Of all the places we have visited in Southeast Asia, we left our hearts in Coron Palawan. We’ve been to the area three times and it’s one of those places we will always go back to when we are in the Philippines.
While Coron Town itself is a decently busy tourist hub, it’s the area around it that truly beckons to us. Unspoiled beaches, islands, and jungles are what draws us to the area. Every time we visit we discover something new and this isn’t something that can be said about a lot of places in the world.
One of the biggest mistakes people make when visiting this area is to just hang out in town and maybe take one boat trip over to Coron Island. Do not sell yourself short, there are many wonders to see in the area.
This extensive guide is designed to give you some insight into the area, share with you some of the things that we love and to help you plan the perfect stay.
Palawan lies in the southwestern Philippines, in a region known as Mimaropa, which is surrounded by the Sulu Sea and the South China Sea. It is about 1 hour from the capital of Manila by plane.
The state of Palawan is named after Palawan Island, but there are other islands that make up the state, such as Busuanga and Coron Islands. As tourism is still beginning to be developed, Palawan has a lot of unspoiled nature and really clean and crystal-clear waters.
When compared to other places in the Philippines, such as Boracay, Palawan is a region with more nature and with beaches almost unknown. The population survives from fishing and general services, mainly around the state capital.
Puerto Princesa is the least populated capital of the Philippines and has often been mentioned as the greenest and cleanest city in the country.
The best time of the year to visit the Palawan region is from December to May. After that, the typhoon season starts and the weather is not so appealing to visit islands where the main attractions are beaches and the main activities include snorkeling and diving.
Coron used to be very difficult to get to but with tourism in the area increasing, travel options are improving. The best destinations to begin your journey to Coron are Manila or El Nido.
From El Nido to Coron
There are two ferry options from El Nido to Coron, one is slow and cheaper while the other is more expensive but faster. The slow ferry takes about 8 hours, leaving early in the morning at around 8:00 am from the port of El Nido.
The slow boat is the same as those that make the longer trips around the Palawan area with a capacity for 150 people and with 2 floors. It is not comfortable and the trip can become boring, but it is possible to sleep or sunbathe to pass the time.
The fast ferry, on the other hand, is comfortable and air-conditioned, taking only around 3.5 hours to get to Coron from El Nido. Check online for up to date prices.
From Manila to Coron Palawan
The quickest option to get to Coron from Manila is by plane. The flight from Manila to Busuanga Island is approximately 1 hour long. The most used airline for this route is Cebu Pacific and tickets can be bought online.
To get to Coron town from the airport, the most common transportation is in a shared van. These vans wait for passengers outside the departure gate and the journey takes around 45 minutes directly to your accommodation.
From Manila to Coron there is also the option of taking a ferry. Despite the fact that it takes 15 hours, most of the route is done during the night, so it could be a way of saving one night on accommodation if your budget is low.
But, keep in mind that the ferry leaves from Manila to Coron only on Tuesdays and Fridays. The return from Coron to Manila departs only on Sundays and Thursdays.