So you’re going to Coron?
Well, you’re in for a TREAT.
Coron is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places – not just in Palawan, in the Philippines, but in the WORLD.
So if you’re counting down the days to your trip, let me excite you even MORE.
In this article, I’m going to tease you with 10 of the BEST Coron tourist spots you NEED to see when you visit!
And if you’re someone who hasn’t booked those tickets yet, you’ll probably do just that when you’re done reading? *wink *wink
Quick Note! How to See These Coron Tourist Spots
Before getting into the spots, there’s something you need to know.
Coron is a place that’s VERY difficult to explore DIY style.
Aside from the town spots, you’re either going to have to join a group tour (or rent out an entire boat for a private tour) to see these places.
That’s because Coron town isn’t actually on Coron island. So you can’t just walk or drive to the spots, you’ll need a boat to get there (you can learn more about this in my Coron travel guide!).
But don’t worry, because after giving you the 10 spots, I’ll then show you sample tours that are available all over Coron.
So let’s dive in!
The 10 Best Tourist Spots in Coron, Palawan
Here are my top 10 favorite spots in Coron.
And… while I LOVE all of them, these are in order of the ones that you should NOT miss!
- Twin Lagoon
- Kayangan Lake
- Mount Tapyas
- Maquinit Hot Spring
- Calauit Safari
- Black Island
- Malwawey Reef
- Barracuda Lake
- East Tangat Wreck
- CYC Beach
Let’s check them out one by one!
Best Coron Tourist Spots #1: Twin Lagoon
My FAVORITE spot in all of Coron has to be the Twin Lagoons.
Because yes, Coron does have several awesome lagoons with majestic walls of limestone towering over them – but there are a few things that make Twin Lagoons better than the others.
But first…
As the name suggests, Twin Lagoons are two lagoons that are adjacent to one another.
What makes them unique is that they’re separated by a wall of limestone that you can either swim under (low tide) or climb a ladder over (high tide).
On the docking side, you can get on a kayak and paddle along the breathtaking limestone walls. There’s also a wooden dock where you can go to get pictures.
While on the other side of the ladder, you can go swimming.
Keep in mind that this isn’t the main swimming area of Coron (that’s Kayangan Lake).
And that, my friends, is exactly why I love Twin Lagoons so much.
Unlike Kayangan, Twin Lagoons have a lot more “raw” nature. Add to this our guide warning us not to swim far from the ladder, and you get the wonderful sense that you’re really out in the wild.
Maybe that’s just me.
But whatever the case, Twin Lagoons is definitely a MUST visit while you’re there.
How to Get to the Coron Twin Lagoons
Most Coron tours will visit the Twin Lagoons since it’s quite iconic.
These include tours like:
- Ultimate Highlights Tour
- Super Ultimate Tour
- Coron Island Tour B
Also, a quick note!
If you want to kayak in Twin Lagoons, let your guide know before the tour begins so they can bring a kayak along (there are no establishments in the lagoons themselves). This will cost you around php400 ($8).
I’ll get into what else these tours offer in a bit, but first:
Best Coron Tourist Spots #2: Kayangan Lake
Does that picture above look familiar?
Well, of course it does!
That’s the ultimate Coron view. That, my friends, is Kayangan Lake.
Or…
That’s the view you get before you get to Kayangan Lake.
The lake itself is actually 360 steps up, and 360 steps down from the dock.
It’s quite a workout, but boy is it worth it.
Kayangan Lake is the main swimming area on Coron island, and I’m not exaggerating when I say that it is awesome.
The water is crystal clear, and you get to see the magnificent limestone formations beneath the water.
In the middle of the lake, you’ll see this log standing at the bottom of the lake. But unlike Twin Lagoon, you won’t get a sense of foreboding when swimming here!
How to Get to Kayangan Lake
This is another destination that’s included in most Coron tours, such as:
- Ultimate Highlights Tour
- Super Ultimate Tour
- Coron Island Tour A
Best Coron Tourist Spots #3: Mount Tapyas
Ready for a quick workout?
Then up the 720 steps of Mount Tapyas you go!
It might be tiring, but again, it is SUPER worth it.
And don’t worry, there are plenty of stations where you can sit down and take a break.
At the very top is a view deck where you can see Coron town, the bare hills of Busuanga, and, of course, Coron Island itself.
Coron Island is sometimes called the sleeping giant. And up here, you can see exactly why. The island is shaped like a giant man lying down!
Also at the top is the giant cross and Coron sign. You can see this from anywhere in Coron town, but getting up close will show you just how massive the sign really is.
A little tip: visit during sunset. Once it gets dark enough, the lights on the giant cross turn on, and it’s quite a sight (Just make sure you have a flashlight when you’re going down as some portions of the steps aren’t lighted).
