mv solita`s cruising notes

M.V. SOLITA’S
CRUISING NOTES
PALAWAN & CALAMIAN ISLANDS
PHILIPPINES
UPDATED MAY 2014
1
This is the fourth update of our cruising notes for Palawan Island and the Calamian Islands. We passed
through the area again in March, April and May 2014, and we have updated and adjusted information
that we felt was dated. We still feel that Palawan and the Calamian islands offer some of the best
cruising grounds we have found in the Philippines so far. While not promising to provide a
comprehensive cruising guide, we hope these notes will be useful to those cruising through the area.
Typhoon Haiyan (called Yolanda in the Philippines) severely affected this whole area when it roared
through in November 2013. Much of the vegetation was stripped, reefs were disturbed and many
buildings damaged or destroyed. However, there has been a huge effort by locals and external
agencies to restore the islands to their previous state and all basic infrastructure is now back to
normal. Some of the more shallow reefs have sustained damage but this is already showing signs of
regeneration. International assistance was overwhelming in the aftermath of the typhoon but the best
help the cruising community can provide is to visit the area and contribute to the economy by using
the local services. People need to be working and the tourist industry provides many jobs in this area.
As previously, we acknowledge the following sources:
www.philippines360*.com on 15-5-12
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/philippines/weather#ixzz1qxfwxUoQ on 3-3-12
Wikipedia, Internet on 30-3-12 and 15-7-13
Geoff Gentil, SV Arnak.
Alan, Manager, Discovery Island, Coron.
Sue and John Woods
MV Solita
(email: [email protected])
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CONTENTS
BACKGROUND
4
WEATHER
5
WHEN TO GO?
7
ROUTE PLANNING
8
IMMIGRATION & CUSTOMS
8
SAFETY
10
GENERAL FACILITIES
10
NAVIGATION
12
FLAG
13
LOCAL TRANSPORT
13
DIVING
14
LANGUAGE
14
OBSERVATIONS OF GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS:
15
AREA MAPS
- Coron Town
35
- Very secure anchorages, Coron
36
- Puerto Princessa
37
- Very secure anchorages, PP
38
- El Nido
39
ANCHORAGES
41
VERY SECURE ANCHORAGES
49
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BACKGROUND:
The Republic of the Philippines is a sovereign country in Southeast Asia, with 7,107 islands across
its archipelago. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China
Sea sits Vietnam. The Sulu Sea to the southwest lies between the Philippines and the island of Borneo,
and to the south the Celebes Sea separates it from other islands of Indonesia. It is bounded on the
east by the Philippine Sea.
With an estimated population of about 94 million people, the Philippines is the world's 12th most
populous country. An additional 11 million Filipinos live overseas. Multiple ethnicities and cultures are
found throughout the islands. In prehistoric times, Negritos were some of the archipelago's earliest
inhabitants. They were followed by successive waves of Austronesian peoples who brought with them
influences from Malay, Hindu, and Islamic societies. Trade introduced Chinese cultural influences
which remain to this day.
The Philippines has been part of several empires: the Spanish Empire during the age of Imperialism,
the United States after the Spanish-American War of 1898, and the Japanese Empire during World
War II, until the official Philippine independence in 1945. Since independence the Philippines has had
an often tumultuous experience with democracy, with popular "people power" movements
overthrowing a dictatorship in one instance but also underlining the institutional weaknesses of its
constitutional republic in others.
Palawan Island is an island province of the Philippines and is located in the MIMAROPA region. Its
capital is Puerto Princessa City. The province is named after its largest island, Palawan Island, which is
450 kms (280 mi) long, and 50 kms (31 mi) wide.
Palawan also includes the Cuyo Islands in the Sulu Sea. The disputed Spratly Islands, located a few
hundred kilometres to the west, are considered part of Palawan by the Philippines.
In the 2010 census it was noted that the population of Palawan province is 994,340, and the main
religion is Catholicism.
There are 52 languages and dialects in the province, with Tagalog being spoken by more than 50
percent of the people. Other languages are Cuyonon (26.27 percent),Palawano (4.0 percent),
and Hiligaynon (9.6 percent). Most people speak some English as well.
The Calamian Islands lie to the north of Palawan and are included
in the Palawan province. They consist of over 80 islands and islets, the
main ones being Busuanga Island, Coron Island and Culion Island.
Busuanga Island hosts the largest town, Coron, as well as the only
airport in the Calamian Islands. Some of the finest beaches, islands
and tourist spots in the Philippines are found in this island group. It is
also well renowned as one of the world’s best diving destinations, with
its beautiful coral reefs and WW2 wreck diving. Other tourist
attractions in the Calamians are the Calauit Safari Park, the former
leper colony at Culion and the clear water lakes and coves of Coron
Island.
4
WEATHER
Weather patterns in the Philippines are dictated by the prevailing winds – the habagat (southwest
monsoon), which runs from May/June to October/November, and the amihan (northeast monsoon),
which prevails from November to April/May. For most of the country, the dry season is during
the amihan. The wet season tends to starts in June, peaks in July to September, and peters out in
October. Patterns have been unpredictable lately, with the rains arriving later and lingering into
December, and some areas have their own local variations to the usual patterns.
The southern part of the Palawan province is virtually free from tropical depressions but northern
Palawan experiences torrential rains during the months of July and August. There are usually two
transition periods of six to eight weeks between the two monsoon seasons (March/April to May and
October to November) each year when the wind is light and variable. This is a great time for travelling
for power boats or those not needing strong winds.
The Calamian Islands seem to experience a more moderated version of the two monsoon seasons. We
found that even in the strong NE season the winds were less than in Palawan or the Visayas, and often
they were quite light and variable. The SW monsoon does produce rain and some SW wind, but again
it is not as strongly evident as in other areas. Tourism takes quite a downturn during the SW monsoon
in the Calamian Islands, and many resorts close for two to three months around July, August and
September.
The average maximum temperature is 31 degrees C with little variation all year, though it is a little
cooler in the months of December, January and February.
Cyclones/typhoons:
Situated at the typhoon belt, the Philippines can endure the impact of more than 20 typhoons
annually. The main typhoon season is said to run from June to November, though records show that
tropical storms and typhoons can occur in the Philippines during any month of the year. Typhoons
cross the country in a northwestern direction, so almost all parts of the Philippines experience the
onslaught of typhoons.
Generally in the earlier part of the season, typhoons cross over from the Palau region and travel northwest, passing through the northern areas of the Philippines and eventually moving on to Hong Kong or
Vietnam. However, later in the season typhoons can develop further south, cross the country through
the Mindanao or Visayans areas and travel on westward to Palawan.
At times a small typhoon will only produce winds around 50 to 60 knots but they can also be very
severe, and they can develop and travel very quickly in the Philippines. Typhoons often cause
devastating damage and loss of life in poorly developed areas where significant rain and wind may
trigger floods, mud slides and severe damage to existing flimsy structures.
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Weather forecasting will usually provide ample warning of an impending storm or typhoon and there
are many protected bays and anchorages where cruising boats can seek shelter. The Philippine
Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) keeps track of typhoons
that enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility. PAGASA is likewise responsible for declaring the
typhoon signal in a particular area or region.
