This page is dedicated to private custom multiday boat tours and expeditions between El Nido and Coron, but we also organize group tours between the two, or we can help you form your own group, to reduce per person costs while maintaining customizability. We’d be happy to design the perfect package for you!
Our group expedition boat tours are generally 18,500p/person, three day and two night trips either from Coron to El Nido or El Nido to Coron. Or a private four day expedition tour for two people would cost $2,600 (discounts available for families). Check out our price calculator for other number of days and people, or prices for individual variations written out in words.
These are all-inclusive prices which include three hearty meals a day, all the entrance fees and basic accommodation in hotels, bamboo huts or in tent on the beach with mattresses, sheets and pillows. Or you can upgrade to fancy accommodation of your choosing – we’re flexible and aim to please (check out our accommodation options)!
82 paradise beach islands to discover- excellent snorkeling in the clearest waters in the world
- caves to explore
- Spanish historical fortress
- cliff diving into the ocean
- camp out on deserted islands, stay in rural settings or in beach huts, hotels or luxury resorts
- start and end your trip anywhere, choose your destinations and proceed at your own pace
Get an instant price quote for a private tour or join or form your own group, where you can even go for free! Check out our videos page.
Check out our customer testimonials on Google Maps and Facebook!
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Check out the great testimonials from our customers.
Here is a drone video by one guest on a boat trip through this magical area:
More videos, or for those who prefer photos, or check out these on our facebook page:
Wakeboards and speargun available on request. You can even stay on a deserted island and polish your survival skills! Or learn from the locals how to catch a fish with line in hand and a piece of bread.
Check out the below video for excerpts of a 6 day, 8 island hopping boat tour expedition of the area to see how clear the water is, a glimpse of some of the many paradise and undeveloped islands, and the endless amount of excellent snorkeling:
Discover the Hidden Gems: Why a Boat Tour Expedition Between El Nido and Coron is the Ultimate Adventure
The journey between El Nido and Coron is often hailed as one of the most scenic routes in the Philippines, offering travelers an unparalleled experience of Palawan’s stunning seascapes. While ferries and flights may be faster, they miss the true magic hidden between these two iconic destinations. Opting for a boat tour expedition instead not only transforms the journey into an adventure but also unlocks the beauty of 82 remote islands, pristine beaches, and untouched lagoons that few travelers get to explore.
Here’s why a boat tour trip between El Nido and Coron is the ultimate way to experience the Philippines’ “Last Frontier.”
Journey through 82 Remote, mostly Uninhabited Islands
The stretch between El Nido and Coron is dotted with a string of 82 spectacular islands, many of which remain untouched by mass tourism. A boat tour expedition trip gives you exclusive access to these hidden gems, which you’d otherwise miss by taking a ferry or flying.
Following are some of the main islands to see (going in direction El Nido to Coron, but the opposite is easily possible), but even just passing them on the slow, traditional banca is a dreamy experience. How many you get to visit depends on how many days trip you choose for your expedition tour, but generally a four day tour (the most popular) can take you to 3-4 sites per day.
Sibaltan
After we drive you from El Nido to this starting point in a private van, you start your expedition tour in the archeological village of Sibaltan. But this quaint and quiet village is more than just a starting or end point of the tour, it is well worth exploring as well, and has nice accommodation! Or you can enjoy some simple scuba diving, which we can also incorporate into your tour.
Binulbulan Island
This will take you to your first coral reef experience in these crystal clear waters. So clear in fact that that there is now a pearl farm in the area, as at several points along your journey to Coron, since pearls require such clear water to grow.
Maosonon
Your next stop on your trip could be Maosonon Island, which we also use for our deserted island castaway experience. The fun part of Maosonon is, if the tide is low enough, you can walk ankle deep along the sandbar to the neighbouring island!
Magransing Island
After Maosonon it’s a little skip and a hop over to Magransing Island, just another beautiful white beach to stroll along. Like Maosonon, Magransing has even a longer sandbar and it is nice to see the waves lapping from both sides when the tide is shallow enough.
Pical Island
Pical island is not one of our usual stops along our expedition tours, but if your trip is longer, you can get a taste of local life, and if you are lucky you might even run into “the captain of all captains”!
Takling Island
After that, Takling Island is a usual stop, with more great snorkeling and a potential overnight camping site on deserted island.
CalaCala Island
After that and as we get closer to Linapacan Island, CalaCala Island has some decent snorkeling as well, although the current can be strong, and a nice stretch of beach to explore.
Cliff Diving
And for a fun change of pace, climb up a limestone rock face with the aid of a rope and jump into the glorious water below.
Eli Cave
Not one of our usual expedition stops, but if you are really into caves, you can make an exception, since it is your custom tour! Eli Cave is usually guided by a local Japanese war veteran, so it can be fun meeting him. Nice snorkeling off shore if any in your group are not keen on the cave.