How to Get to Mount Tapyas
Mount Tapyas is included in most Coron town tours.
But if you want to DIY it, you actually can!
Just hop into any tricycle and ask them to take you to Mount Tapyas. You can ask the driver to wait for you at the base (or ask him to come up with you to get your pictures!).
Going to Mount Tapyas on your own is great if you don’t really want to visit the other spots in the Coron town tour (some of which are pretty underwhelming).
Best Coron Tourist Spots #4: Maquinit Hot Spring
Here’s something that’s truly unique.
There are so many springs all over the country, but Maquinit is the only known one that’s both:
#1: Hot, and
#2: SALTY
That’s right.
The Maquinit pools are a mix of hot spring water from the mountains and salt water from the sea.
This mix creates something that you won’t find anywhere else in the country.
And yes, in case you’re wondering, the water IS hot and salty (I tasted it 😂).
Maquinit is a great place to relax, preferably after a long day of touring around. If you can’t bear the heat, you can always just put your feet in.
Aside from the hot pool, there’s also a platform that goes through some mangroves (perfect for picture taking), and plenty of tables where you can chill with friends.
When nighttime arrives, the place is illuminated by yellow lamps, creating a very nice atmosphere. If you can bring food along, this will also be a great place to have dinner!
How to Get to Maquinit Hot Spring
Maquinit is around 20 minutes away from Coron town proper.
Most town tours will include Maquinit, but you can also hail a tricycle and ask them to take you here – just make sure to agree on a price beforehand (usually php300-400 for 2-ways is good).
Also, keep in mind that Maquinit has an entrance fee of php200.
Best Coron Tourist Spots #5: Calauit Safari
One spot that not everyone gets to visit is Calauit Safari.
Why?
Well, Calauit is an island 2 hours away from Coron town. Not everyone wants to travel that far just to see a bunch of zebras and giraffes.
And yes, when you compare Calauit to something like Cebu Safari, there are far fewer animals to see.
But here’s what makes Calauit Safari so interesting, and it’s why I’d say it’s worth the trip:
The zebras and giraffes are FREE to roam around the island!
That’s right, there are NO cages here.
Instead, plot twist, the humans are the ones who stay inside the cages when feeding the giraffes!
To make matters even more interesting, the giraffes and zebras you see here are actually 3rd generation animals already. Their grandparents were brought to the island during the 1970s, and the fact that they reproduced shows that the animals here are healthy and happy.
Also, aside from the zebras and the giraffes, you’ll also find plenty of endemic Calamian deer.
If you’re lucky, you might even see these antelopes (they’re very shy and usually hide from tourists).
Finally, there’s also a small zoo where you can see crocodiles, monkeys, turtles, porcupines, and other small animals.
How to Get to Calauit Safari
Because it’s so far away, you’ll need to get a tour of Calauit Safari. But don’t worry, there are plenty of these!
One tip: if you’re going to Calauit, make sure you get a tour that includes a trip to Black Island as well.
You’ll only be spending a couple of hours on the safari, so it’s much better to visit another specular island nearby, rather than spending another 2 hours going straight back to Coron town.
Best Coron Tourist Spots #6: Black Island
One of the most underrated spots in Coron HAS to be Black Island.
Honestly? I don’t know why this island isn’t more popular.
Why?
Because it has a LOT to offer.
It has:
- An AMAZING white beach
- A literal shipwreck
- Beautiful rock formations, and
- A CAVE
First, the beach.
The sand of Black Island is so fine, that it can easily rival Boracay.
Of course, Black Island isn’t nearly as convenient as Boracay, but in terms of their beach alone, I’m not actually sure which is better!
What makes it even more unique is that there is a literal shipwreck right there just a few feet into the water.
It’s so close to the shore, you can walk to it and touch it if you want!
The island itself is also gorgeous.
The reason it’s called Black Island is that as your boat approaches the island, all you’ll see is a huge wall of black limestone.
Looks impressive in the picture. But trust me, it’s even better in real life!
And finally, the last bit that makes Black Island so unique is its cave.
If you’re a spelunker, you might find this cave unimpressive. It’s small, and there isn’t much to explore.
But for casuals, entering the cave and dipping in its pool is quite an experience.
How to Get to Black Island
If you’re already going to Calauit Safari, I highly, HIGHLY recommend taking the tour that includes Black Island!
Both Calauit Safari and Black Island are found on the western side of Busuanga island (Coron town is on the eastern end).
It takes another hour by boat to get to Black Island, but adding it to your Calauit Safari tour will make your long trip there much more worth it.
As far as I know, Calauit Safari tours are the only ones that include Black Island in the itinerary.
If you don’t go for that, you could also hire a private boat to get here.