PAGASA uses four typhoon signals:




Signal No. 1 – winds of 30 to 60 kph, intermittent heavy rains
Signal No. 2 – typhoon is likely to hit an area within 24 hours, winds of 60 to 100 kph, heavy
floods may occur in low areas
Signal No. 3 – typhoon is expected to hit within 18 hours, winds of 100 to 185 kph
Signal No. 4 – typhoon is expected to hit within 12 hours, winds of more than 186 kph, heavy
floods and rains
Note: The Philippines forecasting and typhoon warning service at www.pagasa.dost.gov.ph provides
good information. Other forecasting services we have used include:
www.typhoon2000.com
www.predictwind.com
www.buoyweather.com
www.passageweather.com
Our experience with the weather in Palawan in 2011, 2012, 2013 & 2014:
In April 2011 during a year with a weakening La Nina effect, the wind on Palawan’s east coast was
predominately NE, with some small local variations. It veered more easterly when strong, northerly
when easing and started from the W or NW in the morning. Generally the wind kicked in around 7 or 8
am, and reached its maximum strength of around 20 kts by 10 am. It tended to ease around 4 pm, but
some days could still be quite strong at 7-8 pm. There seemed to be a consistent ENE swell, from 1-3
metres. The winds eased considerably in May, with very light variable breezes in the morning and
increasing by late morning. They then calmed off in the afternoon/evening. Many afternoons heavy
thunderclouds developed over the land, often with thunder and lightning, but very little rain at sea. In
mid-May the light evening breeze was westerly or variable.
In 2012, the La Nina effect had passed and we experienced much less wind overall in this area. Most
days in April there was a 5-10 kt NE breeze, but the direction was often variable. Occasionally the wind
would increase to 15-18 kts, generally from the NE. There was no persistent swell.
Around Linapacan and the Calamians in April/May, we experienced mostly calm weather with variable
light breezes. Some days a NE wind developed to 12-15 kts during the morning. It usually dropped off
by evening and the nights were calm and cool.
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When we returned to this area in January of 2013, the NE monsoon was well established, but within
the Calamian Island group, the winds were much lighter, and we had days of very light and variable
wind. We did have some short periods of strong NE winds, 20-25kts that lasted for a few days. As we
travelled south to Linapacan and Palawan the NE wind tended to be more consistent. This weather
pattern persisted until around late March, when it then settled into a calm transition period. There
were some days of light S-SE winds which then became light NE or variable breezes. The days were
often hazy with frequent afternoon thunderstorms over the land.
In 2014 we arrived in Coron in March after travelling from Cebu. Weather in the Calamians tended to
be lighter than we had experienced further east in the Visayas but we did experience 2-3 periods of
strong NE winds, lasting 3 to 4 days. Periods of strong NE winds continued through April, though by
late in the month, the wind had eased to light and variable. By May we were further south travelling
along the Palawan coast and the weather there was generally humid and calm, but with a lot of cloud
build-up and storms over the mountains. The winds were light and variable but by the end of the
month they were tending south.
While typhoons can be a major problem while travelling in northern and eastern Philippines, they tend
to be less frequent and less severe in the southern and western regions. However, in December 2011
and 2012 there were severe typhoons that struck initially in the southern Visayas but then travelled on
to Palawan. Typhoon Haiyan, the category 5 typhoon that devastated much of central Philippines,
occurred in early November and crossed Palawan at Coron Town. It is sensible to keep a close watch
on the weather forecast at all times. We found several very secure anchorages in the Palawan and
Calamian Islands that would be appropriate to ride out a severe storm – see this section at the end of
the Anchorages section.
WHEN TO GO?
There seems to be widely differing opinions about the best time to visit the south-western Philippines.
Many people advised us to go between December and May to avoid the typhoon season but at this
time you can encounter strong NE winds, especially from January to March. The SW monsoon in
Borneo starts around May/June, and eases by October/ November - this may be a good time to travel
north, using the SW winds. It is typhoon season but forecasting is good nowadays, there are numerous
places to seek shelter and late-season typhoons do tend to weaken by the time they reach Palawan.
Travelling to the Philippines from Palau and other places to the east may best be done during the NE
monsoon, around December to May. There is a transition period of relative calm between the end of
the NE winds around April/May and the emergence of the SW monsoon, around June. This makes for
calm seas and comfortable cruising, but perhaps not great sailing. Another possible period of calm is
after the end of the SW monsoon, around October, but we did not experience this in 2012 – the SW
monsoon swung to NE within a week in late October.
Predicted wind patterns will be affected by whether a La Nina or Le Nino influence is present, and local
areas of the Philippines may have their own weather variations because of their geography. Locals in
the Calamian Islands have told us they can get fierce storms in July.
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ROUTE PLANNING
Balabac/Palawan: We elected to travel up the east coast of Palawan for three reasons – absence of
the South China Sea’s persistent NW swell, the location of Puerto Princessa as our first Immigration
port, and the presence of obvious and frequent anchorages. Friends who travelled up the west coast in
January 2011 complained about the swell, the long distances between good anchorages and the
abundant reef and rocks that forced them to travel far offshore. They also experienced strong
northerly winds. Even though we found it hard going travelling north along the east coast against the
NE winds in April/May 2011, there were many suitable anchorages to choose from. At the same time
in 2012, the NE monsoon had dropped out and we travelled north over calm seas. In May 2014 the
winds were light and variable as we motored south. Travelling down the west coast would probably be
best done around February to April, catching the last of the NE monsoon and going with the NW swell
of the South China Sea.
Linapacan/Calamian Islands: We expected stronger winds north of Palawan because the latitudes
were closer to the trade wind belt and there is no significant land mass to moderate the prevailing
winds, but we found the winds were less strong and more predictable there during April & May.
We explored the south and west sides of Linapacan Island because of the prevailing NE winds, and
found plenty of stunning scenery and potential anchorages. Crossing the Linapacan Strait from the NW
tip of Linapacan gave us good protection from the ENE winds most of the way. Travelling around the
Calamian Islands was very easy – there are many good anchorages with relatively short distances
between them, and good protection from any prevailing winds. The many bays, passages, harbours
and islands also provided good protection for anchorages.
Coron is an obvious stepping-off point to travel across to Mindoro and then further east to the
Visayas, or north to Puerto Galera and Luzon.
IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS
Philippines Entry and Exit ports in the Palawan region:
Only Puerto Princessa on Palawan Island.
Immigration:
You may need to visit an Immigration office to apply for and extend visas. The only Immigration office
in this area is in Puerto Princessa (on Rizal Ave, near the airport). There is a small Border Office in
James Brooke Pt on the lower east coast of Palawan, but this does not deal with visas.
There is no immigration office in the Calamian Islands, though there is some talk of creating one in the
future. The options to renew your visa from Coron are:


Fly to Manila – there are several flights daily.
Take a local 2GO ferry from Coron to Puerto Princessa – the trip takes 12-14 hours, but usually
arrives on a weekend or in the middle of the night so you are unable to get off and sprint to
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
Immigration to apply for an extension before it sails back north. There is often only one or two
ferries per week, so you will have an extended stay in PP until the next ferry.
Fly to Cebu – there are direct flights 3-4 times weekly, but this also means a 2-3 night stopover.
 Travel to Calapan or Puerto Galera on Mindoro or Batangas in SE Luzon by yacht – there is no
direct flight or ferry.
There are 3 commercial airports in the Palawan-Calamian area – Puerto Princessa, El Nido and
Coron/Busuanga, all connecting to Manila with direct flights daily.
Visa information:
On 1st March 2014 there were several changes made by the Bureau of Immigration concerning visa
renewal and exit visas. These changes included a new form for visa extensions and the need for a
recent passport photo of the applicant for each extension. You should view their website:
www.immigration.gov.ph. prior to entering or leaving the country, to check for recent changes.
If you overstay your visa, it will cost you 1,010 pesos to have it reinstated as well as any due visa costs.
