Coron

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With 6 sunken warships Coron is a diver’s haven, but it also has many beautiful lagoons like El Nido. Hardly any live music in this town but it has good people, good energy, and a good place to hang out and party. Check out my friends at the Happy Hippy House.
Click here if you are interested in reserving a local boat tour. Or info on a bike tour of Busuanga Island.

map-of-coron

Because the map (click to enlarge) may be a bit hard to follow, I’ll explain my favourite places in words.

A yellow arrow is pointing in the direction of the pier, bottom right of the map. It is about a 30 minute walk to the center, so if you have a lot of stuff, better to take a tricycle taxi, which should be 10p each, 20p max each, or about 40p total (Coron taxi drivers are much better than most other places).

This will take you along National Road until the sharp bend to the right where you will see the number 34 on the map. Let us use this as a good point of reference (let’s call it the MAIN INTERSECTION).

This main intersection is where 2Go’s office is located, if you want to book a ferry back to Manila. There are other travel agencies in that section if you want to book a flight or anything else.

Going left from main intersection

A sharp left at this intersection will take you downhill down a one way street, where on the right hand side you will shortly run into the entrance to the Seadive Resort, (note that president Duterte himself said he is willing to come down to these “cesspools” with dynamite sticks in hand, blowing them all up real good. So the likes of Seadive and other establishments beyond the 30m from shore limit might well be gone by the time you get there – this reported in June of 2018) my personal stay of preference (about 400p for single room). You cross a little bridge to get to the reception, shortly before which you will pass the Helldiver’s Pub, my personal pub of preference. Free pool, free popcorn, free movies until the music turns on around 7pm, and good music and vibes after that. There is also a free foosball table, but don’t expect locals to know how to play that (but do expect them to kick your butt on the pool table). During the day you can book diving and its restaurant is a nice place to hang out, although hardly the best dining in town. If you are on a budget, you can also rent a kayak and dart across the bay for some island exploration as shown in this cool video.


YouTube video

Instead of turning right to go into the Seadive, you can continue down that one way road until it opens into a sort of square. Head right along the edge, enter two long buildings as shown on the map until you get to the very end, point E, where you can book any of the lagoon and other boat tours. From there you can easily walk to the public market (red letters on map), for lots of fresh veggies and some eating stalls for the budget conscious. You will also notice a lot of banca boats parked along the shore around the pier. If you are stuck trying to find a ferry south towards El Nido, you might try some of them.

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View of Coron from the public market.

If you do not go down to E, a more interesting route to get to the public market (red letters) is to continue straight through the open square after you pass the Seadive, bend left along it and then take your first street to the right. That noodles its way past interesting shops towards the public market. There is one big grocery shop on the left with a gourmet section, such as if you have a craving for nacho chips and salsa.

Going right from main intersection

Back to the main intersection (your back towards the pier), if you continue going north (right) after the bend, you will pass a Bistro on your right hand side which serves moderate quality pizza (the best pizza in town is Altrove, not far from the main intersection. They open at 5pm but you can order from their window outside and eat it across the street in the Hangover bar, where they sometimes play live music at night). Continue along the road and shortly, on your left hand side, there is a coffeeshop selling shakes which has moderately fast internet, if you have your own device. The internet at the Seadive restaurant can be repressively slow.

seadive-restaurant-coron

Seadive restaurant.

Continue along the National Road and you should soon come up to Coron Backpackers Hostel on your left hand side. Affordable shared accommodation and nice atmosphere, but the garbage floating in the water can be a bit of a turnoff.

Continue along the same road and on the left hand side you will come up to point C, Brujita’s, my favourite place to eat in town. Robust menu, totally delicious and a nice section for vegheads too. Also, across the street and a bit back into town, they have a motorcycle rental shop if you wanna cruise around the island at some point. On the same side of the street as Brujita’s and nearby is Levine’s, which also has good veggie food but cheaper (check out the Rural Coron page).

brujita-restaurant-coron

Brujita restaurant.

After filling yourself up on healthy, you can continue on up the road to point B, near the top, where there is a smokey girly bar with the usual karaoke. Before you get there though, there is another shared dorm hostel which was highly recommended to me, Coron Guapos Guesthouse.