San Miguel
San Miguel is about halfway to Coron and the largest town between El Nido and Coron. Good place if you’d like to pick up some more beers, nice snorkeling off the pier, and there are even a few simple hotels you can sleep at overnight if you want to take a break from beach huts.
Patoyo Island
Further along your trip we have Patoyo Island, a place which to some degree holds a tender spot in my heart because it is here that I first started my build-a-resort aspirations. But it can serve as a worthwhile venture for those who like hiking through the jungle. And as usual, great snorkeling can be easily found and very interesting rock formations.
Dimancal Island
Dimancal Island is also not one of our regular expedition boat tour stops but just another beautiful island with beautiful snorkeling to be found, and where my build-a-resort idea came to full fruition.
Mangligad Island
Just across from Dimancal is Mangligad island, one of the boat tour spots we usually stop at because the coral developments are quite unique, as can be seen in this video on our youtube channel.
Bolina Island
Also across from Dimancal is Bolina Island, where it is possible to sleep overnight on a deserted island, nice beach, not much snorkeling, but a great beach during some times of the year to launch kitesurfing in pristine, virgin territory.
Turtle Island
Also nearby, unfortunately no photos or videos for. That will have to wait until next time we pass through the area, equipped with better equipment so we can thoroughly document the variety of absolute beauty that can be discovered here. Sea turtles are truly a pleasure to experience.
Araw Beach
For a lovely relax, Araw Beach is a great beach from the bouncy waves because it is nestled in between two islands and sheltered from the wind. For 10 pesos a local will be happy to climb up a coconut tree for you to cut open a fresh coconut.
Banana Island
After Araw beach it is a longer and usually bouncier ride to the next string of islands, in the Malcapuya area. Banana Island is interesting to explore because of its long, curved sandbar in the shape of a banana.
Bulog Dos
Bulog Dos also has a long, but this time snaky winding sandbar which can even take you to a neighbouring landmass.
Malcapuya Island
Malcapuya Island is the most favoured of these three in the string, for its extensive beach and also interesting rock formations.
Atwayan Beach
After the Malcapuya string of islands, it will be another longer and bumpier ride until there is an explosion of sites on the north face of Coron Island, before reaching Coron town. Atwayan Beach is not on our usual expedition tour stops, depending on your preference or how long your tour is.
Smith Point Beach
Smith Point is a quaint beach nestled in the belly of jagged limestone cliffs, another popular tour site to visit.
Banol Beach
Banol Beach is somewhat off the beaten path but that much better because it is less frequented so you can enjoy the beautiful sites to yourselves.
Coral Gardens
Another beautiful beach, but this time the real treasure lies under the water surface in the coral gardens, a diver’s and snorkeler’s paradise.
Twin Lagoons
Twin Lagoons is one of the most popular boat tour sites to visit and definitely one of our usual expedition stops, unless you really want to avoid the crowds. But that also depends on the time of year.
Barracuda Lake
Barracuda Lake is a treat for divers and snorkelers alike as the temperature changes from cold to warm to cold again as you descend into the dark depths of this mysterious cove.
Kayangan Lake
Kayangan Lake is the recognized most famous tour spot of the bunch and much visited, as we are now getting quite close to the busy tourist town on Coron. A significant climb up and down to get to the other side, where the lake is located, but the climb alone is worth it for the world famous view along the way.
Siete Pecados
Siete Pecados, a group of seven small islets located not far from the town of Coron, has a mystical legend behind its name which has into a sanctuary for marine life.
This will mark your last possible stop on your journey past 82 islands in the beautiful, remote area between El Nido and Coron. But don’t fret, there is still much more to see in the Coron area, for example if you extend your multiday boat tour expedition to the Premium Package.
This will allow you to deviate from the usual, thick dashed green trip route straight from El Nido to Coron and take a detour west to some of the many sites found there.
One option is to stay in Coron and take single day private boat trips around Coron, but since the town has no beaches and is more of an industrial town for locals, we find it more alluring to continue your island hopping experience with a multiday boat tour expedition of the Coron area while enjoying fancier accommodation not readily found in the remote region around Linapacan Island, halfway between El Nido and Coron.
Overnight Stays in Idyllic Locations
Our multi-day boat tour expedition trips can include overnight stays on remote islands. Imagine falling asleep under the stars with the sound of waves lapping on the shore or waking up to a sunrise over an untouched beach.
Camping on the Beach
Enjoy privacy on a secluded beach or deserted island with freshly grilled seafood and a bonfire under the stars. You can even spice things up further by taking part in our survival program.
Bamboo huts on the beach
Up your game and comfort a bit while maintaining that rustic feel. Many such sites along the way, with varying sized huts, some having solar powered fans, all with mattresses, clean sheets, pillows and mosquito nets.
Simple Aircon Hotels
Around the halfway point you have the opportunity for greater comfort, some rooms having aircon, although the roosters in this smaller rural town might not be quite to your pallet.
Island Eco-Lodges
Upgrade to greater comfort in some of the fancier bamboo hut island resorts.