Philippines Customs Bureau:
There is no Custom Port Office in Palawan but they have an agency in Puerto Princessa. The address
is Manola St, opposite the Pilot Elementary School.
We have discussed with many cruising folk whether, as a private non-commercial vessel, we need to
visit Customs in the Philippines. Many people do not declare themselves and don’t seem to have had a
problem. On our 2011 visit we did not declare ourselves to Customs as we only intended to cruise the
Palawan Island area for 2 months. We re-entered Malaysia in the company of two other yachts who
had cleared in and out of the Philippines Customs, and we were all treated equally by Malaysian
Customs and Immigration.
In 2012 we declared ourselves to Customs in Puerto Princessa. It was quite an effort to find the
Customs building and they certainly were not aware of what vessels were in the harbour. They told us
that we do need to clear in and out of major ports as we travelled through the Philippines. They gave
us a clearance to Cebu, our next major port, and charged us 200 pesos to clear in.
Two months later, we arrived in Cebu. We spent 4 months on our boat refit before visiting Customs in
Cebu City, to clear in and out on the one day. They were fine with this, charged us 150 pesos for the
paperwork, and cleared us out to Palawan, even though we wouldn’t be arriving there for many
months. They also inferred that cruising boats should clear through major ports in the Philippines, but
they didn’t seem too rigid about this.
We cleared into PP, and then out of the country with the PP Customs Office, for a cost of 115 pesos for
each clearance (a total of 230 pesos). They were helpful and courteous.
In 2013-14 we also cleared the boat through Customs in PP and Cebu, and as in the previous year, the
process was easy and transparent, with the same cost of 115 pesos clearing in, 115 pesos clearing out
of each port.
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Note: If clearing in or out with Customs, visit Immigration first, as they need to sight your current visa
or Immigration Clearance to leave the country.
Note: We found having a Customs Clearance form declaring the boat’s entry into the Philippines very
useful when we flew out of the country then re-entered. The airlines will ask that you have a return or
on-going ticket when you enter the Philippines, but we were able to prove that we were returning to
our boat, which had been cleared into the country, and would exit the Philippines in it.
SAFETY
Safety had not been an issue for us during the first few visits we made to the Philippines. Yes, we were
initially surprised and a little alarmed by the amount of guns on display by security guards in malls and
shops, and we did hear some rumours of the availability of guns and indeed of people being shot.
However, we never felt personally unsafe, and the local Filipinos we met encouraged us to believe it
was a safe country to cruise through. In three years we were never boarded by anyone other than
polite officials, never had anything stolen, were never spoken to aggressively or with bad intent. Local
store owners would return money we inadvertently overpaid, people would tell us where to shop for
the best deals, we generally paid local rates on buses.
We were aware that the Tawi Tawi Islands, southern and western Mindanao were not good places to
visit – that some locals had issues with Muslim fundamentalist beliefs, and we were happy enough to
avoid these areas.
However, in April 2014, it was generally believed that a German couple who had been cruising through
the Palawan area on and off for several years (their yacht is “Catherine”) were abducted by Abu Sayyef
group members in an area between Rio Tuba and Balabac Island. This is an area we had travelled
through several times, and is in fact on the “main track” up the Palawan Island east coast.
We travelled south along the east coast of Palawan in May, and were quite nervous about passing
through this area. We planned only single overnight stops and preferably in towns where there was a
police and/or Coastguard presence. We organised a daily email/phone schedule with relatives who
knew where we were going. We also motored along the outer east cost of Bugsuk Island and avoided
the passage between Palawan and Balabac Islands, which is where the German couple had
disappeared. We saw no suspicious activity and had a good trip. However, this area must now be
treated with more caution than previously, given the recent history of Abu Sayyef activity there.
GENERAL FACILITIES
Provisioning:
Most of the supplies and services you will need can be found in Puerto Princessa. There are 3 large
western-style supermarkets there (NCCC and Unitop are in town but Robinsons is quite close to
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Abanico), all with some sort of department store upstairs. NCCC also has a second smaller store at
New Market, just north of Robinsons. The fresh food there is often not so fresh, but there is a good
range of canned, bottled and dry goods, and it is usually quite uncrowded. There are also several
Filipino-style department stores/supermarkets along Rizal Ave in PP. The larger towns like Roxas,
Coron and El Nido have basic grocery stores, specialty shops, computer/phone outlets and hardware
shops. All the towns have public markets where you can buy fruit and vegetables, and a “wet” market
that sells chicken, pork, fish and other seafood. Some markets are open every day but in the smaller
places they have set “market days”.
There were quite a few items that were either hard to get or impossible to find in Puerto Princessa and
the rest of the Palawan/Calamian region. Consider stocking up on items you can’t do without before
leaving your last major port or country. We had problems locating:






Specialised boat parts, stainless steel fittings, etc. The
local engineering shops are often brilliant at repairing or fabricating parts. If you really need to
order something, try Broadwater Marine in Cebu (Ph. +63 32 341 0474) or Marine Supplies
Asia (+60 (0) 1437 40053).
2 Stroke outboard oil.
Some foods – unsweetened bread, wholemeal flour,
good margarine/butter, cheeses, salami, wine and spirits, beef, good crackers, muesli, orange
juice, UHT milk, Coke Light, pulses like lentils and peas.
Deep cycle batteries.
Some basic household items like pegs and workable
ice cube trays.
Larger sized clothing, especially underwear and
swimwear.
Banks and ATMS:
There are many banks in Puerto Princessa, most with affiliations to the major international banking
systems. They charge 200 pesos per transaction for overseas credit and debit cards. Most banks have
ATMs where you can get a maximum of 10,000 pesos per day using your credit card, though BPI
increased this to a maximum overseas withdrawal of 20,000 pesos in 2013. Some ATMs allow you to
make two withdrawals of 10,000 pesos on the one day. Some larger stores and fuel stations have
credit card facilities. There were ATMs and banks that we could access in the larger towns like Coron,
but not in smaller places like El Nido, Tay Tay or Culion. In most of the larger towns there are also
Western Union agencies, pawnshops and moneychangers.
Phone and Internet:
Access is unpredictable and patchy but generally if you can see a communication tower (most are red
and white) on shore you will get coverage. We found good coverage in some small outlying islands of
Palawan yet patchy reception in bigger places like El Nido. PP generally had good coverage from
Smart. Coverage in the Calamian Islands was less available than Palawan Island but new towers have
been built in 2014 that have greatly improved coverage in Coron using Smart and in Dipoyoi Bay using
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Globe. Internet coverage (IC) is indicated for the anchorages we used under Facilities in the
Anchorages section.
In 2012 we purchased a Philippines modem in Puerto Princessa (Smart Bro) for 1250 pesos, and paid
for coverage “top ups” of 300 pesos each (these lasted us about 2 weeks of average internet use). A
SIM card for our mobile phone, with a small amount of calls included, cost 40 pesos in Rio Tuba. “Topups” or recharges of 100 pesos lasted us quite a while, as we don’t use the phone much. There are
many places to purchase reloads for your phone and internet.
Many of the local resorts and restaurants of the larger towns offer free wifi.
General Costs:
Generally food and drinks are much cheaper here than in Malaysia. In Puerto Princessa in 2014:
San Miguel Beer – 680- 750 pesos per carton of 24 cans, 530 pesos for 24 small bottles (+ deposit)
Local rum – 75-80 pesos per 750 ml bottle
Wine – from 130 pesos per bottle for Chilean or Spanish, 500 - 600 pesos for Australian.
