Tourists visit Coron for its marine biodiversity and a number of ship wrecks good for diving. But another thing you should also try when in the island is to explore and discover its own story. I was fetched by the shuttle service of Calamianes Expedition in Coron Backpacker Guesthouse for my Coron town tour.
Our first destination was the Coron Coliseum and Recreation Center and the Coron Municipal Hall. The guide shared to us that total population of Coron is around 42,000 as per the 2010 census. Next stop was Lualhati Park, the reclamation area, which was built in memory of the loving mother of the Reyeses (political clan in Palawan). There is also a zipline adventure near the park and a floating restaurant. You can see the metal cross on top of Mount Tapyas as well as the town’s name on the side of another mountain from the park.
We also dropped by Coron Souvenir and Gift Shop for pasalubong shopping. Different decorations are available such as chandeliers and chimes among others which are made of native materials like Capiz shells, coconut shells, and woods. Cashew is also abundant in Coron as per Kuya Arnel, so we didn’t let the opportunity to buy cashew nuts. I got a cashew brittle for Php 100.
Last two activities of the Coron Town tour were the hike to Mount Tapyas and dipping at the Maquinit Hot Spring. The stair to the viewing deck has around 720 steps. We started the hike taking one step at a time while enjoying the aerial view of the town that goes more panoramic as we go up.
Since hiking is not my thing, I again asked the guide if we’re already halfway. He just pointed at a number painted on the stairs and we’re only about to have the 200th step. My breathing was already going deeper that time. My companions on the tour were busy taking pictures on one of the trees when I decided to leave them and continue climbing.
There are also sheds available on some parts of the stairs for you to take a break. I stopped on one and tried to wait for the other guys. The guide then said that they won’t continue the hike anymore. Since I wanted to check the summit, I continued and went fast to the viewing deck.
I was so exhausted and drenched in sweat as I approached the summit. A relief was felt when I saw the breathtaking view of Coron Island and other islets nearby. After a couple of minutes, I decided to go down since I will not be able to capture the sunset because it was cloudy that time.
The side of the mountain with grasses is a great addition to the picturesque view as I went down the stairs. The activity was really exhausting but a soothing experience also awaits us. Our last destination was the Maquinit Hotspring located at Sitio Maquinit, Barangay Tagumpay, Coron. The temperature of the water ranges from 38 to 41 degrees Celsius. We’re already satisfied and soothed by plunging on the 38-degree area and didn’t bother trying out the 40 and 41. It was really relaxing that you will feel tension and stress leaving your body.
Kuya Arnel reminded us to get out of the water every 15-20 minutes and drink water for us not to be dehydrated. He also brought snacks for us (included in the package tour): pancit, bread, and drinks.
Having the Coron Town tour with Calamianes Expeditions and Ecotours was really a great idea, an affordable and worry-free package tour to discover the inland attractions of Coron, Palawan. Calamianes Expedition’s Coron Town Tour is worth Php 550 per person which includes an A/C Van Transfers, snacks, entrance fees and tour assistant.
