Exploring the Islands of Coron: Malcapuya and Banana Island

DAY 3: OCT. 4, 2009


After enjoying the picturesque lakes, playing with colorful fishes in great snorkeling spots and savoring the beauty of it's magnificent limestone cliffs and secluded beach coves; we were off to see two of Coron's white-sand beaches -  Malcapuya and Banana Island.


Since our first stop, Malcapuya, is an hour and a half away from the town, we had to start the tour early to avoid choppy waters.  Before riding the boat, we passed by the market which is situated beside the port, to purchase items for our lunch.  With the help of Ate Vangie, we haggled with the vendors and only spent Php400 for the following:  1/2 kg of liempo, 1 kg of bananas, 1 large fresh tuna, a pack of trusty Mama Sita Sauce for our inihaw na liempo, ice, 1.5 liters coke, charcoal and eating utensils.

back of the Malcapuya island

polvoron

We arrived at the island at around 930am and was pleasantly surprised to have the long stretch of white sand beach for ourselves.  Wasting no time to enjoy the place, we sunbathed, swam on it's clear blue waters, and took lots of photos to our heart's content. Sadly, however, the weather did not cooperate as it became gloomy and drizzled for a few hours.  We had to leave for Banana Island only after spending an hour on this beach. If I get to go back, I would definitely consider camping on this island with my friends.


If you want to see the top view of the island, just climb the viewing deck located on both sides of the island.  This can be a perfect spot for great photos. But when we were there, it was drizzling so we weren't able to get a good shot.


As we were already hungry and ready for lunch, we then went to Banana Island which is a few minutes away from Malcapuya.  The island is called as such since its shape is that of a banana.  Upon seeing the island from afar, we kept saying "wow ang ganda!".  Who wouldn't be charmed with the place with it's pristine white sand under a warm sunshine.

because i couldn't resist doing this silly pose

Kuya Allan preparing our lunch

All we did at this place was laze around on the hammock, played with the resident dogs and took photos while waiting for Kuya Allan to finish preparing our meal.  Our sumptuous lunch consisted of grilled liempo, tuna, itlog na maalat and tomatoes paired with ice cold Coke.  Relaxation at it's finest!

We capped off our 3rd day by having our dinner at Bistro Coron . I'm glad that we decided to splurge on good food for our last night and chose to dine at this place.   The owner of the bistro is French and the menu consists of pizza,  pasta, salad , steaks, seafood, etc.  The price is above average but the servings are good for 2-3 persons.  My mouth still waters just by thinking of the delicious food we ate.


For people who wants a peaceful time away from the hustle bustle of the city, the quiet town of Coron is definitely the place to visit.

Entrance Fee: Malcapuya - Php150

                      Banana Island - Php200
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Mrs. Violeta Gallego can be reached at

Tel #: 09214741602

Email: bananaislandcoron@gmail.com

Where is Coron located?

It is a small and quiet island in the Calamian Group of Islands in northern Palawan. This place is famous for its rich marine life, limestone cliffs and well preserved lakes and beaches.

How to Get there from Manila:

By air: The following airlines have flights to Coron: Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, South East Asian Airlines (seair), Zestair for approximately 45 minutes to an hour.

By Water: The following ferries travel to Coron: WG&A Super Ferry and Negros Navigation which takes about 12 hours.