The best places to visit in Coron, Palawan

Coron is consistently rated one of the top places to visit in The Philippines. In a country of over 7000 islands, the islands around Coron stand out for their breath-taking scenery and impressive collection of freshwater lakes, lagoons and coral reefs. A visit to this picturesque corner of Palawan brings with it plenty of adventure!

After exploring the islands for 4 days, we’ve assembled a guide on the top places to visit in Coron. We’ll list some of the must-see sites, including Twin Lagoon and Kayangan Lake. We’ll also show you some of the lesser-known places to visit, such as the mesmerising reefs of Siete Pecados Marine Park. For when you want a break from island hopping, the attractions around Coron Town offer a relaxing day away from the water.

Continue reading our guide to discover the top places to visit in Coron, the most beautiful destination in The Philippines.

Super Ultimate Island Hopping Tour

Coron is a place that’s best explored by boat. The islands south of Coron’s Busuanga island are full of enchanting lagoons, coral reefs, beaches, caves and lakes. Various island hopping itineraries on are offer. However, if you want to see as many sites as possible in a day, we recommend the ‘Coron Super Ultimate Island Hopping Tour’. We opted for this epic full-day tour and had a great time exploring some of Coron’s top-rated sites.

Twin Lagoon

Twin Lagoon is the star island hopping tour destination in Coron. Located just a short boat ride from town, it’s a beautiful duo of lagoons surrounded by towering limestone cliffs. The boat anchors up just outside of the lagoon. You can then kayak or swim through a small opening beneath the rocks to reach the inner lagoon.

The vibrant turquoise waters and mix of salt and freshwater gives the lagoon its striking appearance. If you swim to the depths of Twin Lagoon, you can feel the shift of the temperature. It gets warmer as you swim deeper. We spent an hour kayak around Twin Lagoon and it was the highlight of our tour.

Barracuda Lake

Barracuda Lake is one of the best places to visit in Coron for snorkelling, scuba diving or simply swimming around and enjoying the refreshing temperature of the lake. This crystal-clear freshwater lake is hidden behind limestone cliffs. To get there, you’ll need to reach the dock by boat and then follow a winding staircase over the cliff to the lake opening.

When we visited Barracuda Lake, we saw catfish and other marine life swimming around us. The lake is very deep, making it a great place to scuba dive. It also experiences the same temperature changes of Twin Lagoon due to its mix of fresh and salt water.

Skeleton Shipwreck

Skeleton Shipwreck was one of the two snorkelling spots we stopped at on the Super Ultimate Island Hopping Tour. It’s the site of a sunken Japanese supply ship from WWII. The wreck is surrounded by a coral reef and there’s a small, sheltered bay. The coral garden here is teaming with tropical fish, and the transparent, calm water is great for snorkelling.

During our visit to Skeleton Shipwreck, we kayaked around the bay before jumping into the sea to check out the wreckage. The sunken ship is quite deep so you can only catch a glimpse of it from the surface. To see if properly, you’ll need to do a little free-diving.

Kayangan Lake

The next lake on our list is Kayangan Lake, which is just along the coastline from Barracuda Lake. Much larger than its neighbour, Kayangan is regarded as one of the most beautiful destinations in The Philippines. It’s surrounded by tropical scenery, with towering green cliffs covering all corners of the lake.

Its clear, clean water makes it a great place to swim, and that’s exactly what we did during our one hour visit. To get there, the boat docks up at a harbour next to Kayangan Lagoon. You’ll then need to climb up and down over 300 steps through the forest, stopping at a viewpoint along the way.

Kayangan Lake can get quite busy but it’s a site you can’t miss during your time in Coron.

Atwayan Beach

Atwayan Beach is one of several beaches included on Coron’s island hopping tours. Secluded, sheltered and with beautiful white sands, it’s a top spot for lunch and a break whilst exploring the islands. It has several relaxation areas with a view, a coconut shack and benches where you can have lunch.

When we visited Atwayan Beach, we had a multi-course feast with fresh fruits, meats, seafood and local veggie dishes. Enjoying lunch with a view of the sea is a highlight of any boat tour. The only downside to Atwayan is how busy it can get. If you’re lucky and arrive before or after lunchtime, you’ll see the beauty of the beach without the rows of boats.

Malwawey Coral Garden

Malwawey Coral Garden is another great place to snorkel in Coron. Located just north of Atwayan Beach, the coral garden has an abundance of tropical fish, and if you’re lucky, you may spot sea turtles. The shallow, transparent water makes it easy to spot sea life swimming underneath you.

