DESCRIPTION

Coron is a first class municipality in the province of Palawan, Philippines, comprising the eastern half of Busuanga Island, all of Coron Island and about 50 other minor islets stretching as far as Tara Island in the northeast and Canipo Island in the south.[3] All these islands are part of the Calamian Archipelago in Northern Palawan that separates the South China Sea from the Sulu Sea. According to the 2010 census, it had a population of 42,941 people.[2]

The main population center of the municipality is composed of Poblacion Barangays 1 to 6, where the Municipal Building, the Municipal Legislative Building, and Judicial Hall of the Municipal Circuit Trial Court are located. Its fiesta is held annually on August 28 in honor of Saint Augustine. It is the commercial capital of the Calamian Islands.The Calamianes Islands were originally inhabited by the Tagbanuas and the Calmiananen. A fort and church was built around 1670 by the Spaniards as part of the defenses along with Cuyo and Taytay against the Muslim slave raids in Libis, Culion . This became a settlement for two migrants to the Calamianes foremost among them were the families of a Cuyonon, Nicolas Manlavi, who served several years in Spanish Galleons and an Ilonggo from Jaro,Ilo-ilo Claudio Sandoval who later wed Nicolas' only daughter Evarista. The Sandoval clan of the Calamianes came from this union.

While their domiciles were in Culion, Nicolas Manlavi and the Sandoval farms and landholdings were on the island of Busuanga.

Late in the 1890s, an American naturalist, Dean Worcester journeyed through the Calamianes collecting specimens and staying briefly in Culion. At the turn of the century, he was appointed part of the First Philippine Commission becoming the Secretary of the Interior. He recommended Culion as the Philippine Leper Colony. This act forced the transfer of the Sandoval clan in 1900 to the various barrios of what is now Coron and Busuanga. The Coron town was settled by the family of Claudio Sandoval, and the other Sandovals settled in what is now Bintuan,Salvacion, Concepcion and Old Busuanga.

In 1950 the town of Busuanga was created from the barrios of Concepcion, Salvacion, Busuanga, New Busuanga, Buluang, Quezon, Calawit, and Cheey which used to belong to Coron.[4]

In 1954, the islands of Linapacan, Cabunlaoan, Niangalao, Decabayotot, Calibanbangan, Pical, and Barangonan were separated from Coron to form the town of Linapacan, Palawan.The main industries of Coron are fishing and tourism. Former industries include manganese mining at Singay Mines in Barangay San Nicolas during the Japanese Occupation period. This was followed by the fishing industry boom during the 1970s up to the 1990s which gradually dwindled due to illegal blast and sodium cyanide fishing. Almost along with fishing boom was the rattan and basket-weaving industry which also gradually declined due to the ensuing depletion of raw materials.

Tourism is the top industry in Coron these days, due to its pristine beaches, dive sites, and other nature-oriented activities. The aquatic views of a dozen sunken Japanese warships at depths between 10 and 40 metres (33 and 131 ft) off Coron Island are making Coron and its neighboring municipalities a popular diving destination.

THINGS TO DO IN CORON PALAWAN:
Wreck and scuba diving
Coron is one of the most famous wreck diving destinations in the world, due to the 12 Japanese wrecks that were sunk by American navy bombings in Coron Bay 1944. Ideal for beginners and advanced divers with wrecks at depths of 2 to 43 meters.

EXPLORE CORON REEFS:
Siete Pecados and more
There are some good reefs close to the town, especially Siete Pecados, where 7 years of protection have allowed a wealth of new corals to grow. Many of the more distant islands also have excellent house reefs.

SNORKELING TIME:
Discover our famous snorkel spots,
Amazing underwater landscapes awaits you. Or want to snorkel a wreck? The Sangat Gun Boats bow's is lying about 2-3 meter below the surface, so don't forget your underwater camera.

KAYAKING:
are available around the mangroves or reefs, from simple day out to camping out.

