TRANSPORT IN CORON: GETTING AROUND AND HOW TO GET TO AND FROM MANILA, EL NIDO AND SAN JOSE

FRANCISCO B. REYES AIRPORT

The cheapest company is Cebu Pacific with its low-cost subsidiary Cebgo, the worst I have ever used; their flights are canceled and changed frequently and with little notice, due to weather conditions and to place together passengers from two flights into one. At least, whenever they canceled or changed a flight, which was frequent, they offered us a full refund. Philippines Airlines is a much more reliable option. A third company that I did not use is Skyjet.

There are direct flights from:

Manila: 7 per day, from PHP 4,000 one way.
Cebu: 2 or 3 a day, from 5,000 PHP.
El Nido: there are infrequent and very expensive flights, starting from PHP 15,000, to El Nido Airport, so much that practically nobody uses them.
Clark airport (100 km north of Manila): 4 or 5 a day, from PHP 3,500.

Coron 1. Aeropuerto, Palawan, Filipinas — This is the luggage belt for our flight from Manila. The whole airoport seems like a doll’s house

To get from the airport to Coron Town there are minivans for PHP 150 per person, 30 minutes. There are no taxis on the island.

FERRY

All boats depart from the port of Corón, 1.5 km east of the center.

Manila:
- 2GO: Thursday and Saturday at 4.30pm; from PHP 1,900 (includes meals), 14 hours. From Manila they leave Tuesdays and Fridays at 1.30pm. Continues to Puerto Princesa.
- Atienza Shipping Lines: slower and cheaper, with common rooms. Normal passage 1,000 PHP, with air conditioning 1,500 PHP, 18 hours. More than a ferry, it looks like a freight ship. Monday, Thursday and Saturday at 2.30pm from Coron; Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday afternoon from Manila.
El Nido:
- Montenegro Lines. One a day at 12 pm. Adults/students 1,760/1,500 PHP; between 4 and 5 hours. There are two boats, one smaller closed and the other larger with an open air deck. In high season it may be full; you can book in advance on this website.
- M/Bca Bunso. Although it feels a bit unsafe when you read how many times it has been damaged or even sunk, this is the one company that provides the authentic backpacking experience. It is not a ferry, but a large bangka. There are several, one of them leaving daily at 8 am; we took the Jessabel, precisely one of those that has sunk, specifically in 2011. PHP 1,200 including water and lunch, it is supposed to take 8 hours but ours took a little more than 6. I would use it again, it is a very Filipino experience, quiet and peaceful, and although uncomfortable and sometimes you’ll get wet, I consider it ideal to enjoy the landscape. Keep in mind that if the sea is rough, the bangkas will not leave, so you’ll must fly or use the fast, expensive, and not typical at all ferry.

Coron 2. Ferry Bunso Jessabel a El Nido, Palawan, Filipinas — Interior of Jessabel, where we were just backpackers

Coron 3. Ferry Bunso Jessabel a El Nido, Palawan, Filipinas — Two sailors on the prow, almost arriving in El Nido

San José (Mindoro). There is a bangka from the same company (Bunso) at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 800 PHP, 6 hours. Being infrequent plus there is no connection by plane, it is usually very crowded, so it is advisable to book in advance.
Culion It is the largest island in front of Busuanga, there are two ferries a day, at 7:30 and 1 pm; 200 PHP, 2 hours.

GETTING AROUND

Coron Town can be entirely covered on foot, but tricycle trips within the town cost only PHP 10. You can also rent scooters for PHP 500 a day, but given the large size of Busuanga, they are not very useful to go beyond Maquinit hot springs.

Coron 4. Triciclos Trycicles, Palawan, Filipinas — Tricycles in Coron

There are buses and jeepneys that go to other municipalities on the island. They leave from the Tourist Information Center, next to where the small bangkas leave for excursions.