If you’re looking for a slice of paradise on earth, we recommend adding Coron Island to your bucket list. For Kelvin’s 27th birthday, we took a private tour and let us tell you it was like a dream come true! We saw some of the most beautiful places and beaches on earth. Coron Island is a must-visit destination that everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime. With so many tour options available, we’ve put together a list of 5 bucket list destinations you can’t miss on Coron Island to help you plan your perfect trip.
How to explore Coron Island
Before we dive into these 5 stunning destinations you can’t miss on Coron Island, let’s talk about how to explore it. There are several tour options available, including private and group tours.
We highly recommend opting for a private tour. It gives you the freedom to explore at your own pace and avoid the crowds. Your tour guide will know the best times to visit each spot, and you can spend as long as you like at each destination. It’s perfect if you ask us!
We also suggest choosing a tour where you can pick your own destinations. Initially, we considered the Coron Island Super Ultimate Tour, which covers 7 different spots. But we found a private Coron Island tour through GetYourGuide that let us choose which places to visit. This was so nice, especially since it was Kelvin’s birthday. We didn’t want to rush it and cram all 7 spots in one day, instead we took it slow to fully enjoy everything. Our private tour made that possible! With a predefined tour, you don’t get to choose what spots you’ll be seeing or the order you’ll check them out. What’s even worse is you don’t get to choose how long you’ll stay at each location. This makes it a no-no for us!
At around € 100 per group of up to four, we found it really affordable for such an unforgettable experience. Just keep in mind that entrance fees are not included, we paid an additional € 40 for those. You’ll also start your day at Coron Public Market, where you can choose fresh ingredients for your lunch that the tour guide will prepare for you. You’ll need to pay for these ingredients yourself, but you can make it as cheap or as fancy as you want.
Destinations you can’t miss on Coron Island
1. Kayangan Lake
One of our favorite spots on Coron Island is the stunning Kayangan Lake, a crystal-clear freshwater lake. It’s only a short 10-minute hike to reach it, with a beautiful viewpoint along the way for some great photos. After snapping some pics, head down to the lake where you can swim, snorkel, and jump into the water. It’s so much fun! This was the first stop of our tour, and it was perfect because there literally were no crowds. By the time we left, about 30 people were already lining up for the viewpoint! So, definitely come early. The water’s also so much nicer when you have it all for yourself. 😉
2. Banul Beach
You know those pictures of beaches online that seem too beautiful to be real? Banul Beach is one of them. We’ve never seen such crystal-clear water and beautiful white sand before. It looks like a postcard! We visited at 10 AM and there was only one other couple on the beach. It was amazing to have the place (almost) entirely to ourselves. We did some sunbathing, swam as far in the sea as we could (or dared), and had an early lunch here. This was around 11 AM, by the time we left at 12 the beach was getting crowded with boats and people. If you want that private beach feeling, definitely come early!
3. Smith Coral Garden
If you love snorkeling, you have to add Smith Coral Garden to your list. We saw colorful coral, countless fish, sea stars, and even some cute clownfish! Swimming around these huge corals and seeing hundreds of fish was incredible. Our tour guide took us to a very nice secluded spot where it was just him, us, and all this sealife. Smith Coral Garden is one of the few places left where the corals are still so vibrant!
4. Twin Lagoon
Twin Lagoon is one of those spots you’ve probably seen in both magazines as well as online. Let us tell you: it’s even prettier in real life! There are two lagoons separated by a massive limestone rock, a very unique sight. To reach the area where you can swim, you can use the wooden staircase or swim under the rock. We definitely recommend swimming under the rock, it’s an adventure you won’t forget soon! You can also jump from the platform, which is very cool. Once you arrive at the swim area, you can take a swim, snorkel, and look around. The water is so warm and inviting!
Pro tip
If you have a drone, definitely fly it here! You’ll spot a stunning circular reef just outside Twin Lagoon that’s only visible from above. It’s absolutely breathtaking.
5. Barracuda Lake
Last but not least: Barracuda Lake, the perfect spot for freediving! It’s the best (and safest) place in the Philippines if you’re eager to learn how to freedive. What’s also really cool is that the deeper you go, the warmer the water gets. The water at Barracuda Lake is some of the clearest we’ve ever seen! This was the last stop of our tour, and it couldn’t have been a better way to end a perfect day.
Where to stay on Coron
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