Dubbed as the Las Frontier, Palawan is one of the top tourist destinations in the Philippines, not just by foreign visitors, but by resident Filipinos as well. Be it Puerto Princessa, El Nido, Busuanga, Taytay, or Cuyo, travelers flock to the islands for its stunning natural beauty, unspoilt nature and crystal clear waters.

Though most of the tourists head to the beaches, it’s the beauty that lay on the seabed that lures the avid divers and snorkelers. Apart from the live corals and colorful fishes under the sea, there lie other majestic sights that draw the curious: wrecks of Japanese warships.

During World War 2, when the Philippines was under the Japanese, US forces were bombing the Japanese naval ships near Manila. To protect the other warships, a decision was made to deploy the ships to other safe places around the islands. One of the places the Japanese navy went to was the Calamian Group, in Northern Palawan. The vessels were safely camouflaged among the islands, until a US reconnaissance team noticed that some of the islands in the area were moving. On September 24, 1944, the United States attacked the Japanese’s Imperial Navy in the area, sinking 24 warships around Busuanga and Coron.

Once a symbol of defense and destruction, the wrecks of the Taiei Maru, Okikawa Maru, Kogyo Maru, Irako, Olympia Maru, Kyokuzan Maru and the Akitsushima, are now one of Coron’s biggest attractions.

Coron Town & Coron Island
Though it was once the site of war, chaos and destruction, Coron is now a very quiet and peaceful place. A small sleepy town in the island of Busuanga, Coron town is the jump off point for those who want to explore the sites around Coron Island. This is Coron’s center for everything – the municipal hall is here, the market, and most of the accommodation options. It’s a small town where everything is a comfortable walking distance away. Though sidewalks aren’t a major fixture in the streets, there’s no need to worry as Coron Town isn’t a high traffic area. Best of all, the air is clean.

Tricycles are the main form of transportation within Coron Town. Jeepneys and busses only ply routs that go out of the town. Boats are also prominent in the docks. While some are fishing boats, most cater to tourists who want to island hop.

The major and most popular destination for every visitor is Coron Island. The island is the ancestral domain the indigenous Tagbanwa tribe, and the sites in and around the island charge admission fees, ranging from Php 75 to Php 200 each. The fees are not for profit. Rather, they are used for the upkeep of each site.

Coron Island offers its visitors the stunning beauty that they came to Palawan for. From the blinding white beach and turquoise waters of Banol Beach, to the crystal clear waters of Kayangan Lake, a day of island hopping in Coron Island leaves tourists satisfied, but at the same time, leaves them wanting to go back for more.

Things to do in Coron Town
While Coron Town doesn’t have any beaches, there are still things to do when you’re stuck in the mainland. You can try testing your strength and endurance with a climb up the 700 or so steps up Mount Tapyas (190 meters above sea level). There are several shaded rest stops along the way if you get tired, even a picnic ground after the first rest stop. The view from the summit is simply breath taking: you can see the town from above, the surrounding mountains and the nearby islands. It’s quite interesting to see how small the town is, compared to the wide expanse of untouched nature around it. The climb is best done in the early morning or late afternoon, when the sun isn’t too hot.

If the climb up Mount Tapyas or the diving, snorkeling and frolicking in the water drained you, a dip in the Maquinit Hot Spring is sure to ease aching muscle. The water temperature hits close to 40 degrees Celsius, but it’s not the heat that will surprise you in this natural hot spring – it’s the salt. The hot springs pool is filled with hot seawater. With such high temperatures, it’s recommended that you take a dip in the evening, as it can be unbearably hot during the day. (by Nina Fuentes)

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 30th, 2008 at 11:00 pm and is filed under Destinations. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.