Trying to craft the perfect Coron travel itinerary? One that visits turquoise lagoons, colourful coral reefs, remote islands and sunken World War II warships? You’re in the right place.
I have visited Coron twice in the past five years. I’ve seen the town grow from just a small collection of modest guesthouses to a busy port town with cosy hotels, hostels and restaurants.
Coron is a great place to start or end your time island hopping in Palawan. It is it slightly less crowded and more affordable than El Nido.
In the following blog post, I’ll start by explaining all of the things that you can see and do in Coron, followed by a more detailed Coron travel itinerary for two, three or five days.
As part of your trip research, I also recommend reading my guide to the best Coron island hopping tours, where I break down the itineraries for tours A, B, C and D, and explain entry fees, what to pack, and more.
Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links. If you decide to click through and make a qualifying purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you – thanks for your support.
QUICK INFORMATION
When to visit: November to May
How to get there: Fly to Coron Airport
How Many Days Do You Need in Coron?
You need at least two to three days to fully explore Coron.
While a one-day trip does provide enough time for one island hopping trip and climbing Mount Tapyas, you may leave feeling like you missed out.
I recommend going on at least two island hopping trips in Coron to experience exploring the lagoons and snorkelling over shipwrecks.
There are a total of four island hopping tours in Coron, so you can easily spend longer than three days in Coron.
However, I recommend extending your trip to other destinations in Palawan such as El Nido and Linapacan (accessible on a multi-day island hopping expedition).
One thing to remember! Coron town proper is located on the island of Busuanga, not on the island of Coron.
Most people stay in Coron town proper and join an island-hopping tour to the island of Coron. The only way to stay on the island is by staying at Paolyn Houseboats.
Getting to Coron
The easiest way to reach Coron is to fly to Coron Airport and then take a minibus (for a fixed price of 150 PHP) to Coron town proper.
The cheapest way is to take the ferry from El Nido. However, the journey is notorious for seasickness and takes up to five hours.
The third option is to take an island-hopping expedition from El Nido to Coron port.
This is by far the most adventurous option, and coming from someone who has done it twice, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Tao Philippines expedition
The multi-day expeditions are provided by Big Dream Boatman and Tao Philippines.
Check out my guide to how to get to Coron Palawan to figure out all the smaller details of your journey.
A Short History of Coron
I like to provide a short history near the beginning of all of my itineraries because to truly understand a destination, you need to understand its history.
Coron town proper is located on Busuanga Island, which was originally inhabited by the Tagbanuas, Calmiananen, and Cuyonon tribes.
When the Spanish colonised the Philippines in the early 17th century, they formed settlements on Coron island and the surrounding islands. The Philippines declared independence from Spain in 1898.
However, the Philippine-American War ensued, and the United States occupied northern Palawan. In 1902, they renamed it the province of Paragua.
During World War II, the Japanese then invaded and occupied northern Palawan. During the fight, many Japanese warships sunk in the area around Coron Island; they are now popular snorkelling destinations.
The Japanese forces were defeated in 1945.
During the Japanese occupation, mining was the main industry in Coron. This switched to fishing in the 1970s, and then to basket weaving, and finally to tourism.
Where to Stay in Coron
Coron doesn’t have as many hotels as El Nido, so it’s key that you book your accommodation earlier rather than later.
The best hotels and hostels can be booked up months in advance, so failing to book in advance can easily ruin your Coron travel itinerary.
If you’re a backpacker, the two most popular hostels are Outpost Hostel Coron and Hop Hostel.
Hop Hostel also has private rooms, making it a good mid-budget choice.
If you’re looking for somewhere more luxurious, try the Two Seasons Coron Bayside.
There are two Two Seasons in the area of Coron. The other is a luxury island resort located a short boat ride from Coron town proper: the Two Seasons Coron Island Resort.
Palawan’s island resorts are world-renowned and popular honeymoon destinations.