Best Coron Tourist Spots #7: Malwawey Reef (Or Siete Pescados, Smith Coral Garden, etc)
Aside from the majestic limestone walls, Coron is also littered with reefs all over its waters.
And these reefs are teeming with life!
Not only will you get to see all the colorful corals, but there’s plenty of fish down there too.
And if you look carefully, you’ll even find Nemo!
If you can free dive, this is a great place to do it. Just be careful of the currents.
How to Get to Malwawey Reef
Most tours to Coron Island will include a coral reef. Tours like:
- Ultimate Highlights Tour
- Super Ultimate Tour
- Coron Island Tour A
- Coron Island Tour B
Whether that’s Malwawey Reef, Siete Pescados, Smith Coral Garden, or another of the many coral reefs around Coron depends on the tides and other factors.
As always, you can also rent a private boat to get here!
Best Coron Tourist Spots #8: Barracuda Lake
Yet another lake worth visiting on Coron Island is Barracuda Lake.
Barracuda lake is an extremely deep lake.
Interestingly enough, the water changes temperature quite a lot here. From surface temperature, it gets warmer as you go down. Then, once you pass a certain point, it suddenly starts to get cold.
Barracuda lake is best explored with scuba gear. Otherwise, it’s mostly just the same as Twin Lagoon and Kayangan Lake.
And no, if you’re afraid of Barracudas, there’s a VERY small chance you’ll see one here (even if you go scuba diving), so no need to be afraid!
How to Get to Barracuda Lake
Again, Barracuda lake is best experienced on a scuba dive. However, there are several tours that go here as well!
- Scuba Tours
- Super Ultimate Tour
- Coron Island Tour B
Best Coron Tourist Spots #9: East Tangat Wreck (And/Or Other World War 2 Shipwrecks)
The crazy thing is:
Coron is already extremely beautiful as is, but then it ALSO has World War 2 shipwrecks littered all over the place!
There are TEN Japanese shipwrecks hidden beneath the waters. This makes Coron one of the best places to go scuba diving!
Now if you’re thinking:
“Welp, I’m not a scuba diver. So there’s no way I can get to see this.”
Well… You don’t have to be!
You can go on a discovery dive (which I did), and after a quick basics training, they’ll take you to see the East Tangat wreck up close!
You won’t be able to go and see some of the deeper wrecks without a diving certificate (which is a shame, since they look really cool in the pictures), but honestly?
Getting so close to such a well-preserved piece of World War 2 history is an amazing experience.
How to Get to the East Tangat Wreck
Some wrecks, like the East Tangat and Lusong gunboat, can actually be seen by snorkeling during low tide.
In fact, there are some tours that visit these wreck sites.
However, I highly recommend trying scuba diving to get the full experience!
- Scuba Diving Tours
- Reef & Wreck + Beach Tour
Best Coron Tourist Spots #10: CYC Beach (Dimanglet Beach, Banul Beach, Smith Beach etc.)
It’s almost unfair how beautiful Coron is.
Not only does it have those majestic limestone walls, those pristine lakes and lagoons, and those mysterious shipwrecks scattered across the waters, but it also has BEACHES.
And these aren’t ordinary beaches either.
They’re white sand beaches that can rival almost any other.
CYC Beach is one of these.
Found nearby Coron island, it’s usually a lunch spot for most tours. However, because of how nice it is, it could very well be a spot on its own!
There’s even a “floating 7/11”, a man on a small boat, selling snack items like chips and coke (just make sure to dispose of your trash properly!).
How to Get to CYC Beach
CYC Beach is one of the potential lunch stopovers, the others being places like Smith Beach, Dimanglet Beach, Banul Beach, etc. Tours that go here include:
- Ultimate Highlights Tour
- Super Ultimate Tour
- Coron Island Tour A
All these beaches are pretty similar to one another, and where you’ll go depends mostly on how many people are already on the island eating lunch.
Alternatively, if you want to go on a full beach escapade, I recommend checking out the beach tour below!
Sample Coron Tours That You Can Go On
Alright, so I’ve been talking a lot about which tours go where.
Unless you’ve been diligently taking notes, you’re probably a biiiit confused as to what exactly these tours are like.
So, here goes!
These are the exact tours that were available for us through Millenial Tours:
Coron Town Tour
Price: php699/pax
Pick-up Time: 3-4pm
End Time: 6pm
Spots:
- Coron Souvenir Shop
- Lualhati Park
- Town Plaza
- St. Agustin Church
- Mt. Tapyas View Deck
- Coron Cashew Factory
- Maquinit Hot Spring
Personal Thoughts:
The town tour is definitely the most convenient way to explore Coron Town.
However, if you’re like me, you might not want to do all of this in an organized tour. Instead, you can easily hop on a tricycle and tell them to take you to these spots!