Basic foods are very cheap eg 20 pesos for 300 gms salt, 20 pesos for 500 gms sugar, 2-3 pesos per
banana, 60-70 pesos per kilo for mangoes, 40 pesos per kg for pumpkin, 15 pesos per kg for
watermelon, 30 pesos for a can of tuna, 35 pesos for a loaf of bread.
Western food is more expensive – 45 pesos for a hamburger, 25 pesos for a doughnut, 200 pesos for a
BBQ chicken.
Fuel is more expensive than in Malaysia – diesel was 53 pesos per litre and petrol 63 pesos per litre at
Caltex in PP in May 2014.
NAVIGATION
We used CMap, raster charts on Open CPN and Navionics on our dedicated navigation laptop
computer and the 2011 updated NT+ GPS card for our chart plotter. We also had genuine paper
charts. Generally the NT+ card gave more detail than CMap for large scale, and was generally very
accurate. It showed all shoals, rocks and reefs quite clearly. The raster electronic charts were also very
accurate, depending on scale.
CMap appeared fairly accurate, except for some areas, for example:
- The NW tip of Rasa Island and just from south of Malanao Island to Peurto Princessa – it
was about 0.5 to 1 NM out here.
- PP Harbour - It doesn’t show the small Cana Island that is about 1 NM west of the Abanico
Yacht Club (9*45.8’N, 118*43.15’E), and the reef en route to the yacht club is actually more
shallow than shown.
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-
-
It was particularly inaccurate around the Verde Islands, Green Islands Bay and Dumaran
Passage and on north to Tay Tay Bay, where it missed small islands, showed channels
where there were none, etc. it was also somewhat inaccurate around Coron.
Accuracy improved on the north-western end of Palawan.
We found Navionics excellent for route planning but its charting was too “approximate” in
many places. We had much better small detail using the plotter and other electronic systems.
FLAG
Good strong copies of the national flag can be purchased in Puerto
Princessa at Emmers Military Store on Rizal Ave, about 1 km west of the
Jollibee Fast Food outlet, at a cost of 150 pesos. You may also find flags
in the stationery departments of the larger “department stores” in
Puerto Princessa. NCCC has good ones for 68 pesos each.
LOCAL TRANSPORT
In the SW Philippines the local boats seem well made and maintained. They are often painted bright
colours and have inspiring names painted at the front. Many of the larger villages have a small boat
building industry. Places like Pt Carmen and Cebu have flourishing boat-building and repair yards
which overseas yachts and motor boats access, as the costs are comparatively low. Local craft vary
from small outrigger or single hull canoes propelled by sail, paddles, small outboard or inboard, to
larger fishing canoes with two outriggers (called bangkas or “water spiders”), huge bangkas with masts
and often three or four sets of outrigger poles each side that work as inter-island ferries or long range
fishing vessels, to sturdy and quite large motor boats. These will work as fishing boats, ferries or to
transport cargo around the islands.
Tricycles are the main form of public transport in all villages and towns. Essentially these are motor
bikes with a frame welded on, providing seats to the right of the bike for 2-3 people over the third
wheel and an overhead cover. Another passenger or two may sit pillion on the bike. They either work
as a taxi or for private hire. They are very cheap though
not greatly comfortable. In Coron and Culion the
tricycles are more upmarket and have more seats – a
double in the back, single in the front and pillion behind
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the driver, potentially accommodating about or eight seven Filipinos. Long distance buses are usually
very beautifully decorated with chrome and colourful shiny duco, but are consistently overloaded and
frequently break down. The seats are uncomfortable, there is no air-con and the windows usually
don’t close.
Motor bikes are the main mode of private transport, and you often see whole families – dad, mum and
kids – crowded onto one. Cars are less common but there seem to be many late model vehicles on the
roads.
DIVING
The main areas for diving are around El Nido and Coron.
El Nido has several dive shops and they provide dive trips as well as courses. Comments from another
yachtee - “There is nice diving around here. I have chosen to use the local operators to dive at the
main dive sights as I find their pricing fair, they are more than competent and always find turtles and
other interesting critters. There are some great corals and a lot of schooling fish at the main sites. Not
a lot of big fish, but some interesting corals and small coral fishes, a turtle every now and then as well
as crayfish and par for the course here, evidence of blasting decimation in some locations.”
Coron’s main attraction is the wreck diving. In September 1944 there was a major air attack on part of
the Imperial Japanese Fleet that was sheltering around the Busuanga area, and many ships were sunk.
Some of these wrecks are easily accessible and most are remarkably well preserved. The wreck of the
Japanese oil tanker just off Dipuyoi Bay is an excellent dive – it is relatively shallow at 12M to the deck,
and covered with many soft and hard corals, small and mid-sized fish. Lionfish are present in great
numbers! The wreck is well preserved and allows for partial penetration. Coron also has many dive
resorts, shops and other facilities for divers.
We also found good snorkeling on many of the reefs around many of
the islands in this region. Coral Bay’s house reef is excellent but the
resort charges 300 pesos per person per day for use of their facilities,
including the house reef. There is lovely coral and small fish life at the
SE corner of Tanget Island and also on the NE corner of Calambuyan
Island, where there is a small day resort charging 150 pesos per day.
Pass Island has many clams on their small reef – they charge 200 pesos
day entry per person. Note: Divers use the American dive flag here.
LANGUAGE
Filipino or Tagalog is the main official language. English is the second official language and it is taught
in schools, so many people speak English quite well. The locals really appreciate visitors learning some
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Tagalong and will applaud your efforts and often help. We found the Lonely Planet phrasebook
“Filipino” (ISBN 978 1 74104 581 9) excellent, and its size was perfect for keeping in a pocket or bag.
OBSERVATIONS OF GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS
Balabac Strait:
It is only approximately 25 miles from the tip of Banggi or Balambangan Islands to the southern end of
Balabac Island, so it is quite a short crossing. We found it easy enough except for the conflicting swells
that make the seas confused at times, especially just off the Balabac Island south coast. The South
China Sea usually produces a NW swell, often there can be a SW swell from the east coast of Borneo,
and the prevailing NE wind may set up a short chop or swell. It can make for a rolly passage.
Watch for shipping at the bottom of Balabac Island – it is a well used route for ships en route to, or
coming from, Singapore, Vietnam and China. Also keep an eye out for floating logs in this area.
We felt that there was a northerly setting current, about 1 to 1.5 kts, with us as we travelled north
across the strait.
Balabac and South-eastern Palawan Island:
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The southern end of Balabac Island is quite mountainous then becomes much flatter with
mangrove areas in its north.
There are dozens of picture-perfect islands off the east coast of this area, especially in the strait
between Balabac and Palawan. It is well worth the navigational exercise of evading the many
shoals, reefs and cays to travel from Candaraman to Rio Tuba via the strait. It is about 35 miles,
fairly similar in distance to the outside route.
In March, April and May we noted a gentle, southerly setting current all along the east coast
here, at perhaps .5 to 1 knot.
We found that in this area, the locals are not great wavers and visitors. The local boats,
vehicles, houses, shops etc do not generally display their national flag.
There is a higher percentage of Muslims in this area compared to the rest of Palawan.
Balabac Town, Rio Tuba and James Brooke Pt. are small towns but with most facilities (local
markets, phone and internet connection, shops selling SIM cards, limited groceries, beer).
There is a permanent Coast Guard presence at all three towns. While not mandatory, they
appreciate a VHF call or a visit to their office with a crew list as you pass through their area.
Clarendon Bay: This bay is very protected - the entrance has significant reef across its eastern side.
