Coron is a large island that is part of the Palawan archipelago in the Philippines. It is a cute island from where you can take nice boat trips to beautiful lakes and other islands. In contrast to the rest of Palawan, Coron is reminiscent of Italy in terms of landscape. It is slightly less tropical. In this blog, you can read more about our time on Coron. I will also tell you what to do in Coron, what nice hotels there are here, and which restaurants I can recommend on the island! In short, a lot of tips for Coron on Palawan!
Our time at Coron in Palawan!
On December 2 late afternoon, we arrive with the Buhay Isla expedition in Coron. After an extensive goodbye from the crew and the rest of the group, we take a tricycle to our hotel. Ooo, what are we looking forward to really being able to shower and feel clean again. Or how about air conditioning, it will be so nice!
We arrive at our hotel, Sunz & Coron Resort, and it does feel very luxurious! It is located just outside busy Coron Town so it is nice and quiet. Upon entering we receive a welcome drink and afterwards, we are shown around. We sleep in a small row of houses. Our room looks great and from our front door, it’s just 10 meters for us to jump into the pool.
The rest of the evening mainly consists of getting clean, having contact with family and friends, and going out for dinner (at restaurant the Viewdeck, not recommended although the view is beautiful).
Click here to read all about our time on El Nido!
Celebrating my birthday on Coron in the Philippines
Yeah! It’s my birthday! Thanks for all the sweet congratulations, it is very special to have a birthday abroad in the sun, but fortunately, the Netherlands felt a little less far away due to the many congratulations. Today is a lazy day, just enjoy the sun, the pool, and our books. But not before I had a short birthday workout! Except for some yoga lessons, I haven’t been working out at all the recent weeks! So while Ries is editing movies, I do a Kayla Itsines workout in the sun and then jump into the pool to cool down.
Cupcakes!
Our friends Jorinde and Tim surprised us with cupcakes, really nice! We chill in the pool and then go into town to have a nice lunch. My dear grandfather and grandmother are treating us to this lunch and so it tastes extra good!
Delicious food at La Sirenetta fish restaurant on Coron!
After a few hours by the pool, we go back to the center. This time we go to a restaurant on the water, La Sirenetta. From here you have a beautiful view of the sunset. While we enjoy our cocktails, we suddenly see a huge fish being carried from a boat to our restaurant. It is a tuna from over a meter long. Well, you do understand what I ordered later that night!
A unique experience: going on an island hopping tour in the Philippines with Buhay Isla!
Click here to read all about Port Barton!
Explore Coron by scooter
After yesterday’s relaxation, today it’s time to discover this island a little better. Officially this island isn’t called Coron, but Busuanga Island. It is part of the municipality of Coron and the town we are close by is called Coron Town. The island of Coron does exist and is close by. It is a beautiful island made out of limestone with large lakes and wooded rocks. It is only possible for tourists to visit a small part of Coron Island, the rest is forbidden and is inhabited by Tagbanwa’s native people. Tomorrow we are going to visit part of Coron Island, but today we stay on Busuanga Island.
Exploring Busuanga Island
After another hot workout, we rent scooters and drive into the country. We are on our way to a cashew nut farm that is very well-known here in Busuanga. After half an hour driving through a landscape that is very reminiscent of Mallorca or the Costa Brava, we arrive at the place where the farm should be. Unfortunately, there is absolutely nothing here … A sweet lady tries to explain to us in Filipino where to go.
As it turns out, we have to be in the middle of the city, where we just came from. So we get all four back on the scooters and drive back. Arriving at the cashew farm, it turns out to be just a shop where you can taste two kinds of nuts. Furthermore, the room is filled with photos of local celebrities. We have a good laugh about it, but if you consider going to L. Escarda’s Coron Harvest, we don’t recommend it, to be honest, it’s a waste of your time!
Looking for an itinerary for Palawan? Read here our two-week Palawan itinerary!
The hot spring on Coron: very hot!
Another thing that was a bit disappointing was the natural hot springs that we then went to. We expected that there would also be cold baths, but unfortunately, it is just a very hot 40-degree bath. Something which isn’t very refreshing if the outside temperature is 33 degrees.
We highly recommended the place where we had lunch: Santino’s Restaurant. According to Ries and Tim, they serve the best burgers in the Philippines, but our sizzling gambas are also delicious!
To the Coron sign on Mt Tapyas!
At sunset, we decide to climb Mt Tapyas. To get to the top you have to climb 723 steps, which is quite a workout in this weather. At the top, we enjoy a beautiful sunset. It has something magical, the sea looks like a mirror so smooth and everywhere you see green islands traveling from the sea. Worth climbing, it also has something of Hollywood, because on top of the mountain, you have the name Coron in iconic white letters.
We close the evening at Altrove. Yes, our favorite restaurant in El Nido is just in Coron. This is also our farewell to Jorinde and Tim, they will return to Texel tomorrow. After two weeks of traveling together, it is a pity that they are now going home. But when we are back in the Netherlands, we will go to Texel for a weekend!
Island hopping on a boat trip from Coron
On our last day here in Coron, we spent again on a boat. We have already had many boat trips, but to miss the beautiful lakes of Coron Island in Coron, we think is a shame. So we leave with a boat full of tourists on our way to the ultimate expedition of the company Calamianes Expeditions. It is certainly not the most beautiful boat tour we have had, we liked the boat tour in El Nido better, but we had a nice day.
