In this article, we’ll discuss how to get to Coron, Palawan, an area which offers beautiful beaches and picturesque landscapes. If you are looking for a snorkelling and wreck diving experience, this is one of the best places. There are many other tourist activities in Coron, in spite of being smaller than El Nido. As soon as you arrive in Coron, you will be fascinated by the magical attraction of the island and would like to come back.

The best time to go for a vacation at Coron is from November to May. During this period, the season is dry. It is important to avoid the wet season, but in high season the island is overcrowded. If you are questioning how to get to Coron, you have three excellent options. They include travelling by plane, ferry, or through 3D2N to 5D4N expeditions.

1. Getting to Coron by Plane

The most convenient and fastest way to travel to Coron is by aeroplane. This form of transport is comfortable but expensive. There exist several daily flights from Cebu, El Nido, Manila, Clark, and Puerto Princesa to Coron.

Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Manila

How to fly to Coron

Busuanga Airport, which is also referred to as Francisco B. Reyes Airport, is the one that serves Coron. To my knowledge, direct flights are possible from Manila, Angeles City, El Nido and Cebu. There are many daily direct flights from Manila, and they depart from 6:00AM to 2:00PM. There are only two daily flights from Cebu to Coron. From El Nido, there are four flights in a week, that is, on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday from 8:40 to 9:20.

Once you are at Busuanga Airport, take the Jeepney or a tricycle (a typical and popular three-wheeled taxi) to get to the Coron. It is important to know that Coron is an hour’s drive from the airport. Buses do not drive there so often.

Flight Prices

Prices vary according to the place you are booking the flight. For instance:

  • If you are travelling from Manilla, the cost from P3,000 to P5,000 for one way, and it’s direct.
  • From Cebu, the charges are P2,500 for each way, and the flight is direct.
  • Departing from Puerto Princesa, the charges is around P4,000, and you have to connect.
  • From Boracay, you will pay P4,500 to P5,000 for one way, and you have to connect.
  • From El Nido, the charges are from P3,400 to P4,500 for each way, and the flight is direct.

Flight Duration

The time you will take to get to Coron will also vary depending on the distance and if the flight is direct or not. In this case, from Manilla, you will spend 40 minutes. From Cebu, you will spend around 1.5 hour since the flight is direct. From Puerto Princesa, you will spend a minimum of 3 hours since the plane is connecting. For the flight from El Nido, you will spend 40 minutes in the plane. Another connecting flight is from Boracay, and it will last at least 4.5 hours.

Local full service and low-cost airlines operate these flights. These airlines include: Skyjet, Philippines Airlines, Cebgo (a low cost subsidiary of Cebu Pacific). The only company that operates flights from El Nido to Coron is Air Swift.

Where to Book

It’s best to book with a tariff aggregator like Skyscanner to ensure you acquire the best deal on all airlines. Based on the analysis, Skyscanner seems to be the most comprehensive. Many other aggregators, such as Kayak, do not show tariffs for local airlines like Cebgo.

2. Getting to Coron by Ferry

Another conventional means to get to Coron is the ferry. Look for fast boats from El Nido to Coron and find all kinds of ferry trips with prices and timetables on the reliable booking page for transportation. Several companies offer ferry services on different days in the week and offer different schedules depending on the season. It is important to find out more information on the ferry companies, conditions, prices, and the reliability and comfort of their services.

It is recommended to book in advance on the main routes, as travellers are always in high numbers. Since the route from El Nido to Coron is very popular, there is a constant demand for ferry crossings. Some ferry options can be quick and spend about four hours. There are also slow boats that take around 6-7 hours. Faster ferries depart at 6 am for El Nido and arrive Coron at about 10 am.

12Go is among the few reservation platforms used and occupied by tourists looking to book faster ferry facilities on the El Nido to Coron route. The company offers comprehensive data on all services and routes of the ferries with detailed ratings and descriptions. All you have to do is check-in time then book a boat that suits your needs, budget, and comfort.

How to Take a Ferry to Coron

If you have a limited budget and have plenty of time, a ferry is the best way to travel to Coron. Or, if you’re in El Nido, a boat is a great way to go to Coron. The only places that you can access a ferry to Coron include Manila, El Nido, and Puerto Princesa.

