Coron & El Nido, Philippines🌴

Coron and El Nido were two of my other favourite places in the Philippines. If you only have a couple of weeks to explore the country, I would definitely recommend visiting both of these islands.

When I visited in 2022, the three-day boat expedition between Coron and El Nido wasn't particularly popular or fully operational following COVID-19, so I didn't get the chance to do it. However, I have heard fantastic things about the experience, and it sounds like a great way to combine some of the island-hopping and boat tours available at both destinations. Either way, I would recommend spending at least a week in El Nido and four days in Coron. Both have so much to offer, and you will want to allow yourself enough time to explore!

Coron

I first flew to Coron from Bohol, where I spent three nights exploring the island and enjoying one of the boat tours. I stayed at Dayon Hostel, which was really sociable, organised a variety of tours and was a great place to meet other travellers.

I only wish I had more time here, as there is an incredible amount to see and do around Coron, with so many other boat tours, beaches and activities to explore. Three nights definitely wasn't enough for me, and it's somewhere I'd love to return to one day!

Boat Tour

There are around five different boat tours to choose from in Coron, categorised as Tours A, B, C, D and the Ultimate/Super Ultimate Tour. As I only had time to do one, I decided to go with the most popular option, which included two of Coron's most iconic spots. Another reason for choosing this tour was that more people had signed up, so I knew it would be a great opportunity to meet other travellers!

Below are how the different tours were categorised when I visited in 2022. Bear in mind that these may have changed over the past four years, so it is worth checking the latest options and itineraries before booking.

• Tour A - Kayangan Lake, Quin Reef, and CYC Beach.
• Tour B - Barracuda Lake, Twin Lagoon, Banul Beach, and Skeleton Wreck.
• Tour C - White-sand islands, sandbars like Malcapuya Island, Bulog Dos, and Banana Island.
• Tour D - WWII shipwrecks and reef sites like the Skeleton Wreck and Lusong Gunboat.
• Ultimate / Super Ultimate Tour - Combines the top highlights of Tours A and B visiting Kayangan Lake, Twin Lagoon, Barracuda Lake, Siete Pecados, and a shipwreck.

Looking back at the list above, I believe we went with the Ultimate/Super Ultimate Tour, as it included two of Coron's most iconic spots Kayangan Lake and Twin Lagoon. It was a full-day excursion, taking us to around four or five different locations. Along the way, you get to swim in some of the bluest waters, snorkel around beautiful reefs and enjoy an incredible local feast served on the beach. It was such a fantastic way to experience Coron and definitely one of the highlights of my time there!

Siete Pecados
Siete Pecados is a famous Marine Park in Coron, known for its protected coral reef, mangrove forests and diverse marine life. We explored the park stopping off at different spots along the way, jumping into the crystal clear waters from the boat and snorkelling at different spots.

Kayangan Lake
The first stop on our tour was Kayangan Lake, which is famous for having some of the cleanest and clearest waters in Asia. It is also home to Coron’s iconic viewpoint, overlooking the surrounding bays, islands and turquoise waters. As you can see from my photos below, the views were absolutely insane!

To reach the viewpoint, you have to climb around 330 steep wooden and limestone steps, which lead up to the famous mountain pass overlooking Coron Bay and the surrounding lagoons. Once you reach the top, you will take turns getting photos and soaking up the incredible views. It is definitely worth the climb! Once you have finished enjoying the viewpoint, you loop back around and make your way down towards the lake entrance.

Once you are back down, you can also spend some time snorkelling around the reef, where you will spot all kinds of colourful coral and tropical fish. There are designated swimming areas within the lake, where you are required to wear a life jacket. These rules help protect the lake's pristine waters and delicate underwater environment, while also ensuring everyone's safety. It is a beautiful spot to spend some time swimming and taking in the incredible surroundings!

Twin Lagoon
The second iconic stop was Twin Lagoon, two incredible swimming spots. The two lagoons are separated by a towering limestone wall, and you can make your way from the outer lagoon into the second through a small natural rock archway at low tide or by climbing over the built-in staircase.

We spent around an hour here exploring the lagoons, swimming through the little caves and spotting all kinds of marine life. As you can see from my photos, the water was an unbelievable shade of blue! Honestly, this was easily one of my favourite days in the Philippines and an experience I won't forget.

Atwayan Beach
Our next stop was Atwayan Beach, a beautiful white-sand cove, where we stopped for lunch. We spent around an hour here, enjoying a well-deserved break from the boat, soaking up the sunshine and relaxing on the beach. There was also plenty of time to go snorkelling around the shallow reefs and explore the surrounding waters.

CYC Beach
Another stop was CYC Beach, a beautiful little island beach with powdery white sand, incredibly blue waters and clusters of mangrove trees along the shoreline. We spent around forty minutes here, making the most of the beautiful surroundings by swimming, sunbathing and simply relaxing on the beach.

