Steps, Springs & the Town Below
The Cebu Pacific flight from Manila to Busuanga takes just over an hour and deposits you at one of the smallest commercial airports in the Philippines — a single terminal building, a row of plastic seats, and the mountains of northern Palawan visible from every window. The van from JY Travels was already outside. We loaded in — five of us, two adults, two school-age kids, one younger child — and drove south on the road toward Coron town, the Calamian landscape unrolling on both sides: limestone karst, palm forest, the occasional carabao standing in a flooded rice paddy as if posing for a photograph.
Check-in at Mountain View Garden Inn was quick and the rooms were clean and cool and sufficient. We dropped the bags and walked into town. The first thing Coron asks of every visitor is the same: the 700 steps of Mt. Tapyas. The concrete staircase ascends from the base of the hill in a long, huffing climb — past a giant cross near the summit, past a flag flapping in the upland wind — to a viewing deck that looks out over the entire town and the islands beyond it. The water from up here is an impossible combination of colours: jade close to shore, deep blue further out, and the individual islands scattered across the distance like a map of themselves. We sat at the top for a long time. The two older kids had reached the summit ahead of everyone else and were already eating snacks with the composure of people who have never been winded.
Maquinit Hot Springs in the late afternoon: a series of pools along the mangrove coast, fed by geothermal springs, the water sitting at around 39°C and properly saline — saltwater hot springs, rare enough to be remarkable. After the climb up Tapyas and the town walking, the heat of the water worked on the muscles the way heat is supposed to. The mangrove canopy filtered the light. The younger child floated on his back in the shallower wading section and expressed no desire to leave. We stayed until the sun began to fall behind the ridge.
The evening was the town itself: Town Plaza with its ring of food stalls and locals gathered in the cooler air, Lualhati Park along the waterfront where the barangay basketball court runs alongside the sea, the smell of pork skewers from the nearby stalls. We stopped at St. Augustine Parish Church — the old stone church on the hill above the town, quiet and candlelit at dusk — and then made a detour to the Coron Cashew Factory, where freshly roasted nuts were sold in open trays and the smell alone was worth the walk. The evening settled into dinner, a long table, satisfied tiredness, and the best possible feeling for the beginning of a trip: the sense that you are somewhere worth being.
Mt. Tapyas View Deck
The 700-step concrete staircase leading to the summit of Mt. Tapyas is Coron’s most-climbed landmark — steep, relentless, and completely worth it. At the top, a large lit cross stands against the sky and a viewing platform overlooks the entirety of Coron town, its bay, and the surrounding Calamian archipelago. The colours of the water from this elevation are extraordinary: jade, turquoise, and deep blue in shifting bands. Best climbed in early morning or late afternoon to avoid midday heat. The ascent takes 15–25 minutes depending on pace; the descent is faster. No entrance fee.
Maquinit Hot Springs
Located along the mangrove coast south of Coron town, Maquinit is one of only a handful of saltwater hot springs in the world — geothermally heated seawater pooling at approximately 39–40°C in a series of terraced pools fringed by mangrove. The combination of heat, salt, and the natural setting makes it deeply restorative. Entrance fee ₱200/pax. Open until around 6 PM; go in the late afternoon when the air has cooled and the light falls across the water at a long angle. Bring a towel and a change of clothes.
Town Plaza & Lualhati Park
The heart of Coron town social life: a small plaza ringed with benches and food stalls, most active in the evenings when families gather in the cooler air. Lualhati Park runs along the waterfront and offers views across the bay toward the surrounding limestone karst mountains. The barangay basketball court adjacent to the park is usually occupied in the evenings. Good street food nearby — fish skewers, BBQ pork, isaw, all ₱10–20 per stick. The plaza is a 5-minute walk from the main pier.
St. Augustine Parish Church
The Roman Catholic church of Coron town, dedicated to St. Augustine of Hippo, sits on elevated ground above the main street with views over the bay. The current structure dates to the post-war period though the parish has much older roots in the Augustinian missionary presence in Palawan. The interior is simply furnished and cool; local devotional art lines the side walls. Worth a quiet visit in the late afternoon when the light comes in at an angle through the windows. Mass schedules are posted at the entrance.
Coron Cashew Factory
Palawan produces some of the Philippines’ finest cashews, and Coron has several small roasting operations that sell direct to visitors. The factory near the town centre offers freshly roasted cashews in various styles — plain salted, garlic, honey-glazed — sold by weight at prices significantly below what you’ll find in Manila. The roasting is done in open drums over wood fire and the smell is extraordinary. Buy vacuum-sealed packs for travel; loose roasted nuts are best eaten on the day. This is also a good scouting stop before your final-day bulk purchase.
💡 Day 1 Tips
- Climb Mt. Tapyas before the hot springs, not after. The uphill is manageable when your legs are fresh; after an hour in 40°C water your muscles are considerably more relaxed than you want them for 700 steps.
- Cebu Pacific flies MNL–USU (Busuanga) directly. Book early — seats on this small-capacity route sell out quickly, especially over long weekends and school holidays in February.
- Mountain View Garden Inn is centrally located in Coron town — most of the Day 1 stops are within walking distance. You won’t need the JY van for the evening town circuit.
- The Coron Cashew Factory is best used as a scouting visit on Day 1 — try the varieties, note the prices, and return on Day 5 for your bulk buy when you know your bag space situation.
- Town Plaza food stalls are cheapest at dinner time (6–8 PM). A full meal of skewers and rice costs ₱80–150/pax and is genuinely good.