Two Seasons Coron Bayside (£££)
Hop Hostel (£££)
Outpost Hostel Coron (£££)
Coron Travel Itinerary: Things to Do and See
Before I provide a Coron itinerary for two, three or five days, I am going to discuss all of the best things to see and do on your Coron trip.
This is an important step because you can use this list to work out what simply can’t be missed. If you’re not keen on one activity, you can rule it out rather than wasting your time.
1. Take an island-hopping tour
Island hopping is the go-to activity in Coron. With lakes, lagoons, World War II shipwrecks, coral reefs, and white-sand beaches to see, how could you resist?
There are four tours in Coron: A, B, C and D.
You don’t need to do all four tours, so I recommend using my guide to the best Coron island hopping tours to read a detailed summary of each tour and whether they’re worth it.
If you’re tight on time, you can use the short summary below:
Option 1: The Coron Ultimate Tour
If you’re only spending one full day in Coron, you can take the Coron Ultimate Tour.
It visits all of the most popular sites in one day, including Kayangan Lake, Twin Lagoon, Sunset Beach, Siete Pecados, Skeleton Wreck, and CYC Beach.
Check the availability for the Coron Ultimate Tour.
Kayangan Lake
Twin Lagoon
Option 2: Tour A
Tour A visits Kayangan Lake, one of the most popular sites in Coron. Kayangan Lake is supposed to have the clearest lake water in southeast Asia.
Surrounded by limestone cliffs, it’s incredibly peaceful and filled with small, nibbly fish.
The water is so clear that you can see the underwater limestone formations. It’s also next to a popular viewpoint overlooking a boardwalk surrounded by the traditional bangka boats.
The tour also provides some time for relaxation at two beautiful sandy beaches.
Check the availability for Tour A.
Kayangan Lake
CYC Beach
Option 3: Tour B
Tour B is one of the most attractive tours in Coron.
It packs a lot into one day, including lakes, lagoons and snorkelling over a sunken Japanese warship.
It stops at Barracuda Lake, which has underwater limestone formations, before continuing on to Skeleton Wreck, a sunken WWII Japanese warship covered in coral and barnacles.
It also fits in a visit to Twin Lagoon, two very clean lagoons surrounded by limestone cliffs. They are very shallow, so only explorable by kayak.
Check the availability for Tour B.
Twin Lagoons and Barracuda Lake
Twin Lagoon
Option 4: Tour C
Tour C is your best bet if you want to spend a relaxed day on Coron’s remote islands.
It visits several islands, with Malcapuya Island and a white sand bar being two of the highlights.
Many people overlook Tour C when they’re planning their itinerary for Coron, but it shouldn’t underestimated.
Check the availability for Tour C.
Malcupaya Island
Option 5: Tour D
One of the things that makes Coron unique is the possibility of snorkelling over sunken World War II shipwrecks. Tour D focuses on this.
It visits the Lusong Gunboat and the East Tangat wreck. Both wrecks are shallow enough for you to snorkel over them.
The tour also stops at a beach with soft silica sand, which is nice if your Coron travel itinerary has involved a lot of activity so far.
Check the availability for Tour D.
2. Take an island-hopping expedition to El Nido
If you’re going to do anything in Coron, it should be this.
I briefly touched on the multi-day island hopping trips between El Nido and Coron in the section on getting to Coron. However, they also happen in the reverse direction, from Coron to El Nido.
These multi-day island hopping trips are once-in-a-lifetime expeditions that travel through the Lincapacan area, visiting remote islands and coral reefs.
I’ve done the route twice, and hope to go again very soon – it’s just that good.
By day, you travel by traditional bangka boat to reach deserted islands and colourful coral reefs.
At night, you camp in bamboo huts on remote islands and experience beautiful sunsets, barbecued seafood and campfires.
The expeditions last at least three nights, and they very often sell out, so it’s best to grab your spot at least a few months in advance.
These expeditions by Big Dream Boatman and Tao Philippines really help you to get away from the crowds and get a remote island-hopping experience.