Maquinit Hotspring

One place I would recommend visiting is Maquinit Hot Springs. Famous for its natural saltwater hot springs, it is a lovely way to spend an early evening after a full day of exploring. We arranged transport through our hostel, which took us directly to the springs. It wasn't particularly expensive and was really easy to organise. The pool is naturally heated by geothermal activity and is right on the edge of a protected mangrove forest.

Once you have had a chance to relax in the warm water, you can also follow the little path around to a viewpoint overlooking the sea and surrounding mangroves. It is a popular spot for both locals and tourists, particularly in the early evening.

Mount Tapyas

Another evening, we decided to walk up to the top of Mount Tapyas, one of Coron's most famous viewpoints, to watch the sunset. It is a really popular spot and best of all, it is completely free to visit!

We shared a taxi to the bottom before making our way up the 721 steps to the top. It was definitely a bit of a workout, but the views were more than worth the climb! Once we reached the top, we were rewarded with incredible 360-degree panoramic views across Coron and the surrounding islands. We then found a quiet spot to sit and watch the sunset, which was pretty magical.

You can visit Mount Tapyas at any time of day, but I would definitely recommend going in the late afternoon so you can enjoy the views before settling in to watch the sunset. It was the perfect way to end the day!

El Nido

El Nido is by far my favourite place in the Philippines! There is so much to see and do here, from the four different island-hopping boat tours to the countless cute cafés, restaurants and bars dotted around the town. It is also one of the main hubs for backpackers, so you will meet loads of other travellers along the way. If you are travelling solo or looking to meet people, it is a sociable place and a brilliant spot to make new friends. I honestly could have spent longer than a week here!

🏨Frenz Hostel or Outpost
Back in 2022, two of the popular hostels to stay at were Frenz and Outpost Hostel. I personally stayed at Frenz and had such a great time! It is a really sociable hostel, making it easy to meet other backpackers and organise activities. They also offer plenty of tours, as well as collection and transport services, which makes getting around really convenient. The dorm rooms were fairly spacious and comfortable, and there was a huge communal social area downstairs where everyone could hang out. There is also a rooftop pool and bar, which was a great place to relax after a day out exploring. I would definitely recommend it if you are looking for somewhere fun and sociable to stay!

Boat Tours

There are several different boat tours to choose from when exploring El Nido, and I would say they are an absolute must-do during your stay! They are by far the best way to discover the surrounding islands, hidden beaches and lagoons and. They are also famous for including the most amazing freshly prepared lunches, usually served on one of the beautiful beaches along the way!

During my week in El Nido, I managed to do two of the tours, although you could easily fit in all four if you wanted to. Frenz Hostel offers all the different tours, but they only run each one once a week, unless there is a particularly large group. So, if you are planning to book through the hostel, make sure you check the schedule and organise your dates around the tours you want to do.

I can't remember exactly which tour was which, but out of Tours A, B, C and D, I'm pretty sure I did Tours A and C, with Tour A being the most popular. I've included a breakdown of the different tours below to help you decide which ones you'd like to do!

• Tour A - Big Lagoon, Small Lagoon, Secret Lagoon, Shimizu Island and Seven Commandos Beach.
• Tour B - Snake Island, Cudugnon Cave, Cathedral Cave, Pinagbuyutan Island and Entalula Island.
• Tour C - Hidden Beach, Secret Beach, Helicopter Island and Matinloc Shrine.
• Tour D - Small Lagoon, Cadlao Lagoon, Ipil Beach and Pasandigan Cove.

Each tour is pretty much a full-day excursion, usually starting around 9am and finishing at approximately 4pm. The price typically includes lunch, drinking water and all the necessary snorkelling equipment. They can be a little expensive, particularly if you are on a backpacker's budget, but honestly, for the incredible views, beautiful locations and experiences you get along the way, I think they are completely worth the money. If I had more time, I would have probably done all four tours! As mentioned earlier, bear in mind that I visited back in 2022, so the tours and their itineraries may have changed since then.

Tour A

Tour A is the most popular of the four tours, and after doing it myself, I can completely understand why! We were incredibly lucky with the weather, which was absolutely gorgeous and made the already stunning views even more beautiful. We stopped at four different locations throughout the day, each offering something different, and we had such a lovely group of people on the boat.

Shimizu Island
Our first stop was Shimizu Island, a small, picturesque island famous for its towering limestone cliffs, beautiful white-sand beach and crystal-clear waters. Just off the shore, you will find shallow coral gardens, which are perfect for snorkelling. If you are lucky, you might even spot sea turtles, alongside all kinds of colourful tropical fish and coral.

Big Lagoon
The second stop was Big Lagoon, which is arguably the main highlight of Tour A. Here, you have the opportunity to hire kayaks and explore the lagoon in pairs, paddling through the incredible turquoise waters surrounded by towering limestone cliffs. It is honestly breathtaking, and the water was so unbelievably clear! You can also paddle through some of the narrower passages and caves, which make the experience even more exciting.