Plus, a lot of these spots are close to one another, so you can just walk if you want to!
Ultimate Highlights Tour
Price: php1,450/pax
Pick-up Time: 8-9am
End Time: 5pm
Spots:
- Kayangan Lake
- Twin Lagoon
- Smith or Dimanglet Beach
- Skeleton Wreck
- CYC Beach
- Malwawey Reef or Las Isla de Coral
- Coral Garden or Siete Pescados
Personal Thoughts:
This is the tour that I went on when I was at Coron. And it’s a tour that, I’d say, if you only had one day in Coron, you should definitely do!
It’s probably the best way to see everything that Coron has to offer.
Take note that some of the spots listed here can be removed by the tour operations depending on the tides/crowds. But the main spots – Kayangan Lake and Twin Lagoon – are almost never removed.
Beach Escapade Tour
Price: php1,499/pax
Spots:
- Malcapuya Island
- Banana Island or Ditaytayan white sand bar
- Bulog dos or Coco Beach
Personal Thoughts:
I personally wouldn’t go to Coron for the beaches.
Yes, they do have amazing beaches there – but so does almost every other province in the Philippines.
That’s why I’d go on this tour only if I had a day to spare in Coron. Otherwise, visiting the lakes, safari, and even trying scuba diving are much more worth it for me.
Reef & Wreck + Beach Tour
Price: php1,499/pax
Spots:
- Pass Island White Sand Beach
- Lusong Gunboat Ship Wreck
- Lusong Coral Garden
- East Tangat Wreck or Water Falls
Personal Thoughts:
I haven’t gone on this tour, but to me, the best way to see the wrecks is to try scuba diving.
Again, you don’t have to be certified to try! The instructors will teach you the basics of scuba first.
Then, if they see you fit, they’ll take you to some of the easier wrecks to explore, like the Tangat wreck.
However, if that’s not your cup of tea, you could always go on tours like this one, which also include white sand beaches as well.
Super Ultimate Tour
Price: php1,699/pax
Spots:
- Kayangan Lake
- Twin Lagoon
- Barracuda Lake
- Smith or Dimanglet Beach
- Skeleton Wreck
- CYC Beach
- Coral Garden or Siete Pescados
Personal Notes:
The main difference between the super ultimate tour and the ultimate highlights tour is the inclusion of Barracuda Lake!
And just like the ultimate highlights tour, some spots can be removed by the tour operators depending on the situation.
Coron Island Tour A
Price: php950/pax
Pick-up Time: 8-9am
End Time: 5pm
Spots:
- Kayangan Lake
- Green Lagoon
- Quin Reef
- Las Isla de Coral
- CYC Beach
- Smith or Atwayan Beach
Personal Notes:
If you’re staying for several days, and want to spend more time at Kayangan Lake or Twin Lagoon – then you should consider going Coron Island Tour A AND B on separate days!
Also, if you’re on a tight budget, going for one of these tours will also save you some money.
All in all, I think it’s more practical to go for the ultimate highlights or super ultimate tour.
But if you can go for both tour A and tour B, why not do it? You’ll get more time to enjoy the hotspots, plus, you’ll also explore some lesser-known spots as well.
Coron Island Tour B
Price: php950/pax
Pick-up Time: 8-9am
End Time: 5pm
Spots:
- Twin Lagoon
- Barracuda Lake
- Smith Beach
- Skeleton Wreck
- Malwawey Reef or Coral Garden
Personal Thoughts:
Same as Tour A.
If anything, if you could only choose one, I’d prefer tour B. To me it feels more complete, even though you’ll be missing out on the famous Kayangan Lake.
Calauit Safari with Island Hopping
Price: php2,499/pax
Pick-up Time: 6-6:30am
Spots:
- Calauitt Safari Park
- Busuanga Town
- Black Island White Sand Beach
- Black Island Cave
Personal Thoughts:
It might be pricey, but this tour is well worth it!
Black Island was one of my personal favorites in Coron, so missing out on it will be quite a bummer.
Also, Calauit Safari is quite a unique experience too. While there aren’t super many animals, the fact that they’re free to roam around is really what makes the place special.
Those are the tours offered by Millenial tours, but you’ll find that most tour companies offer something similar to that one.
Scuba diving companies also have their own itineraries, and you could also rent a private boat to take you anywhere you want.
However, that’s really the only “problem” I had with Coron, it’s very difficult to go DIY. But honestly? Because of how beautiful it all is, I’ll give the tours a pass.
Conclusion
And there you have it!
Those are my 10 best tourist spots in Coron (plus the tours to get you there!).
So what do you say?
Which ones are you most excited to go and see?
Let me know in the comments below!
Excited for ya! 😉
Want to learn more about Coron? Read my travel guide here!