Colin & Angela
Just the two of us

The Philippines: Coron's Limestone Islands and Moalboal's Reefs

A week in the Philippines: island hopping by bangka boat around Coron's karst cliffs, then Moalboal on Cebu for snorkeling over coral, sunsets from the boat and a turquoise waterfall.

Philippines · Nov 23 – Dec 1, 2019 · by Angela

Jagged limestone cliffs above clear shallow water and a white-sand beach in Coron

In late November 2019 we flew to the Philippines for a week of islands. We split it between Coron in northern Palawan, with its limestone cliffs rising out of the sea, and Moalboal on Cebu, where the reef starts a few steps off the beach.

Who came
Just Colin and me
Route
Cebu → Coron (Palawan) → Moalboal (Cebu)
How long
About 1 week
Best for
Island hopping, snorkeling and beach days

Coron

Coron looks unreal. Jagged karst cliffs drop straight into clear water, and the only way around is by bangka, the colorful outrigger boats lined up in the harbor. We spent our days island hopping between lagoons and white-sand beaches and our mornings eating very good breakfasts.

Limestone cliffs rising over a white-sand beach and clear shallow water with a person wading
Coron's cliffs are unreal
Blue outrigger bangka boats moored at a harbor with stilt houses and green hillsA fruit and granola smoothie bowl with a matcha drink and a latte on a wooden tableA breakfast spread of toast, rice, pickled vegetables and sauces on a woven table

Moalboal and Cebu

Then we flew to Cebu and drove down to Moalboal, famous for its reef and its huge sardine runs. We snorkeled and freedived over the coral, watched pink sunsets from the bow of the boat, and found a turquoise waterfall pool in the jungle. The food was a highlight too, especially a sizzling plate of eggplant sisig.

A freediver swimming over a coral head in deep blue water
Into the blue in Moalboal
A vivid pink and red sunset seen from the bow of an outrigger boatTall palm trees over a sandy beach with thatched hutsEggplant sisig on a sizzling plate topped with a raw egg and green onionsA latte with leaf art in a cup on a wooden board

Philippines tips

  • Fly between islands. Domestic flights are cheap and save days of ferries.
  • Book island hopping early in the day to beat the crowds at the lagoons.
  • Bring reef-safe sunscreen and your own snorkel mask.
  • Bring cash. Smaller islands don’t always take cards.

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