BEST FOR SMALL GROUP TOURS
The Big Dream Boatman expeditions travel between Coron and El Nido, in both directions. Lasting for four nights or three nights, the tours feature basic bamboo accommodation on remote islands.
The tours start from $599 (on sale), which equates to under $150 per night.
Rightly so, these tours are incredibly popular so it’s best to reserve your spot several months in advance.
3. Rent a private boat to explore Coron at your own pace
If you’re not keen on the idea of sharing a boat with 10-12 strangers, you can rent a private bangka boat instead.
I managed to do this with two friends by speaking to my hotel staff. We arranged a good price (4500 PHP).
In El Nido, you can expect to pay double or triple this amount, so Coron is the best place to get a private boat if it’s on your bucket list.
If you don’t want to chance haggling a good price, you can just book a bespoke tour (private boat hire) on GetYourGuide.
There are a few benefits of hiring a private boat.
Firstly, you can ask your driver to visit destinations that are not on the set tour itineraries.
For example, we asked our driver to take us to Banul Beach. We had the beach completely to ourselves for the entire morning.
Banul Beach
We then requested to see Hidden Lagoon, which is again not on the set tour itineraries. We were the only kayakers at the lagoon.
Hidden Lagoon
4. Climb Mount Tapyas
Look for the hill above Coron town proper, marked by a ‘Coron’ sign and a cross. That’s Mount Tapyas, one of the most popular items on a Coron Palawan itinerary.
The mountain is directly accessible from the town, and after a 210-metre climb, you’re rewarded with views over Coron Island and the town.
Most island-hopping tours return to the port a couple of hours before sunset, making climbing the hill possible on the same day.
In fact, golden hour is the perfect time to climb Mount Tapyas because it’s cooler outside and the sun sets behind the islands.
5. Visit the Maquinit Hot Spring
Most people visit the Maquinit Hot Spring directly after hiking Mount Tapyas.
The natural hot springs, warmed by volcanic thermal activity, are a 30-minute drive tricycle ride from the town.
It’s better to visit the hot springs at night rather than during the daytime because the springs are 36 to 40°C. You want the air to be cooler, rather than warmer.
The silica properties in the water are rumoured to help with dry skin.
6. Explore Coron town
If you have some downtime in Coron town, you don’t need to sit around. You can take a Coron town tour.
There is one Catholic church in Coron, St. Augustine. It has a pulpit dedicated to the patron saint St. Augustine.
On the town tour, you’ll get to visit this church, along with a family-run cashew factory. It also visits Mount Tapyas and the Maquinit Hot Springs on the same day.
This is all done by air-conditioned van instead of a tricycle.
7. Go diving
Coron is a very popular place to go diving due to its good reefs and sunken World War II shipwrecks. While a few of the wrecks are suitable for snorkelling, most of them are deep underwater and only accessible to divers.
The dive sites include a couple of Japanese freighters, a sunken seaplane (the Akitsushima), a large cargo ship and an oiler.
There are a handful of PADI diving centres in Coron, with Reggae Dive Centre receiving the most positive reviews on Google (4.8/5 stars).
8. Try freediving
Freediving is also popular in Coron. Freediving involves diving while holding your breath, instead of using tanks.
There are two freediving centres in Coron, with the most popular being Freediving Coron (rated 4.9/5 on Google).
Certified freedivers can do a ‘fun’ freedive at Baraccuda Lake.
Beginners can join their two-day freediving course to learn how to freedive.
9. Try parasailing
If diving is a little too immersive for your taste, parasailing is a great alternative. It takes place in Coron Bay, which has views of Coron Island and Mount Tapyas.
Check the availability for parasailing in Coron.
Coron Travel Itinerary for 2 – 5 Days
By now, you should have a good idea of what activities you want to do.
That’s all you need to start jotting down your Coron travel itinerary.
The following itineraries are very flexible, so you can either follow the examples word for word or swap some of the activities for the ideas above.
