Coron was our FAVORITE of all the Palawan islands. We loved everything from the small-town vibe, to the crystal clear waters, to the white sand beaches. Here’s a roundup of our favorite spots from the trip that you need to add to your itinerary!
I want to preface this with how we did ZERO planning before we arrived on the island. We only had our hotels and flights booked. We planned and booked everything else on the fly and it worked perfectly for us.
Where To Stay
Flying over Coron Island, you’ll see just how pristine and lush the island is kept. The island is the ancestral home of the Tagbanua indigenous group, and therefore, tourists are not allowed on the island (except on select beaches and lagoons). When looking for accommodation, stay in Coron town. It’s a quick 20 minute boat ride. The town is dotted with cute restaurants, souvenir shops, hostels, and hotels. We stayed at the Two Seasons Resort and Skylodge Resort.
Know before you go
HOW TO GET AROUND THE CORON ISLANDS: We hired a private boat tour for two of our days. We wanted the flexibility to start early, choose the islands we stopped at, and not feel rushed. Most hotels will help you schedule a private tour. There are numerous travel agencies and rental shops in the town center, who can also help you book a next-day tour. If you opt for a group tour, there are a variety of packages that visit different islands.
KAYAK OR NO KAYAK? Short answer: maybe. We rented one for both tour days and no regrets. Many of the islands have shallow waters, so boats cannot dock along the shore. Therefore unless you enjoy swimming long distances, be sure to tell your ship captain to load a kayak before you take off from Coron town. For example, we spent a good day running around looking for a CLEAR KAYAK (scroll down to see how cool this looks!). If you want these, we rented ours from Tiffany Rentals.
CURRENCY: Philippines Pesos
Top Attractions in Coron
1. Kayangan Lake
This was the first of our stops. To be the first ones here, you need to be amongst the first boats that leave the dock from Coron Town. We left at 7:45am and arrived at Kayangan lake at 8:15am. This is the perfect time to swim and enjoy the serene waters to yourself. Within a few minutes, the lake was packed!
2. Twin Lagoon
Twin Lagoon’s magnificent towering limestone formations are breathtaking. We used our kayak here to get inside the lagoon and spent a good hour relaxing and floating in the lagoon.
3. Malcapuya Island
Soft white sands, clear warm waters, and tranquility. This is exactly what we wanted from a tropical island getaway. And we found it on Malcapuya Island. It’s one of the farthest islands from Coron town, but also the most idyllic. It was just us and shimmering turquoise waters. This was, hands down, the highlight of our Palawan trip.
4. Coron Island
Can you imagine spending a night in these beach huts? The sound of the gentle waves as your lullaby, and the shimmering stars as your night light?
Red Carabao has the most unique castaway experience. We had the unique opportunity to spend a night on Coron Island in beach huts. The experience is like none-other. Unlike other public tours, the Red Carabao tour is much more intimate. Firstly, you set sail earlier than the other boats, visit the popular Coron landmarks, and then sail over to the exclusive Red Carabao beach. Secondly, no other boats are allowed to dock here! The day was ours to snorkel, kayak, and relax. Above all, we got a chance to meet the tribe who call the island home and got a brief glimpse into their way of life. We learned about their traditional coffee brewing ways, and made coffee together.
They offer single-day and multi-day expeditions. Check out their website for all the details!
5. Bulog Dos
Come to Bulog Dos for its beautiful SAND BAR. If you’ve never seen a sand bar, imagine a long stretch of sand which is surrounded by water on the left and right sides! Similarly to Malcapuya Island, Bulog Dos has beautiful white sandy beaches. The best time to experience the beauty of a sand bar is really when the tide is low. Unfortunately, when we got there around 3pm, the tide had already engulfed the sand bar. But alas, we enjoyed kayaking around the area and taking these really cool drone shots of our clear kayak.
6. Two Seasons Resort
After a long day of island hopping, there’s no better feeling than returning to the hotel and taking a relaxing dip by the pool with a mango rum cocktail in hand. Trust us on this one! The Two Seasons bayside hotel was perfect for us. Infinity pool, happy hour cocktails (so important!), and some great Philippine food.
7. Coco Bar
Coco Bar was truly a hidden gem. If you’re a cocktail affectionate like we are, don’t let your Coron trip go without making a stop here. We loved how the drinks featured local flavors and techniques. Even pandan (one my of favorite south-east Asian flavors) made an appearance. Firstly, order a tropical tiki drink. Secondly, stay for the live music at sunset. Lastly, get a pizza delivered from the pizzeria next door. This really is paradise.