Sometimes we stop to snorkel and visit the Twin Lagoon. The Buhay Isla tour has spoiled us rotten, the snorkeling here with so many more tourists and fewer fish, feels less of an adventure. But still, we have a nice time on board with two British couples. What we are all shocked by is how polluted the sea around Coron is. Everywhere plastic and tin float, terrible to see.
Bitten by a jellyfish on our boat trip from Coron!
After lunch which takes place on a small remote island, we go into the water with the group. All around us are large starfish, cool to see. Suddenly I feel a lot of pain in my calf. I sprint out of the water, and immediately know what it is … a jellyfish bite. The guide starts to smear me with vinegar, but that doesn’t help at all. The bite is stinging, but it is also very funny because there is only one solution … Someone has to pee over my calf. So under a lot of chuckle, Ries and I walk into the bushes. Luckily it does help and the pain subsides and we walk back to the group that is laughing very hard. Surprisingly no one wants to sit next to my peed-on calf.
Beautiful Kayangan Lake near Coron!
The highlight of the day is Kayangan Lake. To get here we first have to climb a staircase that circles the mountains. From above you have a beautiful view of the bay where we are docked. When we walk down we see the clear blue lake. This is the cleanest lake in the world and you can see many meters deep. Not many fish swim there, just some fish with a kind of crazy beak, but the rock formations that you see underwater are very impressive.
From Coron back to Manila
And then it is our last day here in The Philippines. We fly to Manila where we spend the rest of the afternoon and evening. Tomorrow we will fly out to Ho Chi Minh at 07.00 AM so we sleep in a hotel near the airport. Since we don’t feel like going into Manila’s city center (it is known for being ugly and dangerous), we spend most of the day at Starbucks. Our hotel is located in a kind of secured compound, which also includes a swimming pool and a small gym. In the evening we go for a nice workout followed by swimming some laps.
Tomorrow morning the alarm will be at 04.00. We have no idea what to expect from Vietnam. Most of our time so far was planned out, with itineraries and hotels. However, we have not yet planned or arranged anything for Vietnam. Let’s see!
Travel tips for Coron!
Below you will find a lot of tips for Coron. From (in our opinion) the best restaurants, to good hotels and three fun activities and things to do in Coron!
Restaurants in Coron Town
Altrove: Italian food and pizza on Coron
Yes, just like in El Nido, Coron also has the popular restaurant Altrove (pizza and pasta). Here you eat the best pizzas, and pasta and drink nice wine!
La Sirenetta: fresh fish in Coron Town!
Craving some fish, so fresh that it is taken right out of the sea? Then go eat at La Sirenetta. You will sit on a pier with a view of the setting sun!
Santino’s Grill: burgers and good Filipino food on Coron!
Looking for extremely good burgers or delicious Filipino food? Then grab some food at Santino’s Grill. A must, very affordable and they serve delicious smoothies!
Three activities and things to do in Coron, the Philippines
Besides relaxing there is much more to do on Coron. Note: Coron does not have real beaches. You better take a boat trip for that!
1. Explore the underwater world around Coron: diving!
Coron is known for the many shipwrecks that lie on the seabed off the coast. A true paradise for divers. Are you going to do a Big Dream Boatman or Buhay Isla tour? Then you can go snorkeling above a beautiful shipwreck.
2. Visit the Coron sign on Mount Tapyas during sunset!
Hollywood eat your heart out, Coron has his own Coron Sign on top of Mount Tapyas. Nice to climb to (recommended, do this just before sunset, otherwise it is too hot) and enjoy the great view. 600 Steps, by the way, seem a lot tougher than they are.
Not recommended: do not visit the Cashew nut farm or the hot springs. The Cashew nut farm is just a cashew nut shop and is quite disappointing, and believe me, with 30 degrees outside its hot springs it is too hot!
3. Take a boat trip to uninhabited islands and lakes!
What is fun to do is an island hop tour along the crystal clear Kayangan Lake and the beautiful Twin Lagoon. We booked a tour with Calamianes Expeditions, for about 15 euros per person.
4. Drink cocktails at Hop Hostel
Definitely a must when you are in Coron Town: a visit to Hop Hostel. The rooftop is the place to be for cocktails in Coron Town, perfect for when the sun is setting!
The best and nicest places to sleep on Coron!
Coron is a wonderful tropical island to visit. It is known for the many shipwrecks off the coast. Dive lovers will fall in love with this place. Furthermore, you can also easily island hopping to other beautiful islands with pearly white beaches. Finally, near Coron is an island with a large freshwater lake. Very special to visit. Below our favorite hotels of Coron:
Acacia Garden Inn €€
This attractive design hotel in Coron has modern, air-conditioned rooms and a nice lobby. The hotel is right in the center of Coron Town. Prices start from 38 euros per night (2 persons).
Sunz & Coron resort €€
This hotel in Coron has a swimming pool, air-conditioned rooms, and tasty breakfast. There is also a shuttle service available that will take you to the city center for free. From 44 euros per night (2 people).
The Funny Lion €€€
Friends of ours stayed here and were very pleased with the great pool and the good drinks! The rooms are large, nice and clean. Prices start from 199 euros per night (2 people).
Click here for more blogs about The Philippines!
Like this post? Pin it!
Hey, my name is Marie and I really liked reading your blog, because I love travelling, just like you. The fact that you dare to express your opinion honestly, is something I greatly appreciate. Your blog wasn't only very interesting, but also funny. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us!
Hi Mary,
Thanks so much for your kind words! Very happy that our blog has helped you!
Kind regards,
Charlotte
Hi there! Great! Thank you so much. One question. If I want to do everything you mentioned, how much time should O spend out on Palawan?
Such a chill birthday vibe