From main intersection back towards the pier

rogers-manor-coron-20170302_155243Back down to the main intersection, take the hard left at the corner on your way back to the pier until you get to the first intersection, take a left and walk uphill along that road (Rosardo street). About half way up this short section, on the left hand side you will see Roger’s Manor. Click on the pics to take you to more and contact info, or go to the Rural Coron page.

Or instead of going up Rosardo, continue along the main National Road to the second intersection. Walk a bit farther and, on the left hand side there is a little shop which sells the cheapest beer I could find in town. Open long hours.

Go back to that same intersection and start walking up the hill (San Augustine st.). On the left hand side you’ll come up to point D, which is a cool little rastaman mellow tatoo bar hangout, my second favourite night venue in town.

quiet-quaint-hotel-center-of-CoronContinue walking up that road until you hit the intersection. On the opposite, left hand corner you should see Genevieve’s shop. She has a nice quiet little hotel with a few rooms, you wont find her on the internet other than this page, and her number is 0977 850 7959. If you go left at this intersection it will eventually take you to the Hippie House Bar, another cool place to hangout, but the neighbours complained and they no longer jam there.

Otherwise, if you continue straight through this intersection and uphill along that road, you will eventually hit some stairs to your left. Walk up that for a long and grueling workout to take you to the cross on top of the hill and a nice view of the area for a good day activity. Or bring your tent and sleep there for free. No worries, there are some guards tending the tower and it is okay. At a certain vantage point you will be able to see both the sunrise and sunset.

Heading back towards the pier

This place is no longer open, but you can check out the pics on that page to see the work of the owner, who is an artist and often frequents the cool bar Hippy Happy House.

If you go back down to the main National Road before you started climbing towards Genevieve, continue going towards the pier. About half way there you will find the Obra Bar on your left hand side.

obra-bar-corn-20170212_221059

This is where I bought my Jambe from my good buddy Rodney. He no longer operates the bar but left it to a friend of his who is a tour guide and who can take you to an island just outside of Coron if you want to make a lot of noise or stay overnight, or other tours. I like this place so much I made a webpage for it. And if you are lucky, you might even meet Rodney and stay in his cool abode up in the mountains! The bar is somewhat incognito and easy to pass by, which is why I suggested they put a blue light outside, so now it should be easy!

Following are some more pics of Coron.

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View from Helldiver’s pub.

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View from top of mountain where cross is:

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Kayangan Lake and Twin Lagoons near Coron

Click here if you are interested in booking some local Coron tours. Or check out rural Coron.

Now that you’ve checked out this town, if you’re headed to El Nido, another tourist hotspot, you can join or book one of our private custom Palawan boat tours. Tons of paradise beach islands to see along the way, excellent snorkeling in crystal clear waters, caves to explore, Spanish fortress and much more. Completely off the beaten path!

Palawan-boat-tours

While in Coron, why not get a great and inexpensive dental job/checkup?

Back to suggested itinerary for Palawan.


