PHILIPPINES
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Coron really does look like the photos: turquoise water, huge limestone cliffs, hidden lagoons, coral reefs, and incredibly clear water for swimming and snorkeling. When I visited, most of my favorite days were spent out on the water, taking boats between islands, swimming through lagoons, snorkeling, and eventually learning how to scuba dive.
Where you stay shapes the quieter part of the trip. You can base yourself in Coron Town for easy access to restaurants and everything happening around you, or stay a little farther out for more space and a resort feel.
For most travelers, I think the sweet spot is just outside town: close enough for an easy tuk-tuk ride, but far enough away to feel relaxing.
Where to Stay in Coron at a Glance
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Hotel |
Best for… |
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Best overall balance of quiet + convenient |
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Best for walking to restaurants and town |
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Best for a more relaxing resort stay |
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Best for a quiet escape farther from town |
Coron Hotels to Consider
The Funny Lion
Best overall balance of quiet + convenient
This is probably where I’d start. The Funny Lion feels more like a small boutique resort than a town hotel, with a pool, spa, rooftop terrace, and restaurant. It looks like somewhere I’d actually want to hang out after an island tour.
What I like most is the balance. It feels tucked away, but Coron Town is still close enough for an easy tuk-tuk ride when you want dinner or a change of scenery.
Corto del Mar
Best for walkability + still having a relaxing hotel
If being able to walk out to dinner or into town matters most, I’d look at Corto del Mar. It’s right in Coron Town Proper, with restaurants, the bay, and the center of town all close by.
The part I like is the courtyard. The arched buildings wrap around a large pool and garden, so it still feels like somewhere you can unwind even though you’re staying in town. You lose some of the secluded resort feeling, but gain walkability.
Bacau Bay Resort
Best for a true resort stay
I’d choose Bacau Bay if I wanted the hotel itself to feel like part of the vacation. It has a large pool, spa, restaurants and bars, gardens, kayaking, and its own wharf for island departures.
It’s still a short tuk-tuk ride from town, but the appeal here is having more space and more to do without leaving the property. This would be my pick for a slower trip with pool afternoons between tour days.
Coron Westown Resort
Where I stayed | Best for quiet + space
I stayed at Coron Westown Resort on my first trip to Coron and really liked it. What I remember most is the space and resort atmosphere: multiple pools, a large property, and a quieter setting that felt good to come back to after a day on the islands.
The downside is location. It’s farther from Coron Town and there isn’t much within walking distance, so you’ll rely more on tuk tuks or hotel transportation. I’d still stay here again if I wanted a quiet resort escape.
Hopefully this gives you a good starting point for where to look for hotels in Coron. The town itself is only okay, in my opinion, and most people aren’t coming here for the hotel anyway.
The real highlight is getting out on the water and around the islands.
Do You Need to Stay Near the Boat Tours?
Not really. Many organized island tours include hotel pickup around the Coron Town area, and airport transfers from Busuanga Airport are easy to arrange.
I’d choose your hotel based on where you want to spend your downtime, not where the boat leaves from.
Which Coron Island Tour Should You Take?
If it’s your first trip to Coron, I’d probably start with an island hopping tour like this one: Coron Ultimate Tour: 7 Destinations with Lunch and Transfer. It’s a full-day shared tour that covers some of Coron’s best-known spots, including Kayangan Lake, Barracuda Lake, Twin Lagoon, Coral Garden, Skeleton Reef, and Banul Beach, with lunch and hotel pickup in Coron Town included.
I loved this kind of island-hopping day when I went. For me, getting on a boat and spending the day swimming, snorkeling, and moving between those giant limestone cliffs was one of the highlights of Coron.
The one thing to know is that some stops aren’t especially accessibility-friendly. Kayangan Lake involves a fairly steep climb, Twin Lagoon can involve swimming or using a ladder depending on conditions, and you’ll be getting in and out of boats throughout the day.
None of this felt particularly difficult for me, but my older father had a much harder time with some of the stairs and exertion.
Want More Flexibility? Book a Private Boat.
If someone in your group would rather slow the pace down, I really like this private Coron boat tour.
The whole appeal is that you can choose your own level of adventure or relaxation. You can select from Coron highlights such as Kayangan Lake, Twin Lagoon, and Barracuda Lake, decide how long you want to spend at each stop, and skip anything that doesn’t sound appealing that day.
Check Out Coron: Private Guided Tours Here→
Final Thoughts
Wherever you stay, I’d make sure you leave plenty of room in the trip for the islands. The lagoons, limestone cliffs, snorkeling, and boat days are what I remember most about Coron.
For a first trip, the Ultimate Tour is an easy way to see a lot in one day. If you’d rather move at your own pace, a private boat gives you more flexibility to linger, skip stops, or make the day as relaxed as you want.
I’m Marie, a slowmad and adventurer who left settled life in the U.S. to live abroad and explore the world.
I live in countries for months at a time to understand new cultures and explore deeply, sharing my insights on what it’s like to live abroad and the travel adventures along the way.