Coron Island
33821coron-islandCoron Island is a wedge-shaped limestone island in the province of Palawan. It has seven lakes, famous of which is the nationally-acclaimed cleanest lake in the Philippines, the Kayangan Lake. It also has a number of islands with white beaches and clear blue waters perfect for snorkeling, deepsea fishing and shipwreck diving. Some coastal areas are covered with mangrove forests.
Coron is the largest town on the island. The municipality covers part of Busuanga Island and all of the nearby Coron Island. Both islands are part of the Calamian Group of Islands in northern Palawan.
The area is famous for its World War II wreck diving, and the site has been named in many lists of top dive spots in the world. In September 1944, a fleet of Japanese ships hiding in the harbor were sunk in a daring raid by the US navy. The result is around ten well preserved underwater shipwrecks surrounded with coral reef.
There are also attractions on Coron Island itself. There are many beautiful bleach white sand beaches, mostly tiny and surrounded by large limestone cliffs and wildlife. Barracuda and Kayangan lakes are both stunning locations, and good for snorkeling, and the island is the ancestral domain of an indigenous tribe who are managing the island in a sustainable way and keeping outsiders at a distance and offshore at night.
Island hopping, Diving, Horseback riding, Mountain treks, Bikes and hikes, shopping, dining.
The area around the wrecks has rock formations which provide for snorkeling opportunities, with underwater visibility extending up to 80 feet (24 m). The water is often calm. Coron is one of the most visited destinations for wreck diving in the Philippines. Wreck dive sites are found in depths as shallow as 10–30 feet and as deep as 120–140 feet (37–43 m). Most are in the range of about 60–80 feet.
Dive sites around Coron include many different reef dive sites and "Günter´s Cave", also known as Cathedral Cave because during a certain time of the day, the sun throws a beam of light through a hole in the cave ceiling, illuminating the inside. It is possible to surface in the cave, as the hole in the cave-ceiling allows fresh air to enter. The cave is named after Günther Bernert, who was part of the first dive group to explore the cave, after hearing from local fishermen about its existence.
Wreck diving sites in Coron Bay include the Irako wreck, Okikawa Maru wreck, Akitsushima wreck, Kogyo Maru wreck, Olympia Maru wreck, Kyokuzan Maru wreck, East Tangat gunboat wreck (the real name of the ship, Terukaze Maru, was recently discovered by a group of Dutch divers, who spent a couple of days digging into bottom sand around the stern), Nanshin Maru wreck, Lusong Gunboat Wreck, and Skeleton Wreck.
By Plane
Fly into Busuanga from Manila with Airphil Express, Cebu Pacific or Zest Air.
Airport to town: Van transfers P150/person, P1500 for the whole van
By Boat
SuperFerry stops in Coron on their way to Puerto Princesa. Leave Manila on Friday afternoon (16:15)and arrives in Coron early Saturday morning (05:30). Heads back to Manila on Sunday night (22:45). Wait until a couple of days before it departs to get cheaper tickets. Don't wait too long, though.
Boats run from Coron to El Nido. As of Feb 2013, there were 2 different boats leaving thrice a week for El Nido. The trip takes almost 8 hours (depends on the weather) and bookings can be made at various tourist offices near the public market
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