from Sunrise to Sunset

You should not leave the Philippines without visiting Coron. The place just north of Palawan island consists of many different islands. Coron town actually situates on Busuanga island just north of Coron island. So when staying in Coron you would most probably actually spend your nights in Coron town.

Island Hopping

As for Port Barton and El Nido on Palawan a visit to Coron should start with an island hopping tour. A day full of snorkelling and discovering islands with huge black limestone rocks climbing straight out of the sea is a great beginning to understand what is that region all about. Most of the island hopping tours go around Coron Island. I took part in Ultimate Coron Island Hopping Tour and was lucky to visit Kayangan Lake, Twin Lagoons, Skeleton Wreck, Coral Garden and CYC Beach.

Scuba diving

Coron is also famous for its scuba diving opportunities. There are plenty of dive shops in the town with who you can book your diving with. The main reason for its popularity is the shipwrecks. The majority of the shipwrecks are the result of U.S task force attacking the Imperial Japanese Navy at the bay at 1944. Unfortunately, I was not able to go diving in Coron due to being ill a bit.

Discovering the island

During one day I rented a scooter and drove towards the north-west of Busuanga Island. The paved road is pretty nice and wide, which makes it easy to drive on. Roads are also quite empty. After making a few stops along the way I decided to make a stop for a swim in a place called Ocam Ocam Beach. There is a small entrance fee to enter the beach/village area. It is also possible to have lunch there prepared by a local family. While talking with the locals they offered me to visit another small island not that far away – Black Island. Actually, it is called as Malajon island on Google Maps and on MAPS.ME. After some bargaining, I managed to get the price which was reasonable for private boat hire. So I went with an impulse decision to just go for it. After about a 30 minute trip I reached the island. There is a cave with a pool in the huge limestone formation which gave a refreshing swim. There are two shipwrecks next to the beach. One is in really shallow water and the other one is about 30 m deep, so it was not possible to see it just by snorkelling. The beachfront is also home to one of the most beautiful corals I had seen during my stay in the Philippines.

Sunrise & sunset

Next to boats and the harbour in Coron town, there is a large empty field which also accommodates the public market on one side. That field and seaside should be perfect for sunrise. For sunset, the main place by far is Mount Tapyas just next to the town. The hill is also home to a big Coron sign which you can see from the town. There is a long fleet of stairs leading to the top. But it is all worth it. The sunset there was one of the best I have ever seen. Also, check out my video 30 days in Philippines