ISLAND HOPPING:
Take a Bangka (outrigger boat)
and enjoy the breath-taking scenery of the local islands. Hop from beach to beach while swimming, snorkelling or kayaking. Picnic or barbeque on a beach surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. This is National Geographic ‘real time’. The most popular day trip in the area, a ‘must do’ while in Coron. You can hire your own boat or join a larger boat with others.

MOTORCYCLING:
Nearby shops hire out motorbikes
at very reasonable rates. Bring your license with you. An ideal way to see more of Busuanga Island, but be aware that most riding is on dirt roads and should be taken steadily.

HOTSPRING:
A 20 min. tricycle ride to Makinit
from Coron town. 40 deg water flows out of natural springs from one pool to others giving you a variety of temperatures in which to relax. This is natural volcanic mineral water, very therapeutic and a wonderful way to end the day.

CALAUIT SAFARI PARK:
An African island in the Philipines!
Caluit Nature Reserve is in the North of the island. There you will see giraffe, zebra, deer, caribao and other species of wild animals walking freely around in open land. You can get close up for feeding and photos. The return journey usually includes stop-offs around the West coast for swimming and relaxing. An early morning start will take you to the reserve.

ACTIVE ACTIVITIES:
Want be more physically active
while in Coron?
Climb Mount Tapyas for a breath-taking view of Coron town and the surrounding islands and countryside. There are around 750 steps, so it’s best done in the cool of early morning, or before sunset, so you can overview the town during sunset.
Go to Mabentangen Forest Park with its waterfall and peaceful treks.
Work out at the local Gym.
Hire a bicycle and go off for the day.

CORON NIGHT LIFE:
Restaurants
Our staff can help you find popular meeting places and cater for a wide variety of tastes. There are both many local Philipino restaurants where you can dine on a budget, and foreign run restaurants in different price ranges.
There are several bars around town where you can relax with low-price drinks and enjoy a chat. Discos. There are a couple of discos in town, Two very different ones.. Karaoke. There are several in town, many with friendly staff to help you sing the night away.

GETTING THERE:
From Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3, NAIA T3, you can book a flight to Busuanga Airport (Flight Code: USU) through two of the country's flight carrier, PAL Express (formerly Airphil Express) and Cebu Pacific Air. There are other local airline carriers like Zest Air and SEAir and you may regularly check if they have available flights to Busuanga (Coron).Regular year-round airfares cost PHP 1,000 to PHP 1,500 for a one-way trip but if you are patient and persevered in looking for some seat sale promos, you can trim down the cost to almost half its price. Travel time from Manila to Busuanga will take around 55 minutes. Just a short nap in the plane and later you'll realize you had arrived Busuanga.

GETTING AROUND:
Upon arriving Busuanga Airport and claiming your checked-in baggage, head straight out the airport exit and just in front of it is a van terminal. Ride the van going to Coron Town Proper and the fare is PHP 150 and a travel time of around 30 minutes. Busuanga Airport is very far from the town proper so make sure to catch the van trip going to town or have a private car fetch you. You will not get bored during the van trip because you will pass by Marcos' very big ranch full of cows, horses, and other farms animals.Upon arriving Coron Town Proper, the main mode of transportation around town is the Tricycle. Well, they have their own version of the tricycle which is more spacious, bigger, and can accommodate more passengers. One tricycle ride costs PHP 8.

There are some parts of the town though which are still rough roads so make sure to bring a towel or hanky with you to cover your face. One perfect example are the roads going to Maquinit Hot Spring. From Town Proper going to Maquinit, the tricycle ride cost PHP 400 and good for 6 persons already. It's quite expensive because the trail is difficult and it's quite far, around 30 minutes.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Email:
Phone: +63-917-704-6176 +63-915-415-4555
+63-928-491-5395 +63-919-993-5474
Address: Sitio Dipulao, Brgy Poblacion 6, Coron, Palawan, Philippines
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/coronwestownresort

ENJOY YOUR JOURNEY!!