Coron Itinerary 1 Day
If you only have time for one day in Coron, you will probably want to choose one island-hopping tour.
After your island hopping tour, you can climb Mount Tapyas and visit the Maquinit Hot Springs.
- Choose an island hopping tour:
- The Coron Ultimate Tour is a fast-paced option that visits Kayangan Lake, Twin Lagoon, Sunset Beach, Siete Pecados (coral garden) Skeleton Wreck, and CYC Beach.
- Tour B is another good choice because it visits one World War II wreck and the popular Barracuda Lake and Twin Lagoon sites. However, you won’t get to visit Kayangan Lake.
- Divers can take a one-day diving tour with a local dive company instead.
- Climb Mount Tapyas.
- Take a 30-minute tricycle to the Maquinit Hot Spring to relax in the hot spring waters.
Coron Itinerary 2 Days
Two days is enough time for you to complete two island-hopping tours or even two days of diving.
You also have time to fit in a two-day freediving course instead of going island hopping.
- Choose two island hopping tours:
- On Day 1, you can take the first island-hopping tour. After you finish the tour, climb Mount Tapyas.
- On Day 2, take your second tour. After you finish, you can visit the Maquinit Hot Spring before the crowds.
Coron Itinerary 3 Days
With three days, you have plenty of time to go island hopping or diving.
You could also break up two days of activities with a ‘lazy day’, either taking the relaxed Tour C or hiring your own private boat to go to Banul Beach and Hidden Lagoon.
If you want more time to explore the World War II wrecks, you can join Tour D.
- Day 1: Take an island-hopping tour (or go diving). Climb Mount Tapyas once your tour has finished.
- Day 2: Take Tour C or D to relax or explore more shipwrecks.
- Day 3: Take a third island-hopping tour. Relax at the Maquinit Hot Springs.
Coron Itinerary 5 Days
Five days is a great amount of time to spend in Coron.
You have time to complete all four island-hopping tours. You can also fit a mixture of diving or freediving and island-hopping into your Coron travel itinerary.
With five days, you have one day leftover to relax in town, or perhaps go parasailing.
You can also choose to spend the final two days on an island-hopping expedition with Big Dream Boatman or Tao Philippines, which both end in El Nido.
- Day 1: Take island-hopping Tour A, B, C or D – or go diving!
- Day 2: Repeat day 1, but choose a different tour this time.
- Day 3: Explore the town, climb Mount Tapyas and visit the Maquinit Hot Springs.
- Day 4: Go island-hopping, either by taking one of the set Coron tours or by joining a multi-day expedition.
- Day 5: Repeat Day 5, or try something new – you could hire a boat or go parasailing.
That’s your Coron travel itinerary sorted. If you’re trying to piece together a full itinerary for Palawan, visit my island hopping in Palawan guide.
If you’re visiting El Nido next, check out the best El Nido tour itineraries.
Other suggested reading:
- The best Coron island hopping tours – A, B, C or D?
- How to get to Coron Palawan by air, ferry and taxi.
- What to wear in Palawan + free island hopping packing list!
- Anilao diving guide: the Philippines’ nudibranch capital.
FAQ
The best months to visit Coron are between November and April. The busiest months are in March and April. There is still a chance of rain in November, but there are fewer crowds.
Tricycles are the best way to travel by road in Coron. To travel to locations across Coron island from the town, you should take an island-hopping tour. These tours use a traditional bangka boat to reach destinations that are only accessible by boat such as Kayangan Lake and Twin Lagoon.
September and October are the cheapest months to go to Coron, but there is a high chance of rain.
AUTHOR
Katie Treharne
I’m Katie, the owner of Escape Artist Katie. I have been travel writing since 2018, including writing for luxury travel magazines and publications such as Wanderlust.
As well as being a digital nomad who works and lives abroad permanently, I’m a big advocate for offbeat travel and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone.
I hope you found my article useful – find out more about me here or keep up with my travels on Instagram.