Best things to do in Coron, Palawan

Coron is a little port town on an islands that’s part of Palawan. It is mainly used as a hub for some island hopping tours or you can do a multiple day expedition to El Nido. On the island hopping tours you’ll see pristine white beaches and beautiful lakes, lagoons and limestone cliffs. If you like diving, Coron offers some incredible wreck dives. I would say 2 days is a good amount of time to explore Coron.

Island Hopping Tour

One of the main things to do in Coron, Palawan is island hopping. You can book either a private or a shared boat tour. I ended up booking a tour through my hostel that was called the ‘super ultimate tour’ for 1850 php, which is around €30. This included a visit to Barracuda Lake, Kayangan Lake, Twin Lagoon and beach 91.

Coron island hopping Palawan

Kayangan Lake, Coron

A Visit to Lake Kayangan starts with a little hike up to a viewpoint. Then you head down on the other side to the beautiful clear emerald kayangan Lake. This fresh water lake that was dubbed ‘the cleanest lake’ in the Philippes also stars some incredible underwater rock formations.

Things to do in Coron, Palawan

Twin Lagoon

The name reveals exactly what to expect. Two stunning lagoons! The first lagoon is accessible through a small gap between cliffs that you need to swim through. The tour we did also offered kayaking, but we didn’t feel like the extra money was worth it. The people that opted to do the kayaking got to see both, while we just swam in one of the lagoons. Since they are quite similar I don’t feel like we missed out. Especially since I’d already done kayaking in so many other places this trip. I do think paying extra for snorkel and fin rental is worth it!

Barracuda Lake

Another stunning clear lake with limestone rock formations that go all the way down. This makes it a very cool spot to snorkel or free dive. Right now you’re only allowed to free dive with a guide.

Beach 91

The last stop of the day was this beach straight from paradise! Beach 91 is a great spot to just relax and enjoy a swim, some sunbathing and the incredible view.

beach 91 Coron Palawan Beach 91, Coron, Palawan

Mt. Tapyas: Viewpoint of Coron

If you’re staying in Coron, you absolutely have to catch the sunset from Mt. Tapyas. You walk up 750 steps before reaching the big ‘coron’ letters that sit at the top in Hollywood style. Going for sunset is the most impressive and it also means you avoid hiking up during the hottest moment of the day. Personally going behind the ‘official’ viewpoint and exploring the hills on the side was most beautiful! Going up is free and it will take you about 20 to 30 minutes to hike up, depending on your level of fitness.

mt. tapyas viewpoint Coron, Palawan

mt. tapyas viewpoint Coron, Palawan

Other things to do in Coron, Palawan:

I personally wouldn’t spend an extra day in Coron for these things, but if you do have the time you can visit Maquinit Hot Springs. This salt-water hot spring is surrounded by a mangrove forest and has an ocean view.

If you want a beach day, but you don’t want to take a tour you can visit Cabo beach.

Last but not least there are several cool wreck dives near Coron. I wanted to do a lot of diving in other spots in the Philippines, which is why I skipped this one to save some money.

Where to eat?

My favorite breakfast places was Follow your Taste. I had lovely yoghurt with granola and fruits and it was just what I was craving. They also have a great French toast.

The backside of Follow your taste leads you into a little courtyard with live music where you can sit and order from several different restaurants. For dinner I can highly recommend their veggie burger. I haven’t tried the other restaurants, but the live music and different restaurants give it very nice vibe.

Another dinner option is Altrove. You can’t go wrong with the traditional brick oven pizza’s!

Where to Stay?

During my time in Coron, I stayed in BamBam Hostel. The rooms were nice and had good airconditioning, which is important in Palawan! The staff was super helpful and I really liked the location of the hostel. It is next to a social area, but if you’re a light sleeper that could also be a downside. The live music doesn’t continue until too late at night, so it was no issue for me.

If you’re looking for something more luxurious check out The Funny Lion. They have a stunning pool and are conveniently located.

Or you can look for more hotel options here.