place. )
Where to stay?
Anyone visiting the islands stays in the town of Coron, which is on the eastern side of Busuanga Island.
All the hotels and restaurants are located here and it is only a short distance from the airport or the port.
The Coron hotels below are some of our top picks. You can see more options here.
Coron Hotels
Where did we stay?
We stayed at the Coron Visitors Hotel in town for 1400 pesos ($27 USD) for this price we got a clean double bed with cold AC and a private bathroom.
Keep in mind that this is a relatively remote island in the Philippines and the hotel scene is still struggling to develop and catch up with fast demand, so don’t expect luxury.
However, this is one of the best budget hotel options we could find in Coron. The location was perfect. only a 5 minute walk from great restaurants and the staff was very helpful in arranging airport transfers, tours and more for us.
Prices can fluctuate from time to time, so just keep an eye out for a good deal. Book With Trip.com And Hotellook
We stayed at the Coron Visitors Hotel for $27 USD
Coron vs El Nido – Which is better?
Palawan Island has become famous for its tropical scenery and island hopping, but in a head-to-head comparison of Coron to El Nido, which one is better?
Both of these places are amazing, and it’s possible to do both (I’d recommend it), but if you’re limited on time, you might have to choose one or the other, since the two provinces in the Philippines are separated by 100. kilometers of sea.
El Nido is more popular and developed than Coron, but that’s not always a good thing. Coron is quieter and has better snorkeling and diving. Both El Nido and Coron do amazing islands and beaches to explore.
I wrote a full comparison of all the differences and I hope it helps you decide between Coron or El Nido.