Access is easy and once inside the bay there is fringing reef but the centre is deep (approx. 8
metres) and clear. People came to the boat to ask for things and to trade with their vegetables,
coconuts, crabs and shells. They seem to need the most basic things here. They will ask for
sugar, coffee, biscuits, shirts, shorts, shoes, school things, glasses, paracetamol. We found
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them very friendly and grateful for anything you can give them. They did tell us that there are
crocodiles in the bay, so don’t be tempted to jump in.
It is possible to walk to the old Melville Pt lighthouse from Clarendon Bay, but you will need a guide. A
very enterprising 12 year old named Samsoden offered to
take us. It was a quite strenuous walk across the island to
the western coast then north and inland, crossing all sorts
of terrain. We found the people living on the western side
of the peninsula to be very shy and not overfriendly. They
seemed to be mainly Christian (the people living around
Clarendon Bay are Muslim). We met the lighthouse keeper
and his wife, who walked us up the final leg to the
lighthouse and showed us around the complex. She said
the lighthouse dates back to 1892 and was erected by the
Spanish. The tower and outbuildings were in poor repair,
but still standing and very interesting to explore.
Samsoden then walked us back to the bay by an alternative route, through people’s fields and
yards. The whole trip took just under 4 hours and was well worth the effort.
Balabac Town: This is a very small town with limited supplies for purchase. The locals are friendly and
welcoming. Dinghy access can be obtained at the main wharf or any of the small private piers – no-one
seems to mind you using them.
Coboang Bay: This small bay is just north of Balabac Bay, and has a narrow entrance with a large reef
in the centre, but with good charts it is easy to navigate. This bay provides great shelter from SE winds.
We did see a large crocodile moving about the bay, so again, not a great place for a swim.
Candaraman Island: This beautiful island is to the east of the northern tip of Balabac Island. It is an
excellent anchorage for NE winds – very protected by a significant island and extensive reefs, creating
a large lagoon-like area on the west side of the island. We anchored in 15 M over sand and rubble.
There are a few fishing and boat-building families living here. They are not over-friendly but don’t
seem to mind if you walk along the beach or swim in the lagoon, but “don’t steal the coconuts” as the
sign on the beach says. Beware of the isolated bommie on the SE corner of the southern reef around
the lagoon. Watch for the large turtle that seems to live in the lagoon.
Cabugan Islands: These are small collection of mangrove islands close to the coast of Palawan Island.
They offer good protection from the NE wind and amongst them is a good anchorage with almost allround wind protection. We anchored in 15 M over mud.
Rio Tuba: There can be a lot of traffic at Rio Tuba and Pt Iglesia, as the copper/nickel mine here
attracts many large ships transporting raw materials for the mine, and there are large tug and barge
operations here as well.
The river entrance is easy to find from the
north, between a port marker and 2 sand
cays. The entrance is wide and we never had
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less than 4M at LWS under us. The shallowest part was around the old wharf. Past the port facilities on
the north side there is a busy water village with several docks, and on the southern side a few stilt
houses over the water. We motored past the village and the entrance to another creek on the right,
and anchored in 8M. Beware of the mud bank on the right just past this small creek. There is 10M
depth on the left hand side of the river.
There are many small shops in the main street and in the water village. It is possible to purchase SIM
cards for phone and internet, and to reload current cards here. There are also several bakeries. Market
days are Saturdays and Wednesdays, but some stalls in the market area open every day. They sell a
great variety of fruit and vegetables, eggs, chicken, fresh pork on market days (go early – no
refrigeration!).
Dinghy access is by tying up at one of the wharves of the water village. We tied up outside a shop, and
purchased something from there on our way home. San Miguel beer is available from larger shops in
the water village – 530 pesos for 24 stubbies, incl. bottle deposit in June 2013. All streets are unpaved
and there are dogs, goats and fighting cocks everywhere.
There are no police/Immigration/Customs in the town, but there is a Coast Guard house. About one
km away from the market area (50 pesos return trip in a tricycle) is a paved road provided by the
mining company which goes from the main wharf to the mine. There are more shops, businesses and
restaurants along this road.
This road connects to the “main highway” that continues on to Puerto Princessa. There are buses that
travel there daily but it would probably be a long, dusty, uncomfortable trip.
We took our dinghy up the river and explored along the small creek for at least a kilometre (saw a
macaque monkey in the mangroves) – there are a couple of options for “secure anchorages” close in
to the mangroves if a storm developed while in Rio Tuba.
James Brooke: We anchored behind the break wall (which isn’t connected to the wharf!) in 3 M over
sand/mud. It is a small anchorage, fairly open and passenger ferries, coastguard boats and coastal
vessels use the wharf, so you need to leave them room. Not great in any significant wind.
Island Bay: There are several islands in this large bay which could provide a comfortable anchorage in
fair weather, but you need to weave between some patches of reef and sand cay to get shelter and to
be out of any swell. There are lots of fish traps here as well. We overnighted at Ariceffe and Bessie
Islands with no problems.
Mid East Palawan Island:
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We found quite a few islands north from PP to the top of Palawan had resorts on them, or they
were developing them. Some were welcoming to boats (Reef Island), others not (Puerco Is.,
Flower Is. Arreciffe Is in Honda Bay).
Keep an eye out for small fishing canoes out in the middle of nowhere. There can also be fish
traps, bamboo poles and fish nets around. We also saw some large logs floating by.
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Rasa Island: Because of its shape, Rasa Island offers good protection from both NE and SW winds.
There are numerous bamboo stakes in the water around here which sometimes mark the edge of a
reef or isolated bommie, or are used in very deep water as fish attractors. It can be a challenge to
decide why they are there. It is possible to head north from the western side of the island but take
care – there is an extensive reef out from the mainland, and another large reef off the NW tip of the
island.
Narra Pier/Tando: This is the small town on the coast inside Rasa Island. There is a Coast Guard
station here at the main wharf. There seems to be a large population here, and the town extends
inland to a larger town (called Narra) on the road between Rio Tuba and Puerto Princessa. It is 30
pesos for two people, one way, from Narra Pier to Narra by tricycle, where there are bigger shops, a
large wet market, bike shops and even a BBQ chicken shop!
Malanao Island: There is good anchorage to the west of this mangrove island in 6M over mud. There
were lots of fish traps, huts and bamboo stick markers on the southern and SW side of the island but
they were easy to evade. Our approach to the anchorage showed a consistent gradual shallowing
towards the island – no bommies or reef.
Puerto Princessa (PP): This is the capital of Palawan Island and has all the facilities of a large town,
including Immigration, Customs, an airport, manufacturing businesses, large department stores and
supermarkets. Many of the shops and banks have armed security guards at their entrance, though the
place has a safe feeling about it.
The seas at the entrance to PP harbour can be confused at times with varying tides, swell and sea
conditions. Expect a bumpy ride for this area, and if the wind is up, probably don’t tow the dinghy.
Most cruising yachts anchor off the Abanico Yacht Club at the
NE corner of the harbour. It is a good secure anchorage, very
protected, approx. 8-10M depth over sand/mud, and great
scenery all about. John and Cissy at the Yacht Club will make
you very welcome. Look for the blue roof as you approach the
north-eastern section of the harbour. Beware of the reefs to
the right of the small island, Cana Island, which is NOT shown
on CMap, but is actually at 9*45.8’N, 118*43.15’E. The reefs
to its east are shallower than shown on CMap - many yachts
end up bumping them. If you transit a line from the main
wharves in town to the large communication tower on the northern shore, you should stay in deep
water until you reach the anchorage. If unsure, call the
yacht club on channel 72 VHF and they will send a
dinghy out to guide you in. Membership at this private
yacht club is 500 pesos per week. This provides access
to the jetty, bar and restaurant, swap library, small
workshop, a garbage bin, wifi and lots of local
information. There is a small charge for potable water.