Fancy resorts
Glide through the area in total style. Most of these places are closer to Coron along our multiday boat tour expeditions there. These can become an extension of your multiday tour between El Nido and Coron (check out Premium Tour), and if you’d rather skip the simple accommodation in the Linapacan area while still seeing the beautiful sites along the way, we can arrange a faster boat.
For a more complete list of all your accommodation options, check out that pdf file. We are also happy to guide you through the decision process in order to design the best package for you.
World-Class Snorkeling and Diving
A boat tour between El Nido and Coron allows you to explore some of the Philippines’ richest marine ecosystems. You’ll visit snorkeling and diving spots that are inaccessible to ferries, giving you the chance to swim with tropical fish, explore vibrant coral reefs, and even encounter manta rays and sea turtles.
- Twin Lagoon: An underwater wonderland in Coron that’s perfect for snorkeling.
- Coral Gardens: Found in many islands along the way, these reefs are teeming with marine life.
- Wreck Diving: Some tours include stops at Japanese WWII shipwrecks near Coron, a bucket-list experience for divers.
Intimate and Uncrowded Experience
Unlike ferries, which can be crowded, or flights, which are impersonal, boat tours offer an intimate and personalized experience. You can travel with a small group of like-minded adventurers, your tour customized to fit the preferences of the group, or completely customize for your own personal group or family with a private tour.
- Private Beaches: Stop at secluded beaches where you’ll have the place entirely to yourself.
- Flexible Itinerary: Spend more time at the spots you love, whether it’s snorkeling, swimming, or simply soaking in the breathtaking scenery.
Food:
These experiences add an adventurous and romantic touch to your trip, creating memories that a ferry ride or flight simply cannot provide.
Incredible Scenery Throughout the Journey
The route between El Nido and Coron is blessed with dramatic limestone cliffs, emerald-green waters, and towering karst formations. A boat tour lets you soak in these stunning vistas every step of the way, turning the journey itself into a visual feast.
Iconic Landscapes to Watch For:
- Bacuit Archipelago: Near El Nido, this area is known for its towering limestone cliffs and hidden lagoons.
- Linapacan’s Crystal Waters: Often referred to as the clearest waters on Earth.
- Coron’s Dramatic Limestone Cliffs: A preview of the beauty awaiting you in Coron.
Cultural Encounters with Local Communities
If you like your boat tour can include stops at small fishing villages, giving you a chance to meet the locals and learn about their way of life. Or the crew will happily teach you how they catch fish using a piece of old bread and fishing line dangling from their hand! These interactions provide a deeper connection to the region, something you’ll miss if you opt for a ferry or flight.
- Traditional Fishing Villages: Learn about the Palawan locals’ sustainable fishing practices.
- Culion Town: A stop here on our Premium Package might include a visit to the local museum, showcasing the island’s unique history as a leper colony.
Eco-Friendly and Immersive Travel
Traveling by boat is a more sustainable way to explore the islands compared to taking a flight. As is dear to locals, we also emphasize eco-friendly practices, such as proper waste disposal and reef-safe snorkeling policies, helping to preserve Palawan’s natural beauty.
A True Adventure for the Bold Traveler
Taking a boat tour between El Nido and Coron transforms what could be a simple transfer into an epic adventure. From snorkeling with tropical fish to camping on deserted islands, every moment is packed with excitement and discovery.
Ideal for:
- Adventure Seekers: Looking for unique, off-the-beaten-path experiences.
- Nature Lovers: Passionate about exploring pristine ecosystems.
- Couples and Groups: Perfect for romantic getaways or bonding with friends.
Why Not the Ferry or Flight?
While ferries and flights are quicker, they skip all the incredible destinations in between El Nido and Coron. A ferry ride offers limited views of the sea, and flying means missing out on the chance to explore the remote islands. If time allows, a boat tour with us is undoubtedly the superior choice for travelers who want to experience the full beauty of Palawan.
Conclusion
A boat tour between El Nido and Coron is more than just a transfer—it’s an immersive journey through one of the most beautiful regions in the world. From snorkeling in crystal-clear waters to exploring remote islands and camping under the stars, this adventure is the ultimate way to experience Palawan’s unparalleled beauty.
So, skip the ferry and forget the flight. Instead, embark on a boat tour and discover the hidden gems that make the journey between El Nido and Coron truly unforgettable.
Experience the thrill of island hopping in the Philippines
Below are samples of what you will be able to experience among the hundreds of islands in this area.
And while you’re at it, make sure to drop by our kitesurfing nature sports camp!
There is also diving (two shipwrecks) and the Old Spanish Fortress in Linapacan and
climbing island rock faces that plunge straight into the ocean (pictures coming up).
Or check out our suggested travel itinerary for the Palawan area.
Package tours in other areas of the Philippines
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We are a family operation managing private custom boat tours in the beautiful Palawan area, and are happy to help travelers with their plans through the country, having traveled a lot of it ourselves and planning to visit it all.