When I hadn’t had a sight of the top, It was then I fathomed that it would be a tough climb. A friend told me that it’s around 750 steps. I had no expectations at first, because I had never tried a continuous steps before. I couldn’t even scale the difficulty level by merely looking at it. But then, we started the hike – we are climbing up the famed peak of Coron, Mount Tapyas.
Appreciating Coron, Palawan
When we reached the 100-step marker, we were proud of the milestone, but the sweats were dripping endlessly from our faces. On the 300th, we felt our throats drying out and our knees almost giving up. Good thing that a vendor was keeping up with us. A bottled water costed a fortune, however, we were very much willing to pay the high price just to continue our way up.
I had no idea what’s on the summit though and why we spent too much effort to reach it. When a friend told me that it has the best view for sunset, I convinced the group to make haste, ‘coz if we don’t, we’ll not rake any fruit from that struggle.
At 600th step, we could see the sun slowly disappearing from the horizon. So we rested a bit and watched it as it painted the sky. It was deep yellow, then orange, and then red, alternating and bursting to a wider dimension.
We still continued our hike until we reached the top where there was this big cross. Coron’s Mount Tapyas offered us the most stunning view of Coron Island, which looked like more of a sleeping giant from our perspective.
We raced against the dark on our way down and the rest is history.
The night was long and then two days after that, we had been to a great adventure, an adventure so unforgettable that made me transform this blog into a travel blog.
Anyway, if you want a noteworthy trip like we had, here’s a guide for you.
How to get to Coron
By Air
From Manila (MNL), you can take Cebu Pacific, SkyJet, or Philippine Airlines to Busuanga (USU) Airport. Cebu Pacific has three daily flights, SkyJet has one, while Philippine Airlines has two.
Vans or GT Express are available from Busuanga Airport to Coron Town proper. They may also drop you off at your resort, that if you are not staying in an island resort.
To save on your flight expenses, plan your travels ahead and wait for flight promotions.
By Sea
2Go Travel, on the other hand, navigates to Coron from Manila every Friday at 05:00PM, arriving Coron at 07:00AM the following day.
Where To Stay in Coron
Premium Accommodations
- Asia Grand View Hotel – Sitio Jolo, Barangay Poblacion 5, Coron | +63 (0) 2 788 3385 / +63 999 881 7848 | gsd@asiagrandview.com
- Coron Gateway Hotel and Suites – Coron Town Proper | +63 927 439 5790 / +63 917 634 3974 / +63 917 634 9625 | corongateway@gmail.com
- Coron Westown Resort – Sitio Dipulao, Brgy. Poblacion 6, Coron | +63 917 704 6176 / +63 915 415 4555 / +63 928 491 5395 / +63 919 993 5474 | coronwestownresort@yahoo.com.ph
- Corto del Mar Hotel – Comeseria Street, Barangay 1, Coron Town Proper | +63 (0) 2 514 0279 | info@cortodelmar.com
- The Funny Lion Inn – Sitio Jolo, Barangay Poblacion 5, Coron | +63 905 395 5445 | inquiries@thefunnylioninn.com
- *****Two Seasons Coron Island Resort & Spa – Malaroyroy, Bulalacao Island, Coron | +63 (2) 410 2075 to 80 | bliss@twoseasonsresorts.com
Budget Guesthouses and Lodges
- Amphibi-ko Resort – National Highway, Coron Town Proper
- Casa Montemar Bed and Breakfast – Tapyas Stairway, Coron Town Proper | +63 908 349 7378 / +63 905 105 8821 | casamontemar.coron@gmail.com
- Coron Eco Lodge – Calle Real, Coron Town Proper | +63 906 455 6090 /+63 919 204 8824
- Coron Village Lodge – 134 National Highway, Brgy. 1, Coron | +63 928 202 0819 / +63 998 167 1968 / +63 916 420 0252 / +63 936 784 0459 | anndaet@coronvillagelodge.com
- Islands View Inn – Don Pedro Street, Barangay 2, Coron Town | +63 920 973 3117 / +63 917 579 4153 | islandsviewinn@yahoo.com
- Micasa Lodge – National Highway, Brgy Poblacion 1, Coron Town Proper
- Oriental Lodging House – Mao Building, Coron Town Proper
Things to do in Coron
- Mount Tapyas Trek – Experience Coron’s magical and colorful sunset from the summit of Mount Tapyas. You just need to sustain the 700+ steps though.