How to Get to Coron - The View from the Ferry

2Go operates all long-distance ships that are travelling to Coron (i.e., Puerto Princesa and Manila). 2Go is a relatively large ferry operator located in the Philippines. They have a website here, where you can book tickets and check their existing schedule.

Montenegro and Phimal operate fast ferries from El Nido. They have Facebook pages that you can access via these links : Montenegro Facebook Page and Phimal Fast Ferry Facebook Page. Note that both these companies have been known in the past to operate last minute cancellations, which makes them a less secure way to organise your travel. Cancellations can also happen because of weather conditions.

Trip Duration and Departure Times

The departure time, time spent, and the days when ferries travel to Coron are different. Check the summary below:

  • From Manilla, you can capture an overnight ferry every Friday at 7:00 PM. This ferry travels for 11 hours hence it will arrive the following day at 6:00 AM.
  • From Puerto Princesa, you can capture an 11 hours ferry every Sunday at 7:00 AM. The arrival time for this ferry is 6:00PM on the same day.
  • From El Nido, you can catch a 4 hours ferry every day at 6:00 AM for Montenegro, and at 8:00 AM and 1:00 PM at Phimal.

Ferry Prices

From Manila: The cheapest tariff for a pier on deck is 1,900 pesos (37 USD). For a bed in a quadruple room, count around 2,400 pesos (47 USD). There also exists a very small number of hotel rooms in the style of a room (the so-called State Room), which for 2 to 3 times the price offer a room for four people,  but they sell out very quickly.

From Puerto Princesa: Each ticket costs P1,100 pesos (22 US dollars) at the lowest price, up to P2,000 pesos (40 US dollars) for a quadruple room, and P4,200 pesos (82 US dollars) for a State Room.

From El Nido: The cost for each way is around P1,800 to P2,000 pesos (33-35 US dollars).

How to Book Ferry Tickets

Are you wondering how you will book the ferry tickets? From Manila and Puerto Princesa, you can book directly on the 2Go website.

Neither Phimal nor Montenegro have their websites, so from El Nido, you can book through 12Goa large booking portal for travel in Southeast Asia. Or you can directly go to the ferry terminal and buy your ticket in person. On the other hand, you can send a message to Phimal and Montenegro on their Facebook page and see if you have a different booking option. They will require a passport to book.

Ferry Ports Location

The Manila’s ferry port location at Manila North Harbor Pier 4. That of Puerto Princesa is at Puerto Princesa Port. In El Nido, the ferry port is located at El Nido Ferry Terminal, while that of Coron is at Coron Port.

Ways of Getting to the Ferry Ports

In Manila, taking a taxi is the most convenient way of getting to the ferry port. In Puerto Princesa, El Nido and Coron, the port are best reached by tricycle. These are very cheap means of transport and rest assured that you will consume only a few pesos to get from and to the ports.

3. Getting to Coron Through 3D2N to 5D4N Expeditions

If you are yearning for a wonderful experience that you will remember for the rest of your life, the Ultimate Adventure Tour is here for you. We offer you an opportunity to travel to Coron at affordable prices. There are three packages for this expedition, which include: 3 days and 2 nights, 4 days and 3 nights, and 5 days and 4 nights. You can also make it a private expedition (simply contact us to inquire more information).

Getting to Coron with an Expedition from El Nido

Below is a breakdown of the cost of the expeditions from El Nido to Coron per participant:

  • 3D2N starts at P16,900
  • 4D3N starts at P20,500
  • 5D4N starts at P24,000

The only thing you are supposed to do to secure your seat on this tour is to book it early. You can pay a deposit of 30% of the total amount of the package you have chosen and pay the rest of the amount at El Nido before departure.

This caters for the journey from El Nido to Coron. The amount is also inclusive of every meals you will take, unlimited cocktail drinks, entrance fees, tents, beddings and more. You can find out much more details about this tour on this page, including all the scheduled trips.

Once You’ll Get To Coron…

Once you get to Coron, enjoy the destination as you are in a paradise. Surrounded by lakes and picturesque lagoons, and impressive cliffs made of limestone. The natural landscape, with its huge flora and fauna, and splendid landscapes, will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression of the beauty of nature. Discover the abundant seawater and the fantastic subaquatic shipwrecks that can only be found here in Coron.

To sum it up, the question of how to get to Coron should not disturb you anymore. The reason being we have the most fantastic and convenient ways discussed above. From the fast, the cheap and the awesome way, choice is yours!