Coron

Coron perches on the southeastern coast of Busuanga Island in northern Palawan, where jagged limestone cliffs rise directly from the Sulu Sea. Walking through town means navigating narrow, sloping lanes filled with the hum of motorized tricycles, passing wooden stilt houses over the harbor, dive outfitters, and small bakeries selling warm pandesal, all framed by the cross-topped ridge of Mount Tapyas looming above. The area’s underwater legacy began on September 24, 1944, when American air raids sank a fleet of Japanese supply vessels in the bay, creating reef-encrusted wreck sites like the Irako and Akitsushima. Across the water on Coron Island, the indigenous Tagbanwa people manage their ancestral domain, granting access to spots like Kayangan Lake, where sheer cliffs drop into crystal-clear brackish water. On the main island, travelers climb the 721 concrete steps of Mount Tapyas for panoramic bay views or soak in the therapeutic saltwater pools of Maquinit Hot Springs, tucked beside a mangrove forest. Daily life centers on the waterfront market by the pier, where vendors display morning catches of yellowfin tuna and danggit alongside heaps of locally roasted cashews. Each August, the Kasadyaan Festival fills the streets with parades celebrating Calamian culture. Tricycles are the standard way to cover short distances around town, while dry-season months from November through May deliver the calmest seas and best underwater visibility.