Things to do in Coron
Coron- an island city located in the Palawan province of the Philippines. It is one of the most stunning landscapes in the continent of Asia and has recently been voted as the most beautiful island in the world. The Island is surrounded and upheld by superbly shaped ancient water-carved limestone cliffs which overlook the waters of the South China Sea. Coron Island is, in fact, the third largest island among the Calamian Islands of the Busuanga islands. Coron Island itself is located on the southern part of the Busuanga Island, and it takes a 30-minutes boat ride to go to Coron town. Every moment spent in this part of the Palawan province is amazing because of beautiful tropical landscape of Coron and the glass-like clear water of the South China Sea. Coron is, in short, a simple, dreamy paradise- a route to break away from all the stress and tension of the world which allows one to lose oneself in the beauty and the purity of Mother Nature.
What to do in Coron Town
Coron Town and Coron Island are a small distance away from each other, but the difference in the variety of things to do in each is mind-boggling. First, let’s talk about the Coron Town. In truth, the city itself is kind of laid back. You will not be able to find many things to do inside the city itself other than drinking beer and eating delicious food. Oh, and hiking! A hell lot of hiking, because the Coron Town is famous for its variety of hiking spots after all. Some places to visit are the Mount Darala, Mount Tapayas, etc. You will be able to go on mountain hopping, mountain bike tours, jungle treks, etc. On top of it all, you will be able to relax and enjoy your stay by visiting the spas, hanging out in the beautiful city, going to the local bazaar, eating their amazing cuisine, and most importantly, getting acquainted with the lovely people of the city and learning their way of life. This can help you greatly on a personal level by giving you an insight into the lives of others, and how they manage to be happy through their ups and downs of island life.
There are two ways to travel from Coron Town to Coron Island and vice versa. You can either take a 20 minute Bangka ride or a 30 minute boat-ride from the Town to the Island and the Island to the Town again.
What to do in Coron Island
Once you reach the island, you will be able to experience the true joy and bliss of visiting the Palawan. Coron island is surrounded by beaches, beautiful cliffs, and a huge body of never-ending blue from every side. This is the place which is the most famous for wreck diving. This is nothing less than a paradise for all who love to dive. Even those who don’t like to dive will get into diving after visiting this place. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a certificate for scuba-diving, because you can get one right here on the island! Get a course with the Coron Divers for just a few days, and not only will you get a certificate, but you will also develop a huge love for the sea. Coron is famous world-wide for having the world’s most accessible and the greatest ship wreck dives. Now, let’s quickly take a short tour down the “Coron-hisorty lane”- eight Japanese ships, during WWII, were bombed down into the sea by the Americans, and luckily for you, till date, their remains are still beneath the waters beside Coron Island, waiting to be explored and discovered. You will, no doubt, be guided all throughout your diving, so don’t be scared about anything. Coron Divers know their way inside the ocean waters, and they will show you all you need to see of the ship wrecks. This is not an opportunity that is available just anywhere in the world, so if you visit Coron, be sure to take a look inside the blue and find some ancient clues.
There is much more than these fabulous ship wrecks under the Coron waters, though, and they are coral reefs! You can find amazing coral reefs to snorkel and look around in.
Take a dive into the Barracuda Lake!
Another amazing thing you can do is dive into the barracuda lake. The bottom of this freshwater lake contains volcanic activities! Sounds scary fascinating, doesn’t it? Well, it is! Try going deeper into the waters of this lake, because the further down you go, the water’s temperature increases just as much! It goes up to as high as 37°C down there.
The Amazing Beaches
Let’s talk about the beaches because you will see some of the best beaches in the world in Coron. Coron consists of 50 islets that are open for the tourists’ enjoyment. It is highly recommended that you take a whole day trip to these neighboring islands if you want to spend some quality time at the beach. Among the beaches, Pass Island and Malcapuya Island are the greatest ones to visit. You can hire a private boat to take you there and then stay at the beach overnight in one of the cottages available for limited tenancy.
The People and Their Culture
No matter how beautiful a place is, you will not be able to enjoy anything if the local people of the place are not welcoming. This is one of the other great things about Coron- the people of the Philippines, aka, the Filipinos, are known worldwide to be the friendliest people, and in Coron, you will be able to verify the truth of this. Anywhere and everywhere you go, you will be subjected to very warm welcomes and huge smiles. The people will respect, help, and entertain you to their strengths, so that you are left with a feeling of utter gratitude and satisfaction.