Coron Travel Itinerary (2 – 5 Days): Shipwrecks, Lagoons and Secret Beaches

Trying to map out a Coron travel itinerary? Highlights in Coron include turquoise lagoons, colourful coral reefs, remote islands and World War II shipwrecks… coupled with the occasional debate over whether to dive, hike or relax first.

I’ve visited Coron twice in the past five years. In that time, the town has grown from a handful of modest guesthouses into a busy port with cosy hotels, hostels and cafés.

Less crowded and more affordable than El Nido, Coron is a wise place to start or end your trip – for more tips on planning, check out my Palawan itinerary.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through the best things to do in Coron, followed by an easy-to-follow Coron travel itinerary for 2 – 5 days.

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.

What to Expect in Coron

Coron remains one of my favourite places to go island hopping in Palawan. Located at the north of the archipelago, the lively port town (Coron town proper) is on the island of Busuanga, underneath Mount Tapyas.

Coron is best known for its island hopping tours to turquoise lakes, colourful coral gardens, sunken World War II ships and limestone islands.

However, back on Busuanga, you can also climb up Mount Tapyas for incredible views over the islands or visit local hot springs.

Coron is also the starting point for multi-day island-hopping expeditions to El Nido.

Many people arrive in Coron unaware that this is a thing – however, having done the journey twice myself, I simply must let you know about it.

The expeditions spend several days travelling through one of the remotest parts of Palawan, Linapacan, where the corals are healthier and crowds are practically non-existent.

You get to travel on a traditional bangka boat and sleep in bamboo huts on the beach. The memories still stick with me years later, and I’m hoping to visit for a third time soon.

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 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.

Getting to Coron

The easiest way to reach Coron is to fly to Coron Airport and then take a minibus (approx 150 PHP) to Coron town proper. There are direct flights from El Nido and Manila.

To get from El Nido to Coron, you can also go the adventurous route – a Big Dream Boatman expedition – or take the El Nido to Coron ferry, which takes 3.5 hours.

The ferry is the cheapest way to get from A to B, but sea sickness tablets are highly recommended.

If you’re approaching Coron from elsewhere in the Philippines, check out my more in-depth guide to how to get to Coron.

Where to Stay in Coron

Coron doesn’t have as many hotels as El Nido, so it’s best to book your accommodation earlier rather than later. The best hotels and hostels get booked up very quickly.

My guide to where to stay in Coron has all of the important details on the best areas.

To summarise, if you’re a backpacker, the two most popular hostels are Outpost Hostel and Hop Hostel.

If you’re looking for somewhere more luxurious, the Two Seasons Coron Bayside and Two Seasons Coron Island Resort are stand-outs.

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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 do in Coron.

This is an important step because you can use this list to work out your top priorities. If you’re not keen on one activity, you can rule it out and skip to the next.

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 fixed 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 check out my detailed summary of each tour and whether they’re worth it.

If you’re tight on time, you can use my short summary below:

Option 1: The Coron Ultimate Tour

For those who are only spending one day in Coron, the Coron Ultimate Tour is a fusion of the most popular things to do in Coron.

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.

Twin Lagoon

Option 2: Tour A

Tour A visits Kayangan Lake, which is supposed to be the clearest lake in southeast Asia. Surrounded by limestone cliffs, it’s bright turquoise 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 traditional bangka boats.

The tour also provides some time for relaxation at two beautiful sandy beaches.

Check the availability for Tour A.

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 an underwater World War II Japanese warship covered in coral and barnacles (Skeleton Wreck).

The main stops are Barracuda Lake, which has underwater limestone formations, and Twin Lagoon, two turquoise lagoons surrounded by limestone cliffs.

Twin Lagoon is very shallow, so you get the chance to explore by swimming or kayaking.

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 beaches.

It visits several islands, including Malcapuya Island and a white sand bar. Many people overlook Tour C when they’re planning their Coron travel itinerary, but it shouldn’t be underestimated.

Check the availability for Tour C.

Malcupaya Island

Option 5: Tour D

One of the things that makes Coron unique is its World War II shipwrecks.

Tour D focuses on these underwater snorkel sites, visiting the Lusong Gunboat and the East Tangat wreck.

The tour also stops at a beach with soft silica sand, which is nice if your Coron travel itinerary has involved a lot of non-stop activity so far.

Check the availability for Tour D.

2. 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 directly at my hotel. We arranged a really good price (4500 PHP).

In El Nido, we were quoted triple this amount, so Coron is the best place to rent a private boat for sure.

If you don’t want to chance haggling upon arrival, you can check out the bespoke private boat tour 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.

We then requested to see Hidden Lagoon, which is again not on the set tour itineraries. We were the only people at the lagoon.

3. 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 things to do on your Coron itinerary.

The mountain is directly accessible from the town, and after a 210-metre climb, you’re rewarded with views over Coron Island and 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.

4. 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 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.

The water’s silica properties are rumoured to help dry skin.

5. 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.

6. Go diving

Coron is a very popular place to go diving due to its good reefs and 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 main dive sites in Coron 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).

7. 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.

8. Go parasailing in Coron Bay

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.

You can check the availability for parasailing in Coron online.

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.

1-Day Coron Itinerary

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.

2-Day Coron Itinerary

Two days is enough time for you to complete two island-hopping tours or two days of diving.

The most popular combination for two days is Tour A (Kayangan Lake and beaches) and Tour B (Barracuda Lake, Twin Lagoon and Skeleton Wreck).

• 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.

3-Day Coron Itinerary

With three days in Coron, you have plenty of time to go island hopping.

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.
• 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.

5-Day Coron Itinerary

Five days is a great amount of time to spend in Coron. You have time to complete all four island-hopping tours and go diving or parasailing.

• 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 a set tour or renting a boat.
• Day 5: Repeat Day 4, or try something new – you could go parasailing.

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