Home » Palawan » Coron

Chloe BlanchardChloe Blanchard
13:38 27 Mar 24
The most wonderful experience from booking to beach! Karel and Mel were so fast and responsive to my very last minute trip over the holidays. We booked a private boat for two and could not have been happier with our four day trip! We didn’t think about anything other than snorkeling the entire time. Linda, our captain, cooked wonderful meals and took us to totally empty beautiful beaches. We loved staying the night in Pical especially! Wonderful to experience the Philippines this way! Will come back again and would recommend to anyone!
hotel luci del farohotel luci del faro
08:13 31 Jan 24
We booked the 3 day 2 night expedition, from Coron to Sibaltan.First of all the booking part was really simple. I organized this trip to the Philippines last minute for my family (my parents and my uncles) but Karel answered all my questions very quickly and really made everything easier for me. It was an incredible experience. Albert, our tour leader, is a wonderful guy, always smiling and ready to help us. They assisted us in everything and really took care of making everything go smoothly. The accommodation on the islands is as spartan as you expect but the location of each hut alone is worth the trip. The wonder of nature was then added to the goodness of cuisine. It's really difficult to argue how you can cook all that goodness on a boat.If you are looking for an authentic experience, in contact with nature, off the beaten track, this company's private expedition is certainly for you.
Kate BrownKate Brown
00:22 27 Oct 23
What an unforgettable experience! We did a two night (3 day) island hopping tour from Sibaltan to Coron. Everything was so well organized and the boat crew were amazing and really made sure we had a great time. The accommodation was rustic, but added to the authentic experience of the Philippines. Karel always responded to any queries we had promptly. Our boatman, Albert, was the most amazing chef and we enjoyed every meal. The crew taught the kids how to fish with a line which was their highlight of the trip. They took us to the most unbelievable snorkelling spots along the way. Would highly recommend this trip.
Ian PascualIan Pascual
02:43 10 Aug 23
One of the most amazing, unforgettable things you can do in your life
Lou PrataliLou Pratali
11:04 25 Jul 23
This is a must to do!!Super ultimate tour is the best with Kayangan and barracuda lake, twin lagoons (my favorite), coral garden (blue fabulous coral) were the best. It’s really worth it to pay for private tour (3500 to 4000 PHP). You will also have to pay for entrance fees (150 to 200PHP by location) and eventually shopping at the market - must do (count 300 for 2 for fish, pork, fruits and vegetables, water).
Gérard BENOITGérard BENOIT
16:11 07 Feb 23
I was looking for a personalized excursion to the stunning Bacuit Gulf.Based on the comments, I contacted Mel.Very responsive, very efficient and perfect organization.The on-board staff were very friendly and very helpful.And I'm not even talking about the meal on board...a marvel.In all fairness, this excursion will remain an excellent memory and I cannot recommend Mel and his team highly enough.A big thank-you.
Alyse TarbottonAlyse Tarbotton
23:48 30 Aug 22
This tour went well above all our expectations! I couldn't recommend this enough! The boat crew, captain and tour guide were nothing but amazing, everyone was so kind, helpful and friendly. The crew knew the best spots to visit that weren't overcrowded with tourists, 3 times we were lucky enough to have whole islands to ourselves! It was my partner's birthday while away and everything went above and beyond, bonfire, cake, birthday card, singing and celebrating with us.If you love camping this is definitely a tout you should do, it has been the highlight of our trip!!
Danish KayaniDanish Kayani
10:24 31 Oct 19
Coron is the best place i have ever seen.. picturesque. Beautiful. Peaceful
We booked a 4 days/3 nights private boat trip from Coron to Sibaltan. The organization went very well from the beginning, the owner answered to all my questions, and we were able to choose which islands to visit and where to sleep. The first night we slept in a bungalow in Banana Island, the second we camped in Araw beach and the last we slept in a seafront bungalow builded on a tree in Pical on Iloc Island.The islands in that area are the most beautiful islands I have ever seen, with clear water, lots of coral reef and fishes to see, white sand and almost deserted. The crew was very friendly and polite and they organize every single meal and for camping they give you a tent which was just perfect! This was our highlight in our 2 weeks in the Philippines and I wish I had booked a longer trip. A private trip gives you the freedom to decide where and when to go.
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Gérard Benoit
Gérard Benoit
2023-02-08
recommends
I was looking for a personalized excursion to the beautiful bay of Bacuit. Seeing the comments, I contacted Mel. Very responsive, very efficient and perfect organization. The crew were very friendly and very helpful. And I'm not even talking about the meal on board...a marvel. In all fairness, this excursion will remain an excellent memory and I can recommend Mel and his team highly enough. A big thank-you.
André Mardoñal
André Mardoñal
2019-10-22
recommends
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The island world of Linapacan between Coron and El Nido with the clearest waters in the world is truly a dream for itself! Without a boat you won't be able to see it! But what this boat trips makes so amazing is the crew! Once you come on board they might be shy in the beginning but will make you feel welcome and home from the first moment. Not only that they are looking that you sit comfortable all the time, they will prepare fresh and delicious food what the buy from local markets. They know the best spots and most beautiful islands and will bring you to places where you get this "Robinson Cruisoe feeling". Every day you visit 3 to 5 spots for snorkeling, enjoying a beach or exploring a little island. The accommodation we had was good and simple. We slept in bungalows and tents right at the beach. Sheets and towels were always provided and sometimes towels. After a while you feel like a family on board. We loved living the boat life didn't wanna leave! If you doubt take a longer than shorter trip! For any questions please message me.