Entalula Island
Our next stop was Entalula Island, which is where we stopped for lunch. We all docked up on the beautiful white-sand beach, giving us plenty of time to relax, sunbathe and even play a bit of volleyball while the crew prepared our food.

And honestly, the lunch was incredible! As you can see from the photos below, we were treated to a huge spread of freshly prepared local food, including plenty of seafood, rice, fruit and other delicious dishes.

Seven Commandos Beach
After lunch, we made a couple more stops at different swimming spots before heading to Seven Commandos Beach, which was our final destination of the day. We spent around an hour here, making the most of the beautiful beach by relaxing on the sand, playing volleyball and swimming in the warm, shallow waters.

It was such a gorgeous spot, with white sand, huge palm trees and crystal-clear waters. After a full day of exploring, it was the perfect place to finish the tour.

Canopy Walk

One activity we also tried was the Canopy Walk, which takes you up one of the mountains in El Nido to enjoy panoramic views across the island and surrounding coastline. We paid to do the walk and, to be honest, we were a little disappointed with how short it was! The actual walk took about five minutes, and although we had to wear helmets and harnesses, it was a really easy experience. That said, the views from the top were beautiful, and doing it together as a group made it a fun little activity. Would I recommend it? Yes, if you are looking for a quick activity with some lovely views, but personally, I probably wouldn't pay to do it again.

Tour 2

For our second boat tour, we actually decided as a group to book through Outpost Hostel. We had heard such good things about the hostel that we wanted to experience it for ourselves and see what it had to offer. It was another fantastic day out, with a great group of people, and we got to visit some more of El Nido's beautiful island spots.

I'm not entirely sure which tour we ended up booking, whether it was Tour B, C or D, as our itinerary included a combination of different stops. However, I'll explain the spots we went to below!

Pasandigan Cove
Our first stop was Pasandigan Cove, a beautiful tropical cove with a white-sand beach on Cadlao Island. It is surrounded by towering limestone cliffs, lush greenery and coconut trees, making it such a picturesque spot.

We spent around 30 minutes here, making the most of our time by snorkelling around the hidden caves, relaxing on the beach and even squeezing in a quick game of volleyball! You can also climb some of the surrounding limestone formations for better views of the cove and its beautiful surroundings.

Dilumacad (Helicopter Island)
Our next stop was Dilumacad Island, a beautiful little island in Bacuit Bay, surrounded by more towering limestone cliffs and a long stretch of white-sand beach. It is a lovely spot to explore, relax and take in the incredible scenery.

We stopped here for lunch, and while the crew prepared our food, we had plenty of time to go snorkelling. We were lucky enough to spot sea turtles and all kinds of fish.

Cadlao Lagoon
Cadlao Lagoon was another iconic stop on this tour and is the largest and tallest island in Bacuit Bay. The lagoon itself is a beautiful, sheltered spot surrounded by enormous limestone cliffs and some of the bluest waters you will ever see.

It is a much quieter and more peaceful spot, where you can spend time snorkelling or paddleboarding towards one of the limestone cliffs, spotting all kinds of coral and marine life along the way. You can also climb up to the top of one of the cliffs to enjoy panoramic views across the lagoon and the surrounding islands. As you can see from my photos below, although we didn't have the bluest skies that day, you can still appreciate just how incredibly clear and turquoise the water was. Just wow!

Balinawood Beach
Our final stop of the tour was Balinawood Beach, where we spent around an hour winding down after a full day of exploring. It is a beautiful, secluded tropical beach, with a huge stretch of white sand backed by lush green jungle. We spent our time relaxing in the shallow waters, playing beach ball games and simply enjoying the last bit of sunshine while socialising with everyone in the group.

Other things to do in El Nido:

• Visit Nacpan Beach where you can relax and surf.
• Visit the twin beach of Calitang Beach next to Nacpan.
• Duli Beach.
• Watch the sunset at Las Cabanas Beach.
• Las Cabanas Zipline to Depeldet Island.
• Go to Nagkalit-kalit Waterfalls or Bulalacao Waterfall.
• Visit the ancient history Ille Cave.
• Multiday boat hopping trip from Coron to El Nido or vice versa.
• Taraw Cliff for panoramic views of the island.
• El Nido Zipline at Palawan Adventure.

Food:

There are so many incredible little cafés, restaurants and bars to try in El Nido, so you will definitely be spoilt for choice! Most evenings, we would head out as a group from the hostel and find somewhere for dinner, which was always a great way to socialise, meet other travellers and try somewhere new.

• Cafe Athena.
• Happiness.
• Taste El Nido.
• Oppa Kitchen.
• Bella Vita.
• Last Frontier Restaurant.
• Sandbreeze Restobar.

This sums up my recommendations for Coron and El Nido! If you are planning a trip to the Philippines, I would definitely prioritise spending time on these two islands. You absolutely won't regret it! From the incredible waters and breathtaking island views to the cute little cafés, sociable hostels and endless activities, there is just so much to see and do. They were easily two of my favourite places in the Philippines, and I would go back in a heartbeat!