BEST Things to Do in Coron, Palawan – Complete Travel Guide

Coron is a VERY impressive place to visit. Much nicer than we expected. Loaded with tourists and backpackers, the secret has gotten out on Coron.

Coron is a perfect place to spend 2-3 days, with an unbelievable place to watch the sunset, tons of island hopping opportunities, and impressive hot springs and beaches to visit.

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Things to Do in Coron Palawan – Travel Guide

We have broken down Coron into a 3 Day Itinerary for you to enjoy. We think 2-3 full days is ample to enjoy all that Coron has to offer.

➡️ Read: 2 Weeks in Philippines Itinerary 🇵🇭

Arriving in Coron

If you are flying to Coron, then you will fly to Busuanga Airport. There are flights here from Clark Airport and Manila Airport. Once you arrive at the airport, you will have to pay a 200 PHP environmental fee at a table outside. (per person) From here, you will walk out and tell the guys what hotel you are staying at, and they will direct you to a shared van. The cost of the van is 250 PHP per person, and you pay the money to your hotel, NOT the van driver. (quite confusing)

We stayed at Macky’s Hidden Inn. The listing said cash only, but when we got here we learned that we can pay with credit card. Some of the listings in Coron seem to be a bit outdated, and the ability to pay with credit card is becoming more common.

🏨 Book Your Stay at Macky’s HERE!

If you are coming to Coron by ferry from El Nido, then you will land right at the Coron Port, which is right next to Coron Town where you will be staying. You will pay your 200 PHP environmental fee, then you will head up to town on foot or by tricycle.

Day 1

If you arrive during the day, check in at your hotel then try to catch the sunset at Mt Tapyas. This is an unbelievable place to catch the sunset, and a great way to get acclimated to the town.

⛴️ Book Your Ferry to Coron HERE 👈

Climb Mt Tapyas – The Best Viewpoint in Coron

On your first day in Coron, catch the sunset at the top of Mount Tapyas, which is an EPIC viewpoint of Coron and the surrounding islands. The climb is steep and long with 720 steps to the top. Make sure you give yourself 15-20 minutes to get up there before the sun sets.

This viewpoint is very popular in Coron and basically every tourist climbs up here pretty much every single night, as the view really is that good. Be prepared to SWEAT in the Coron heat.

💡 This sunset view is probably our favorite spot in all of the Philippines. 🌅

Tip: When you get to the top, head to the back hills for a more peaceful view of sunset. Most people sit right at the top of the hill near where the stairs are, but if you walk to the back you’ll get a much more isolated, peaceful view of the sunset.

Day 2

On your first full day in Coron, we recommend you rent a motorbike and head over to Cabo Beach for a few hours, which is about a 25 minute ride from Coron town. Then on your way back to town, head to the Maquinit Hot Springs for sunset.

Here is a sample list of how much a motorbike rental would cost you here in Coron:

Cabo Beach

This is a decent beach to visit in Coron, although there is almost no sand to sit on. You’ll be laying out on hard pavement with a bit of sand over it, or sitting in a bamboo hut. Many tourists come here on one of their days in Coron.

Overall, this beach isn’t that nice, but you’re going to need something to do besides Island Hopping in Coron, and it’s a decent place to spend a few hours before heading to the Hot Springs.

🚤 Book the best island-hopping in Coron HERE ⬅️

Maquinit Hot Springs

This is the highlight of the day. We were really surprised at how nice these hot spring were. Situated right along the ocean, these salty hot springs provide a great spot to chill and watch the sunset.

Coron is already really hot, so you’re not going to want to be here during the day. Ideally you’ll come here as the sun is setting to enjoy the water and not overheat.

The entrance fee here is 300 pesos per person.

Most people will tell you to come here for sunset, but we chose to come here before sunset, then head back to Mt Tapyas for sunset. Mt Tapyas for sunset really is that impressive, and we couldn’t waste an opportunity to catch another sunset here.

🛌 Here are all your hotel options in Coron Town

Day 3

Island Hopping Tour

There are a bunch of different island hopping tours in Coron, depending on what you want to see and what your budget is. We went with Tour A just because it’s the most common tour in Coron, and we paid 1000 PHP per person.

All tours include a fresh lunch of fish/meat/rice/vegetables/fruit, and transport and guides around all the stops. What differs is where you stop and what you do once you stop.

Here’s a breakdown of what we paid for Tour A.

Island Hopping – 1000

Kayak – 1500 (shared between 3 of us)

Snorkels – 150 (each)

Snacks – 50

For us, the highlight of Tour A was Kayangan Lake and snorkeling at Las Islas de Coral. If you are going to do Tour A it is definitely worth it to get snorkeling gear as there are lots of spots where you stop to explore and if you aren’t snorkeling you would probably be pretty bored.

We would also say you should rent a kayak, as the boat stops a few times in kayak spots, and if you didn’t rent a kayak, you’re just going to be chilling on the boat while others are out exploring on their kayaks.

Which Tour Should I Do?

We would recommend the Ultimate Tour for 1500 PHP per person. Even though it’s more expensive than Tour A and B, it’s definitely worth it as it hits all the important spots you will want to see in Coron.

While A and B are nice options, there are some spots you go to that aren’t that necessary. (Random beaches that aren’t that impressive) Better to spend your time on the Ultimate Tour to see all the “can’t miss” spots. Even though it’s 500 PHP more expensive, it’s definitely worth it in our opinion.

🚤 Book the Ultimate Tour in Coron HERE!

Where to Eat in Coron

Coron has really developed in the last few years, meaning there are now a ton of restaurants. Any kind of food you want, you can find here. There are tons of great restaurants to try in the town. Here are a few that we tried.

MC Cafe & Bar – The BEST breakfast we’ve had in the Philippines, for a great price. We paid 250 PHP for a FULL Western breakfast that filled us up for a while.

Om’s Thai – Great Thai food for a decent price. We paid about 350 PHP for a decent meal here.

Gavin’s kitchen + bar – This place has great reviews and is very popular amongst travelers in Coron. We waited for 20 mins outside to get a table here, and were quite disappointed by the food. VERY popular amongst European travelers though.

Where to After Coron?

The most logical places to head to after Coron are El Nido, or Manila. We have a whole post on how to get to El Nido from Coron here.

➡️ Read: 9 Best Things to Do in El Nido in 2024 🇵🇭

Summary – Things to Do in Coron

We hope you enjoyed this post on things to do in Coron. Coron is a VERY nice tourist destination in the Philippines, and we still think about the beautiful sunset at Mt Tapyas. We would definitely say Coron is an underrated destination in the Philippines. Everyone who comes to this country should come to Coron!

You will enjoy your time in Coron, without a doubt.