A Day in the Town of Coron

I’ve always wanted to come back to Palawan ever since the first time I set foot on that beautiful island years back. I mean who doesn’t want to spend their whole day snorkelling in crystal clear waters, sunbathing in powder-like sandbars, or even getting that quick tan while island hopping? Definitely sounds like an island girl’s dream so could you imagine my thrill when we pinned down the place for a trip!

Coron is a small town at the tip of Palawan. The best way to get there is to take a 70-minute plane ride from Manila then a 30-minute shuttle ride from Busuanga Domestic Airport. On the way going to the town, you'll be passing by small mountain ranges and farms.

So, I'd like to think of myself as an in-denial tourist. I try to travel like a local but clearly that doesn't end up well 'coz I would always still end up taking the "touristy" route. And the trip to Coron was no exception! Yup, you guess it right, after we check-in at our hotel and grabbed lunch, we started walking up to Mt. Tapyas.

Mt. Tapyas is Coron's highest peak. I wouldn't really say that we hiked going up 'coz there's a staircase leading you to the top of the mountain. If you decide to go here, make sure you bring lots water and will to climb 'coz you'll be dying taking its 400+ steps! If you conquer it's steps, you'll find at the top an enormous cross and huge sign that says CORON.

 They say that you could see a 360-view of Coron from the peak, but that is not true for me since there's a gigantic cross blocking the other 90 degrees of my view. The other 270-degree view and the fresh air though makes up for the lacking 90. Hehe! It was just so pretty and scenic! And the wind, I could fall asleep in there any time!

So time to tell you the ugly truth about the climb. You'll sweat a lot. Yes, say goodbye to your perfect kilay kasi kawalang ganda talaga! (Mag-retouch ka na lang sa taas if you feel like going for a photoshoot! haha) So what people usually do is they go to Maquinit Hot Spring afterwards. And of course, that's what we did! There are tricycles at the foot of Mt. Tapyas that you can rent out if you want to go to Maquinit. The ride costs about P150/person. Travel time is around 30 minutes, and the ride could get bumpy and dusty.

Entrance fee at Maquinit Hot Spring is P150/head. If you're imaging it to be like a Los Banos hot spring, well, it's definitely not like that. There are 3 pools in the area: 2 for adults and 1 for kids. The water is really hot but is definitely perfect for your aching limbs and hamstrings from the climb to Mt. Tapyas! The water is surprisingly salty! Well, that figures since it's an extension of the sea but I really find it surprising and weird. 

PS. The trike you hired from Mt. Tapyas to Maquinit Hot Spring can wait for you until you're done, and bring you back to the town afterwards!

If you wanna read about my Coron itinerary, let me know in the comments section! I'm a sucker for itineraries and organizing trips so it could get really detailed!