The dingy wharf is accessible at all tides. Not to be
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missed is Cissy’s Sunday Buffet Lunch for 350 pesos! Usual meals at the club are 220 to 300 pesos.
Note: Take care of your dinghy and outboard here in the anchorage – several have “gone missing” in
the past couple of years.
Immigration is in a small office on Rizal Ave, near the airport, and Customs is opposite the Pilot
Elementary School just off Manola St. Both are quite hard to find – it’s worth getting a tricycle to visit
these offices.
There are 3 big supermarkets – NCCC has great ham/bacon/pork/beef products, a good variety of
groceries, some fruit and veg (though there is better quality at the local market), beer and wine (from
Chile, Sth Africa, Australia, cheap – approx. AU$3-10 per bottle). Unitop has a smaller food section but
excellent homewares - both have department stores on their upper floors. These are both in town but
NCCC also has a smaller supermarket quite close to Abanico, which is much less crowded. Robinson’s a western-style mall with supermarket, department store, many specialty shops and even a cinema! –
opened in 2012 and is also quite close to Abanico – just a 30 minute walk or 40 peso tricycle ride away.
There are many banks spread out along the western part of Rizal Avenue in town. Metrobank and
Bank of Philippines ATMs accepted our cards.
There are also excellent engineering workshops that will machine or manufacture at low cost – ask
John at Abanico YC for a recommendation.
The public markets in town are excellent – very fresh produce and good prices, but it is very busy.
There are “new markets” much closer to Abanico, near Robinsons, but with less variety.
You can hail a tricycle just up the road from the club. It is a 20 minute, 60 -70 pesos for 2, tricycle ride
into town. It is a 15 minute, 40 peso ride to Robinsons. You can also rent a tricycle with driver for your
exclusive use for 50 pesos per hour. Ask at the club for Rolan. He can also help you to buy fuel and
transport it to the club’s jetty.
There are several very good restaurants along the airport end of Rizal Ave. “Ka Lui” has a delightful
ambience with great decorations, garden settings, excellent food and service. As well as the a la carte
menu they offer a daily “set” with soup, tapas-style dishes of seafood, rice, vegetable and dessert for
395 pesos for two people. Other up-market restaurants are nearby. Fast food outlets are further down
Rizal Ave near the NCCC supermarket.
An excellent day tour out of Puerto Princessa is to the Underground River at Sabang on the west coast.
For 1,500 pesos per person, you are picked up in an air-conditioned van, have the services of an
English-speaking guide within a small group, provided with lunch, beach time, transportation to the
river by bangka, entry fees, etc. It is a great way to see the interior of the island and visit the
underground river. Palawan Holidays is one tour company we used – Ph. 433-8868 or 723-2268.
We did some dinghy-touring while in PP. The large creek just north of Cana Island has several
tributaries and a lot of bangkas anchor there. There are several excellent options for secure anchoring
in typhoon weather in this inlet, and the entrance is easily navigated with a minimum depth of around
4M – see Maps section. The Iwahig River on the west coast of the harbour is deep and wide, navigable
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for several miles, with interesting scenery (huge old trees, the local prison, an old causeway) and great
anchoring options. Unfortunately this waterway has a long shallow bar at its entrance, restricting entry
to any vessel with a draft greater than 1.2 M, though locals may know of a deeper channel. We also
took the dinghy into town, where we tied up to a small floating pontoon along the new esplanade.
Hunda Bay: This area is heavily promoted to
local and overseas tourists. While it is worth
poking around the islands for a couple of days,
we felt it is a little over-rated. Many of the
islands are mangrove sand spits with about 2
metres elevation above the high water mark,
the water is not so clear and it is quite busy
with the hundreds of bangkas carrying tourists to the various resorts and day beaches. There are some
lovely day resorts with sandy beaches and shaded foreshores – Makesi (aka Pandan) Island is perhaps
the best. We anchored there as a lunch stop, but it may be a bit too open for an overnight anchorage.
There are also a couple of up-market resorts where yachtees are not welcome – Arreciffe Island is one
of these – and even a touristy turtle “sanctuary” not far from the Hunda Bay Pier.
Verde Islands: The waterway behind these low mangrove islands offers excellent protection from
wind from all directions. The water looks clean and the people seem friendly, but there are many fish
traps between the islands and the mainland. We accessed the bay via the passage between Nth and
Sth Verde and the depths in this passage ranged from 6 to 18 M.
Green Islands Bay: There are several beautiful islands with good anchoring prospects in this large bay,
but navigation can be hard work with all the reefs, rocks, sand cays and islands in this area. We
stopped at Reinard, Flat, Puerco and Reef Islands.
Reef Island is really beautiful and has some good coral
reefs and white sand beaches. The resort has been
recently refurbished and welcomes cruising boats, but
they ask that you anchor only over sand, to avoid damage
to the reef. There is also a white visitor’s mooring buoy
you can access for 500 pesos per night. They offer a good
variety of meals for around 300 pesos per head and they
have a limited bar that opens around 5pm.
Flat Island is notable for the thousands of fruit bats that roost here, and take off “en masse” to the
south at twilight. They return to their trees before dawn.
Dumaran Passage: This provides an easy way north without having to go around Dumaran Island, but
it is the start of “pearl farm territory”. These farms are not easy to see until you are close. They use
black or white buoys to hold the strings and sometimes floating triangular markers to show the corner
of a field of buoys. Just south of Dumaran Passage there is an extensive field of pearl farm buoys but
the main area of them is to the east of the approach to the Passage, in the eastern side of the bay. The
southern end of the passage between the two pearl fields was at 10*29.16’N, 119*43.57’E in March
2013 - there were only a few strings of buoys to the west of the main channel, much less than in 2012.
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There are some small passages cutting across the eastern fields, giving access to Dumaran Island
without going all the way around the pearl farm.
We anchored overnight to the south and west of the passage, between the coast and a small reef. To
reach the Passage from this anchorage we travelled to the north-west of this small reef, avoiding the
pearl farm altogether, and this small passage was clear all the way from our anchorage to Dumaran
Passage, with never less than 5 M depth. We also anchored on the west coast of Dumaran Island,
between the island’s coast and the eastern edge of the pearl farm, to gain protection from strong ENE
winds.
North-eastern Palawan Island:
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Pearl farms start just south of Dumaran Passage, and are scattered in various bays north of
there. Some are very extensive, and block off easy access to whole islands and bays. They all
generally have a marked passage through them. The pearl farm security people don’t like
yachts near their farms, and will usually ask you to move on. Some of the pearl farms seem to
move their strings about and either increase or decrease their pearl stings from year to year, so
exact co-ordinates of the fields may not hold true.
In the far north-eastern area of Palawan there are many beautiful tropical islands, white sandy
beaches and spits, protected anchorages, etc, but there are also many rocks, marked and
unmarked, which exist off island reefs and in the middle of deep water. Some are only just
above water. Be very careful navigating this area, and probably don’t travel at night or in poor
weather.
Many of the islands have small resorts on them, but they generally don’t welcome drop-in
boating visitors.
North Dumaran Passage: Through Dumaran Passage and around the Capsalon reefs and islands there
are scattered strings of pearl buoys, without any corner markers, to both east and west of the main
shipping channel north. These fields were much more extensive in 2011, with many corner markers
and an obvious path through them. In March 2013 we found quite a few buoys not attached to strings,
and some almost crossing the main passage way for shipping.