During our tour, we spent half an hour swimming around the colourful corals, keeping our eyes open for turtles. Unfortunately, we didn’t see any, but there were plenty of tropical fish.

CYC Beach

Coron’s main island of Busuanga doesn’t have many nice beaches, particularly near town. To see the beautiful tropical islands you’ve probably dreamed of, you’ll need to head out to see. CYC Beach is on a small island just off the shore of Coron Town. It’s a popular spot on island-hopping tours, and for us, it was the last stop of the day before returning to port.

CYC Beach is small but pretty, with vibrant turquoise waters that shimmer in the sunlight. It’s surrounded by mangroves and has one main beach where you can relax. CYC Beach is quite short, particularly at low tide. However, there’s still room to lie down on the sand or bathe in the calm waters. It’s a nice place to end your day of adventure.

Mount Tapyas Hike

When you arrive in Coron you’ll notice the imposing hill than sits behind Coron town. This hill is Mount Tapyas, the number one spot for sunset, scenic views and a challenging walk. Every day, an hour before the sun sets, tourists and locals ascend to the top of Tapyas for a chance to catch the orange glow of the sun as it drops below the horizon.

There are over 720 steps to reach the summit of the mountain. It isn’t too difficult, but the hot, humid weather can make it tougher than you’d expect, so be sure to pack plenty of water. We visited Mt Tapyas on our first day in Coron and it was a great place to appreciate the beauty of the islands before we set out on an island hopping tour.

Maquinit Hot Springs

You may be a little confused about a hot springs being in a hot, tropical destination like Coron. However, Maquinit Hot Springs is actually the perfect place to wind down and relax after a day of sightseeing. It’s particularly a great place to visit in Coron earlier in the evening. The springs has several 40-degree, saltwater pools that are surrounded by mangroves, along with changing rooms and showers.

We visited the hot springs for sunset after hiking Mount Tapyas and it was a relaxing way to end our day. To get to the hot springs, you’ll need to take a trike taxi from Coron town, crossing lots of dirt roads and travelling through local villages on the way. The taxi can then wait for you while you see the hot springs.

Coron Town

Coron Town is likely where you’ll stay during your time here. It’s the bustling heart of Coron’s Busuanga Island, featuring tourist hotels and restaurants alongside local villages, schools and churches. During the day, Coron Town is a hectic, working town. Tourists are heading out to boat trips and the locals are living and working.

On an evening, it has a quieter atmosphere, with some excellent bars, restaurants and shops. The town is very walkable and you’ll find places to eat and drink, no matter your taste or budget. We liked the fun atmosphere and compact size of Coron Town. The only downsides are the lack of sidewalks and the busy traffic.

Lualhati Park

Lualhati Park is a picturesque park near Coron Town’s harbour area. It’s where boat tours depart each morning. It’s also a nice place to enjoy the view or go for a sunset walk. There are market stalls with vendors selling their goods, plenty of snack options and beautiful sunset views if you visit at the right time of day.

Siete Pecados Marine Park

Siete Pecados Marine Park is widely regarded as one of the best places to visit in Coron for sea life. This stunning archipelago of islands and coral reefs is located just south of Coron’s main island, and it’s a lot easier to get to than the other islands. Tropical fish, colourful corals and sea turtles all make Siete Pecados their home.

To get to Siete Pecados, you’ll need to take a trike taxi to the nature park tourist information office, which is a 15-minute drive from Coron Town. You can then choose to board a boat tour for a couple of hours of snorkelling, or do what we did and hire a kayak. We spent an hour kayaking around the marine park, but due to strong winds, we weren’t able to see Siete Pecados in its full glory. In hindsight, we’d go for the boat tour instead.

If you love snorkelling, add this beautiful marine park to your itinerary.

Island Escapades Tour

The Coron Island Escapades Tour is the best way to see the region’s beautiful white-sand beaches. The excursion takes you a little further out to see Bulog Dos Island, an impressive sand bar, and Banana Island, a remote tropical beach. The third stop is Malcapuya Island, which is arguably the most beautiful place on the tour.

We didn’t get to experience Coron’s best beaches due to bad weather during our visit, but they’re regarded as must-sees and are well worth visiting if you get the chance. The Island Escapades Tour involves a lot of boat travel out to sea so it’s best enjoyed on a day with calm seas.

That wraps up our guide on the top places to visit in Coron, Palawan. It’s one of the most beautiful places we’ve ever visited and you can’t miss it off your Palawan itinerary.  Boat tours are the best way to explore the top sites, so be sure to book your excursions in advance.

If you have any questions about any of the places we’ve featured, be sure to post a comment.