Sarah Uhan
Sarah Uhan
2019-01-31
recommends
All in all it was a really great experience. It's a once in a lifetime thing to do and you won't get more authentic and basic Philippino experiences anywhere else. We were not so lucky with the wind and waves so we couldn't do all the stops we wanted to unfortunately. So be aware that especially the months from January to May can be very rough on water. But we still saw some great places Benji took us. Benji and his family was very nice and they did everything they could. The food was amazing - always freshly made in authentic Philippino style and way too much for the 2 of us. Make sure to bring enough cash - many of the islands cost extra (entrance fee) and be aware that any kind of accommodation and food (200php per meal) is not included in the boat fee. Also the deposit and commission fee for the agency are a little over the top, especially since the crew does not get any of it. The costs all in all are rather high for phillipino circumstances especially given the basicness of it all. However if you think about that all 5 boat people (in our case) live off of the boat fee alone, you spent the money willingly. Be aware though that accommodation and sanataries are very basic if even existant. So you gotta have the right mindset. Bring tissue, sanatiszer and earplugs to get some better sleep. Another feedback I have concerning the size of the boat. I don't think it is sufficient for more than 4 people. If the weather is like it was these days, you always have to sit on top and it was already a little squeezy with us 2 and 5 boat people. So I guess 4 guests can be fine but more than that won't have the space. There is different boat sizes but make sure to talk about that with Karel in advance. Other than that it was really worth it and we got to see so many great beaches and reefs which we could have never been able to visit without the tour.
Eric Liu
Eric Liu
2018-03-15
recommends
It was scary to book a 5 day trip with no places to stay confirmed or a strong itinerary. And in the Philippines, communication is difficult. But that is part of changing mindsets to a rural island mindset. In the end, everything worked out. We had some tough moments with bugs. But we also had some amazingly beautiful secluded beaches, the best snorkeling in the world, relaxing on the beach, and freshly made food on the boat while docked at beautiful places (better than being on land). Note, we went with Benji. Recommendations: - you must get a local SIM when you arrive to make sure pickup and everything works out - some islands have bugs - use bug spray! Pros: - a fraction of the cost - away from the crowds - can customize what you want - just ask! - a truly local experience - saw a REAL rural town Cons: - locals aren't really polished tour guides - if you don't ask for it, you won't get it, need to be pretty proactive - pretty simple "activities" - no frills like bathrooms or kayaks etc.
Ángela Deand
Ángela Deand
2017-04-26
recommends
We can't be more grateful to have had the opportunity of experience the peace in Patoyo Kitesurfing Camping! Spending two weeks in Dimancal Island, gave us the chance to experiment the rural and traditional way of life, in touch with the nature and people. We have learnt how to cook with fire, how to open a coconut and how to survive in an environment where for a time we forget about unnecessary needs, just to focus on enjoy the small details and pleasures of life. Mentioning too the amazing snorkeling and beautiful islands around this place, which make it unique​ and special. It is a lovely option if you are running away from tourists and overcrowded places in the Philippines. You will find yourself in the middle of virgin beaches and nature, surrounding​ by charming people. We will definitely come back!
Caroline Danielle
Caroline Danielle
2017-02-13
recommends
We haven't done a Tao tour, but I would suspect that this is a cheaper version of the same thing. Our boat operator (Benji) and the entire crew were were fun, friendly and made an effort to ensure we had a good time. If you get a large group of people together it can be a really inexpensive alternative to other Coron-El Nino and vice versa island hopping tours. The food was good, but more expensive than as advertised by Karl. The price quote we got was 100 php a meal, but the boat charged us 200. Since the food was good we didn't mind the extra expense, but it is important to keep in mind if you're on a budget. Definitely plan for some incidental spending. Our boat did have some mechanical issues and as a result we ended up being stuck in the same place for longer than we wanted to be. That being said, little could have been done about it and the trip was fun nonetheless.
Hauk Are Fjeld
Hauk Are Fjeld
2017-01-01
recommends
If you believe that doing the touristic tours in El Nido and going to "The hidden beach" takes you off the beaten path, you are wrong. There are lots of beautiful places in Palawan, but few of these places are without any other tourists. If you want to spend some extra effort on getting away from the tourist places, and don't mind a little "primitive" living, Island Hopping in the Philippines is definitely something you should check out
Arnold Cabiguen
Arnold Cabiguen
2015-05-08
recommends
The snorkeling in this area is phenomenal. Clearest waters in the world. I guess it's because there is relatively such lower tourist traffic through here, and the locals really protect the reefs!
Karel Kosman
Karel Kosman
2015-05-08
recommends
Love it so much, just had to say it twice!