A good anchorage can be found here on the southern side of Sth Channel Island, a picturesque small
coral island with sand spits and apparently some good snorkeling off the beach.
Dumaran Island: This large island is quite populated with several large villages along its coast. There
are several deep bays on the southern side that offer good anchorages. Langcan Bay in particular is
well protected and if you follow the channel up into its upper reaches it could be an excellent storm
anchorage. The four islands on Dumaran’s NE corner are lovely and would be interesting to explore in
good weather. Some yachtees avoid the many reefs and pearl farms north of Dumaran by travelling to
Dumaran’s east coast than heading north towards Linapacan or the Cabulauan Islands in open water.
Bay Point Coves: Just north of Dumaran Passage there is a series of coves to the west of a promontory
called Bay Point on some maps, and these coves are very protected and of good depth once you are in
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them. We stayed in the second cove at 10*39.2N, 119* 38.7’E which was very comfortable. The next
cove to the west could be regarded as a very secure anchorage as it provides all-round protection.
Take care negotiating the reef between these coves and the main passage north from Dumaran
Passage.
From Paly Island to just south of Icadambanuan Island there is another pearl farm, well marked with
corner posts. If you cruise close to the eastern edge of the field you will avoid some off-lying reefs,
though a couple of these are quite close to the edge of the pearl lease. The SE corner of the pearl farm
is at 10*42.70’N, 119*39.33’E, the NE corner at 10*46.20’N, 119*38.24’E.
Icadambanuan Island: This island has several very good anchorage options in the bays on the western
side, and we enjoyed the opportunity to explore this area by dinghy. We visited a beautiful beach on a
small island just off the eastern edge of Icadambanuan, and also circumnavigated Castle Rock to the
north. We have found the people on this island very friendly and likely to visit you if you anchor there.
While anchored in the northern inlet we noticed a huge number of fruit bats taking off at twilight. It
took about 25 minutes for the “flock” to pass overhead.
On the south-western coast of Icad. Island is a small resort. Friends called in there and reported the
staff were very friendly and accommodating. They were included with the resort guests at dinner for a
very reasonable price.
Tay Tay Bay: This huge bay has some spectacular limestone islands and islets. Castle Rock and
Elephant Island are excellent examples. There are also many small islands, islets and reefs within the
bay, especially towards Tay Tay town. Several of the
larger islands in the bay have resorts on them and
they are generally not happy about cruising boats
visiting. Apilut Island has a very upmarket resort and
the security staff was quite clear with us that we were
not welcome there. We did swim off the sand spit on
Quimbalodan Island, and also snorkeled on the
fringing reef on the SE corner of the island – this
seems to be a day beach for Apilut Island.
There is a good anchorage in a deep bay at the northern end of Tay Tay Bay, at the SE corner of
Maytiguid Island, but there are rocks and reefs within the bay to avoid. As you are crossing Tay Tay Bay
look for the “Hollywood” style sign over the main town!
The coast of Tay Tay town is fairly open roadstead but
in good weather you can weave between the reefs
and anchor in front of the town. The anchorage there
is tight and open to any NE swell, but dinghy access is
easy and there are quite a few shops and a market to
reprovision. The town is well-worth visiting – it has an
interesting old Spanish fort – Santa Isabel Fort –
dating back to 1667 and the Santa Monica Church has
parts also dating back to that era.
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In the north-west corner of Tay Tay Bay is a smaller bay called Silanga Bay. We found a great
anchorage there in a calm inlet off the village of Maytiguid. The people there seemed quite friendly
but did not bother us. At the head of Silanga Bay is the Tanguinui Channel, which is navigable by yacht,
and leads to Shark Fin Bay. The channel was relatively easy to navigate, with depths of 5-12 M and just
one rock to avoid, at around 11* 02.863’N, 119*33.538’E. This rock is about mid-channel and lies
approx. 1.5 M deep at mid neap tide. One section of this channel would make an excellent typhoon
anchorage, as it is “closed off” from either end by the turns within it.
To the east of Tay Tay Bay and west of Init Island there is another huge pearl farm, which extends
north up to Butacan (also called Flower) Island. There is a clear passage through it (southern entrance
to the passage is at 11*02.6’N, 119* 39.12’E, and the northern entrance is 11* 06.65’N, 119* 38.1’E)
but the farm blocks easy access to several small bays on islands to its east. We did anchor at
Butacan/Flower Island, which had an obviously up-market resort in the SW bay. Security staff from the
nearby pearl farm visited and advised us we could not stay here (though other yachtees were
welcomed just days later!). Around this area there are many up-market resorts on various islands.
Shark Fin Bay: This bay is to the west of Flower Island and north-west of the large pearl farm in this
area. There are several small bays suitable as anchorages, but there are many isolated reefs and rocks
within the bay, so care is needed (we motored over a 3 metre patch where the chart showed depths of
28-30 metres!). There are however no pearl or weed farms in the bay. The southern end of one of
these bays connects to Silanga Bay and Tay Tay Bay via the Tanguinui Channel. There is another
passage leading to the north-eastern tip of Palawan via Imorigue Bay, to the west of Imorigue and
Talaotauan Islands. Imorigue Island – another spectacular limestone kaast island – has excellent
anchorage options on its east and west sides.
Binulbulan Island: This is a pretty coastal island at the top of the east coast where we found a good
anchorage in 7 M over sand and weed, with sandy beaches, nice fringing reef, but in July 2013 there
was a small pearl farm along the west coast of the island! If there is a significant swell from the northeast, it will roll down both sides of this island.
Cabuli Passage: This channel between the tip of Palawan and Cabuli Island is easily navigated unless
there is a heavy sea and significant swell. We found the shallowest depth – 7 m – at the eastern end of
the passage.
Nacpan/Bucana Beach: Situated on the western coast, this beautiful long beach is in the northern
part of a wide bay that extends down to Cape Crawford. If you motor over reef at about 5-6 M depth
there is a wide corridor of sand close to the beach, at about 4-5 M depth, which provides a good
anchorage in calm conditions.
El Nido, Corong Corong & Linapacan:
These twin towns on the far north western coast are
not to be missed. The scenery here is spectacular.
There are quite a few tourists here and the place
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seems to be expanding quickly. We were surprised at the difference between our visits here in 2011
and 2013. However, with the increased building and tourist trade come great bars and restaurants,
better access to Puerto Princessa by air and road, excellent local markets and good internet
connection. It is also still possible to buy some nice pearls at good prices from local sellers on El Nido
beach at sunset. Both towns have good anchorages for differing prevailing wind. The local markets are
on the Corong Corong side of the saddle separating the two towns and the shops, bakery, hotels and
tourist activities are in El Nido. It cost 20 pesos for two people to travel via tricycle from one to the
other in 2013.
There are many tour companies offering tours of the surrounding area by bangka, which cost between
700 and 1000 pesos per person, lunch included. We found it easy enough to do our own tours by
dinghy or with our boat Solita, using a local map (see El Nido Maps section at the end of this guide).
Corong Corong: Most yachts anchor here, in 5-12 M over sand/mud. Some people have found the
holding is not good here, so take care when anchoring.
The local markets are an easy walk from the beach at the head of the
bay. They are open every day but the main market days are
Wednesday and Saturday.
The bus depot is by the markets, with buses heading south for most
major towns at regular intervals during the day. An air-conditioned
Roro bus to Puerto Princessa cost 483 pesos per person in 2013 and
takes 6 hours. Local jeepneys are cheaper and slower. An interesting
day excursion is to catch the bus to Tay Tay, just 60 kms and 90
minutes away, on the east coast of Palawan. The road is pretty rough,
much of it unsealed, but the Roro bus cost just 100 pesos and a
shuttle bus 150 pesos, one way. The old Spanish fort and the Santa
Monica Church are well worth seeing and the drive gives you some
nice views of parts of the Malampaya Sound en route.
