Flashback 2010: Coron, Palawan

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Nestled in the midst of limestone formations which jut out from the sea; and forest cover yet untouched by man, Coron exudes a prehistoric ambiance where a dinosaur sighting does not seem so far-fetched. One feels closer to nature, more attuned to the environment, genuinely engaged in the beauty of this planet. And all it takes to visit is a few hours plane-ride from Manila. 

The main town of Coron where tourists find lodging and other amenities is quaint and undeveloped. Though possibly off-putting for luxury travelers, this is precisely the charm of Coron. It is a town where excess and lavishness have not found root; where locals and tourists alike ride the humble tricycle to go from one place to another, and eat home cooked meals. 

Accommodations, the Coron Village Lodge in our experience, are bare and simple; little more than small box structures containing a bed and tiny bathroom. It’s not conducive to staying in and relaxing, but that’s precisely the point—there’s so much to see and do in Coron, that it is almost a crime to spend more time in your room than it takes to sleep and take a shower. 


Food in the island are mostly home-cooked Filipino dishes, with the exception of a single small German restaurant along the main road. Meals are modestly priced, perhaps P100-200 for each person. Don’t expect much though, given you’re not spending too much either. 


There are two popular in-land tourist attractions in Coron. The first is the Maquinit Hot Spring, about 30 minutes by tricycle from the place we were staying in. Maquinit is claimed to be the only salty hot spring in the Philippines, and has a water tempreture approaching 40 degrees Celsius even at night time. Its name derives from the Filipino word for hot, “mainit,” a quality attributed to the volcanic nature of the Coron island. 


The other inland destination is Mt. Tapyas, a trek of over 700 steps to the top of a mountain standing 210 meters above sea level. From the top, the rolling hills of Coron, its lush tree cover and the surrounding ocean can be viewed, seen best early morning or late afternoon to catch the sun as it rises to the east or sets to the west. 

The two inland destinations are worth a visit if you have the time to spare. However, the real nature-loving, awe-inspiring, sight-seeing can only be done by boat. And this, in my opinion, is the real heart of a visit to Coron. 

We had the chance of spending two whole days island hopping around Coron. The more popular destinations we visited included the Kayangan lake, a land-locked, fresh body of water surrounded by black limestone ridges. The only challenge with this place is the trek through earthen stairs which can get slippery. The trek coming down is somewhat more precarious, especially if you took a swim in the lake, leaving your clothes and slippers wet. Somewhere midway, though, is a beautiful photo spot against a view of the ocean and the limestone islands of Coron. 

We also stopped at Banana island for a simple lunch prepared by our boatmen, some snorkeling and kayaking around the shallow waters, and to siesta on the hammocks and open huts. 

Photo Credit to Nicco Santos

Toward dusk on our first day of island hopping, we visited the twin lagoons, two coves connected by a small hole on a limestone wall. The second lagoon is accessible only by swimming through the small hole, or by going a pretty long way around by boat. Curiously, our guide did not allow us to get into the water, saying it’s too late in the day to do so. We found out later that the twin lagoons is a shark breeding place at night—which explained why one of the guides we saw kept on peering under water with his goggles! We made it a point to return earlier the next day, so we could swim in the lagoon. 

Our guide also took us to what he said was a secret hot spring inside a mangrove forest. Dropping anchor a hundred yards from the edge of the mangrove forest, we swam our way towards an inconspicuous opening among the trees. I noticed that our guides were swimming some way off ahead of us, and was curious why. It turns out, they spotted a box jellyfish (!!) earlier and wanted to make sure we would not encounter one of the deadly jellies on our way. The way through the mangrove forest was picturesque, and tucked inside was a small natural dipping pool fed by a hot spring. 

There’s also a good amount of diving and snorkeling sites in Coron, in particular the sunken Japanese gunboats in the surrounding waters—ghosts of World War 2 resting on the sandy bottom. There are a total of more than 30 World War 2 boats, both Japanese and American, in the vicinity. We visited one such site, where the boat was sunk in waters shallow enough such that you can easily stand on the ship’s bow when tides are low. 

We also stopped at an island for lunch, accessible only by swimming in due to the tides at the time of our visit. It was a bit of a challenge because of sea urchins that covered the shallow portion of the water. I remember being less than 2 feet away from the prickly critters.

I believe Coron’s attractiveness has a lot to do with the fact that it’s understated. That is, development of big commercial hotels and large-scale tour operators have not yet infiltrated the place. This way, a visit always allows the tourist a feeling of adventure and discovery. The ocean and the islands are untainted by consumerism, and are beautiful in the way they are meant to be. Personally, I enjoyed our trip for its simplicity—where awe was inspired not by what was man-made, but by what man cannot make. 


A visit to Coron, Palawan, is highly recommended for adventure-seekers, photographers and nature-lovers—and for Filipinos who want to rekindle their Filipino pride through discovery. 


(Total required budget: PHP10,000 per head)