- Exploring Coron Island via Island hopping. Stops includes; the famed Kayangan Lake (₱200), Twin Lakes, Baracuda Lake (₱100), CYC, Skeleton Wreck, Lusong Coral Garden, Banol Beach, etc. – The island hoping the is the highlight of the Coron Tour. It will bring you to the most stunning sceneries and water bodies in Coron Island. Kayangan Lake, dubbed as the cleanest lake in Asia, should not be skipped.
- Snorkeling at Siete Picados (₱100) – Interact with the beautiful swimming creatures of Siete Picados, a coral haven and a home to several marine species. Just make sure that you don’t step on the corals [especially during low tide] to avoid alarming or stepping on its inhabitants. Some of them are poisonous.
- Bulog, Malcapuya, and Banana Islands – These may require you another day in Coron. Travel time to Bulog, Malcapuya, and Banana Islands is 3 hours from Coron town proper.
- Maquinit Hot Spring (₱100) – Do a quick plunge because if you dip slowly, the more likely you get pained from the heat. Maquinit Hot Spring could serve as your pampering hot bath from the tiring island hopping.
- And many more worth exploring – You can do a food crawl at the town proper, go diving, and explore neighboring islands and towns, such as Culion and Busuanga. These places also offers great experience.
Coron Tour Tips, Notes, and Reminders
- Tour offered in Coron by joining an organized tour or hiring a boatman yourself. Boats for Coron Island loop start at ₱2,000. The bigger the group, the bigger the boat fee is. Note that the food is not included in the DIY tour so you have to buy something to cook/eat and the boatman will prepare them for you. Fees are also paid separately per site. Standard boat tariffs are as follows:
| Destination | Fee for up to 4 pax | Fee for 5 to 9 pax | Fee for 10 to 15 pax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coron Island | ₱2,000 | ₱2,500 | ₱3,500 |
| Sangat/Lusong | ₱3,500 | ₱4,000 | ₱6,000 |
| Bulog, Malaroyroy, Banana, Malcapuya Islands | ₱3,500 | ₱4,500 | ₱6,000 |
| Culion Island | ₱3,500 | ₱4,500 | ₱6,000 |
| Dibatok Island | ₱3,000 | ₱3,500 | ₱4,500 |
| Calumbuyan Island | ₱4,000 | ₱5,000 | ₱6,500 |
| Diwaran Island | ₱3,500 | ₱4,000 | ₱6,000 |
| Tara Island | ₱8,000 | ₱9,500 | ₱15,000 |
| Coral Bay/Evergreen | ₱5,000 | ₱6,000 | ₱7,000 |
| North-South Cay | ₱5,000 | ₱6,000 | ₱8,000 |
| Calauit Island (Safari) | ₱8,000 | ₱9,000 | ₱15,000 |
| Panlaitan, Dibutunay, or Black Island | ₱6,000 | ₱7,000 | ₱10,000 |
| Linapacan Island | ₱8,000 | ₱10,000 | ₱15,000 |
| El Nido/Taytay | ₱14,000 | ₱18,000 | ₱25,000 |
- Travel agencies around the town offers organized tour which fees cover your lunch, attraction and environmental fees, and boat rental.
- During snorkeling, always avoid stepping on the corals. That is not only for their protection but also for your safety as well – poisonous creatures may be dwelling on these corals.
- Bring your own snorkeling gears to save on snorkel rentals.
- For your island hopping meals, you can buy fresh finds from the town market and then have your boatmen cook them for you. Cooking fee is already included in the boat rental.
- ATMs (BPI, Landbank, AlliedBank/PNB) are available in town.
Photos courtesy of Marx of Marxtermind.com.