Main image

Ray in Manila CC BY-SA 4.0 Wikimedia Commons

Coron Island

Island

Out of Coron town, Coron Island offers limestone karst cliffs, turquoise lagoons like Kayangan, freshwater lakes and world‑class wreck and reef diving; most visitors do island‑hopping tours and shoreline hikes.

Coron Island CoronEl NidoPuerto PrincesaUnderground RiverNarraTubbataha ReefsCuyoCoron Island
In this guide

Coron Island essentials

Address: Coron Island (off Busuanga), Palawan, Philippines
Hours: Island and most tour activities operate daily; business hours vary by operator
Admission: No general entrance fee to the island; tours and park fees for specific sites may apply.
GoogleAppleOSM

About Coron Island

Coron Island is part of the Calamian group in northern Palawan, noted for its karst limestone cliffs, clear lagoons and significant WWII shipwreck dive sites. The island and surrounding waters attract snorkelers, divers and day-trippers.

Clear inland lakes like Kayangan and Barracuda Lakes, dramatic cliff-anchored lagoons such as Twin Lagoon, and a cluster of sunken Japanese ships in Coron Bay popular with wreck divers. Boat trips from Coron town provide access to most sites within a single-day itinerary.

The island’s underwater wrecks date to World War II and now function as artificial reefs supporting abundant marine life, while the island’s karst topography forms steep cliffs and sheltered bays that are visually striking and easily photographed.

Coron Island lies off the northeastern coast of Palawan, adjacent to Busuanga Island; the nearest settlement and transport hub is Coron town (Busuanga), which serves as the usual launch point for island tours.

  • How to visit: Many key visitor sites such as Kayangan Lake and the wrecks are reached by day trip boat from Coron town on Busuanga Island.
  • Visiting Kayangan: Kayangan Lake requires a short but steep walk down limestone steps to reach the shore; water clarity is best early in the day.

What to See#

  • Kayangan Lake: A clear-water mountain lake ringed by limestone cliffs and steps used for swimming and short treks to the lakeshore viewpoint.
  • Barracuda Lake: A thermally stratified lake famous with divers and snorkellers for its dramatic rock walls, underwater visibility and warm surface waters over cooler deep layers.
  • Coron Bay wrecks: Numerous WWII-era Japanese shipwrecks in Coron Bay that are accessible to sport divers and form some of the most visited wreck dive sites in the Philippines.
Things to Do
When to Go

Best Time to Visit Coron Island

Best visited in the dry months (November-May) when seas are calm and visibility for snorkeling and diving is at its best.

Dry season
November-May · 24-32°C
Calmer seas and better underwater visibility for snorkeling and diving; ideal for island hopping and wreck/snorkel tours.
Wet season
June-October · 24-30°C
Heavier rains and rougher waters reduce visibility and can disrupt boat trips and diving; expect fewer visitors.

Weather & Climate near Coron Island

Climate

Coron Island's climate is classified as Tropical Monsoon - Tropical Monsoon climate with consistently warm temperatures year-round. Temperatures range from 22°C to 32°C. Heavy rainfall (3105 mm/year), wettest in July with a pronounced dry season.

Air Quality: AQI 46 Good
Best Time to Visit
MarchFebruaryJanuary
Temperature & Rainfall
Temperature Range
34°
Warmest Month
22°
Coldest Month
Monthly Conditions
Month Comfort Temp Feels Rain Sky Humidity Wind UV Daylight
January Ideal 22° - 30° 26° 26 mm partly cloudy 77% 3.0 m/s 2.0 extreme 11.4h
February Ideal 22° - 30° 26° 21 mm some cloud 74% 3.1 m/s 2.4 extreme 11.7h
March Ideal 23° - 31° 29° 11 mm mostly sunny 71% 2.6 m/s 2.7 extreme 12.0h
April Excellent 24° - 32° 31° 48 mm mostly sunny 68% 2.2 m/s 2.8 extreme 12.3h
May Good 24° - 31° 31° 208 mm partly cloudy 74% 1.8 m/s 2.4 extreme 12.5h
June Good 23° - 30° 27° 377 mm overcast 81% 1.8 m/s 2.1 extreme 12.7h
July Good 23° - 29° 26° 677 mm overcast 83% 2.3 m/s 2.1 extreme 12.6h
August Good 23° - 29° 26° 609 mm overcast 84% 2.5 m/s 2.2 extreme 12.4h
September Good 23° - 29° 26° 507 mm overcast 84% 2.0 m/s 2.1 extreme 12.1h
October Good 23° - 30° 26° 297 mm overcast 82% 2.1 m/s 2.1 extreme 11.8h
November Very Good 23° - 30° 26° 233 mm partly cloudy 81% 2.9 m/s 2.0 very high 11.5h
December Excellent 23° - 30° 26° 91 mm partly cloudy 81% 3.7 m/s 1.9 very high 11.3h
Getting There & Around

How to Get to Coron Island

Fly to Francisco B. Reyes (Busuanga) Airport (Busuanga Island) from Manila or Cebu; from the airport it’s a roughly 25-40 minute drive to Coron town/port by van or tricycle. Coron Island (the island and lagoon areas off Coron town) is reached by boat from Coron town’s main piers-typical day‑trip boats take about 20-60 minutes depending on the destination and sea conditions; most visitors join organized island tours that depart from Coron town.

Tips for Visiting Coron Island

  • Go to Kayangan Lake as one of your first stops of the day-arrive at opening to beat the cruise-boat and day-tour rush and to get calmer water for photos and swimming.
  • Book a private banca or a small-group boat from Coron town if you want a more flexible itinerary; private hires let you time visits (Kayangan, Twin Lagoons, Siete Pecados) to avoid crowds.
  • Be aware that many of Coron's famous WWII wrecks are deep and require certified scuba diving; if you only snorkel, target the shallow reefs and well-marked snorkeling sites instead.