It was my third day, I signed up for Tour B1 and I was thrilled to go island hopping and see more of Coron’s prized wonders. We were to stop at CYC Beach, Siete Pecados Marine Park, Hidden Lagoon, Calachuchi Beach, Calachuchi Coral Eden, and Kayangan Lake. More sites tantamount to less time spent in each location but that was a not a problem, the more the merrier! The tour fee was Php 650 for the first 5 sites, plus an additional Php 300 for Kayangan Lake to be paid to the boatman. I was with a different group for the tour. We were 13 in total; there were a newly-wed couple and two families of four (all local tourists), two foreign solo travelers and me. By 08:30H, we went on foot to the boat port and around 09:30H, after clearing with local authorities and loading of provisions we set sail on our adventure.
CYC BEACH
We kicked off the tour at CYC Beach, a small island and the only free beach that was fifteen minutes away from Coron Town. Fine white sand and mangroves surround its coasts. Its clear turquoise waters were glistening under the sun making it hard to resist taking a plunge. Not too far from where we anchored our boat was a snorkeling site. It would have been nice it we could have stayed much longer but according to our boatmen our next stop was even better as far as snorkeling is concerned.
SIETE PECADOS MARINE PARK
We moved along to Siete Pecados Marine Park (Seven Sins). It was declared as a protected area in 2005, and strict rules are enforced to preserve all of the marine life encompassing seven islets and 52 hectares of waters. Our boat didn’t dock on shore; we parked on the open waters getting a glimpse of the world of corals beneath us. Snorkeling is the best activity for this tour, sorry to say for me, I already returned the snorkel that I rented and I didn’t have a waterproof camera either which was a total bummer. I just made the most of our stay swimming around the area.
HIDDEN LAGOON
We headed next to the Hidden Lagoon thirty minutes before 12:00H. It was called as such because it was literally hidden between massive walls of limestone rocks. The waters here were clear and calm but one should take heed of jellyfish.
CALACHUCHI BEACH
It was time for lunch and we sailed on to our next destination, Calachuchi Beach. We dined in a bamboo hut built at the edge of limestone rocks on a short stretch of white sand beach. It was like dining on a floating cottage.
CALACHUCHI CORAL EDEN
After a hefty lunch, we went next to Calachuchi Coral Eden a few meters away just right in front of us. It was an amusing site for snorkeling and fish feeding, but I think that feeding the marine wildlife should not be practiced or continued because it will be dependent to humans and may become aggressive.
KAYANGAN LAKE
Our last stop was at the renowned Kayangan Lake for an additional PHP 300. Before getting to the lake we need to climb a trail of 300 plus steps. The path was not paved unlike in Mt. Tapyas. Kayangan’s track was slippery, and the steps were narrow with an uneven height. Halfway to the lake was the view deck, where you can see picture-perfect scenery of the port below and its calm blue green waters surrounded by huge limestone rocks. It was like seeing a post card that came to life. It is probably the most photographed view of Coron. We carried on and went down the route to the lake and at around 14:40H, we have reached our journey’s end. The lake was enclosed in massive walls of limestone rocks; the shallowest depth was at around 8 feet. Its waters were tranquil and mostly made up of fresh water. Our guide advised us to use the life vest at all times even those who can swim because it would be harder to float in fresh water than in salt water. Some of the tourist went on cliff diving and caving. At around 16:00H, we marched on our way back to our boat and headed back to town.
Tips:
- When hiking towards Kayangan Lake, especially in the afternoon, apply some mosquito repellant.
- Don’t forget your snorkeling gear
Day 3 – Coron Island Hopping Tour
06:00H | Wake up |
07:00H-07:30H | Breakfast |
08:00H | Meet up at Corong Galeri office for the Tour |
08:30H | Off to the Island Hopping Boat Port |
09:45H-10:30H | Stay at CYC Beach |
10:30H-11:30H | Siete Pecados Marine Park |
11:30H-12:00H | Dip at the Hidden Lagoon |
12:00H-13:00H | Lunch at Calachuchi Beach |
13:00H-13:45H | Calachuchi Coral Garden |
14:10H-14:40H | More than 300 steps trail to the lake |
16:00H-16:30H | Back to Coron Town |
Breakdown of Expenses
PHP 650 | Tour-B1 – CYC Beach, Siete Pecados, Calachuchi Beach, Calachuchi Coral Eden, Hidden Lagoon with buffet lunch |
PHP 300 | Additional for Kayangan Lake Tour |
PHP 950 | Total |
Tour Inclusions:
*Info from Corong Galeri flyer
- Licensed tour boat
- Life vest and first aid kit
- Picnic Lunch
- Fruits & drinks
- Entrance Fees
- Tour Assistant
Have you been to Coron lately?
Ah, beautiful Coron! The limestone cliffs look spectacular. We are planning to go there to dive; we heard they have spectacular dive sites.
There are a lot of dive sites & sunken ships there that both of you will enjoy, for sure. That’s why I want to learn how to dive too to check out those underwater wonders.
Stunning photos Ric. I am a fan.
http://www.enroutenegros.wordpress.com
Thank you very much for appreciating my work. 🙂
Cheers mate!
Am visiting Coron and PP in a months time. Great to read n see pics in your blog looks enchanting. You didn’t go PP? Also at coron these is some safari park I have booked too.
WOW! Good for you. I haven’t been to Puerto Princesa but will plan it next time. Yes, there is also a Safari in Coron – it is actually where I wanted to go to but since I was traveling alone there was no other group for me to join in during that time. Thank you for checking my blog out and I’m glad that you find it useful. Enjoy your trip to the Philippines and I look forward to reading your posts about it. 🙂
Awwee this is indeed a majestic place. I hope one day I can come and see nature’s beauty up close. 😊
I’m sure you will…Coron is absolutely stunning and never fails to impress. 🙂
Thanks for this blog. Coron is one of my bucket list next year. 🙂
You’re welcome, I’m glad that you find it useful. I’ll be happy to read your post about it. Coron is one of those places that I would like to go back to. There are a lot more to see and do.
Wow, you have an amazing blog, from how you write to your pictures, you gave me excitement to visit Coron. Thank you for sharing your itinerary and Tips as well.
No worries! Thank you for appreciating my work. It really meant a lot to keep me motivated to take on another adventure and share it to others. You are doing quite a good job yourself. 🙂