In Corong Corong there is a village pump for non-potable water just east of the water village in the
bay. A laundry service is very close to the pump – the Jodylyn Laundry. They charge 80 pesos per kilo,
which was double the Coron rate, and it was not as well folded.
There are a few sari-sari stores and a fuel station
(which sells diesel and petrol) in Corong Corong, but
no decent grocery stores.
There is also a wonderful little beach with shady trees
and a small sari-sari hut selling cool beer and soft
drinks, just 2 beaches around the coast on the way to
El Nido. The beach is great for swimming. The next
beach along has a small day resort on it, but you are
allowed to swim and snorkel free, and use the beach
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up to the fence.
El Nido: You can anchor off the beach here in about 4-5 M, but it is very crowded with tourist
bangkas. Access past the outlying fringing reef is via a marked buoy on the western edge of the bay.
On the western edge of the beach by the wharf is a fuel depot with beach access, selling diesel and
petrol. (Diesel cost 55 pesos per litre in March 2013.)
The main beach is lined with small pensions, cottages and bar/restaurants. The town is directly behind
them, and is now about 3-4 blocks deep. With the recent growth there are now several large grocery
stores, a few stores selling liquor, some boutiques with beachwear and beauty products, a couple of
stalls selling crepes, as well as many restaurants and various types of accommodation.
Food shopping is surprisingly good here, with a couple of large and many small grocery stores with a
reasonable variety of products. Even wine is plentiful and reasonably priced here.
The Tourist Office in the main street has maps of the local area, and the Art Café, a well-known
café/restaurant one street back from the water, also has many brochures with local maps and a tour
booking service. El Nido’s Fiesta is usually held for 3 days in mid March, and includes many local
sporting events, a parade, an Opening Ceremony, street markets and food stalls.
Note: We found no ATMs here in March 2013, though it is planned that a bank with ATM will open
soon. So bring cash. There are moneychangers but the rates are not great. The Art Café and El Nido
Fuel Station may provide cash advances with purchases.
Linapacan Island: This beautiful island is just NE of the tip of Palawan Island and has many bays
and off-lying islands, islets and rocks, so care is needed while navigating around here.
West Bay offers a very protected anchorage and though it is not too scenic, there are stunning small
islands and beaches within dinghy distance. On the southern approach to West Bay there is a narrow
pearl farm with a passage through it and another small field along the western coast of Gentu Island.
There were also some pearl strings at the entrance to West Bay in July 2013. There are two floating
huts within West Bay - they seem to be associated with the pearl farm outside the bay.
South Bay also has a protected anchorage but there were seaweed farms close to the entrance in 2011
and we did not visit.
North Bay offers several good anchorages but there
is a large pearl farm in the centre of the bay. We
anchored past the pearl field in a cove at the
eastern end of the bay, and the pearl farm people
were OK with that. On the bay side of the eastern
headland of North Bay there are some small caves
well worth exploring by snorkel or kayak. Best time
to explore is at half to three quarter tide, incoming.
It is a fairly level 10 m depth over sand and coral rubble just off the caves if you want to anchor there.
25
North West Bay is also very protected with several good anchoring options, and only a very small pearl
farm near the entrance to the bay. There are several pretty beaches and a large town within the bay. A
couple of the deep coves within North West Bay could be deemed “very secure anchorages”.
Cabulauan Islands: This small group of islands are north-east of Linapacan. The water here seems
very clear and the islands are quite pretty, with many beautiful white sandy beaches. Several look
quite uninhabited. There are large villages on Cabulauan and Nangalao Islands which would probably
supply basic food items. The folk we met at Nangalao were very friendly and asked us to visit their
village.
Calamian Islands:






Be prepared to enjoy stunning scenery, friendly people, wonderful sunsets, great anchorages
and no crowds every day.
There are pearl farms and seaweed farms scattered about the island group but they seem to be
better marked with wider and more obvious passages through them than those off Palawan
Island.
There are many dive sites, especially west of Coron and between Coron and Culion Islands.
There are dive shops in the main town of Coron and attached to most resorts. There was a lot
of military action here during WW2 and consequently now many underwater wrecks.
The pearl farms, many fish traps and huts, partly submerged rocks and isolated shoals make
navigation a bit of a challenge, and moving at night unwise.
There are very many small bays and passages that could provide very secure anchorages if a big
storm developed. They need to be explored initially, as often their depth or a reef will mean
they are unsuitable. Some secure anchorages are listed in the Very Secure Anchorages section
of this guide.
We found that in July, August and September many of the resorts close down, as it is the rainy
season and the tourist season is very quiet at this time.
Culion Island: This is the second largest island in the group – it is a large and hilly island with deep
bays. On the south-eastern side there are many beautiful small islands, some with amazing sand spits
on their western coasts. Some have resorts but the more southern islands do not. Ditaytayan Island –
off the SE coast - is relatively uninhabited. It has a lovely bay on its western side with good options for
anchoring during the NE monsoon season, and a large sand spit at its NW corner. There is also a beach
on its NE coast – a possible anchorage during the SW monsoon. The island is said to be “owned” so the
“security guard” may ask for a fee of 150 pesos per night to anchor there.
In the passage between Culion and Tambon Island there are many small pearl fields, but there is clear
passage through them. This is a very scenic route.
There are many small bays and navigable passages between Culion, Marily and Lamud Islands though
you will need good charts to navigate. Some of the small bays would provide secure anchorage in bad
weather. Unfortunately there seem to be a growing number of small pearl fields in this area.
26
The western coast of Culion Island is very attractive, but watch for small bangkas, fish traps and Bare
Rock, barely breaking the surface at high tide! - off the southern tip of Galoc Is.
Culion Town: This is the main town of Culion Island, situated on its north-eastern coast. While there is
very little tourist development the island has retained remnants
of an old Spanish fort on the hill by the church, hospital and
school. Stones from the old fort were used to build the church in
the 1900s. Some of the buildings erected in the hospital district
when Culion was a large leper colony, initiated in 1906, still exist
and there are numerous small information plaques erected
around the town that give information about many of the
buildings – a self-guided historic walking tour of the town is a
must! We found no large stores here but there are many sarisari stores which sell some vegetables, eggs, beer, fruit and
bread, as well as basic groceries. There is also a small market at
the western end of the waterfront. There are several small
restaurants which we found shut on Sundays. The Maya Hotel,
overlooking the waterfront, is probably the only “western-style”
bar/restaurant here. The local restaurant “Aljohn” on the
waterfront is very clean and provides a limited menu but very
good food.
The government is rebuilding the hospital next to the church on the hill, and friends who accessed it
reported excellent service from the doctors and technicians there.
Typhoon Haiyan caused extensive damage to many building in the town, including the church and
hospital. In March 2014 some of the roof of the new hospital building was still damaged, with sheets
of corrugated iron rolled back like a sardine can lid.
We anchored in the cove to the east of the town – there is good holding in 14 metres towards the end
of the bay. Dinghies can be tied to one of several stone piers in front of the town or on a small beach
in front of the Elementary School.
Just north of Culion Town is a series of interlocking bays, some with pearl farms but some are
amazingly empty. There are definitely potential typhoon holes in this myriad of waterways – we
anchored overnight at Kalalalingday Bay. While it does have some reef within the bay, it was quite
easy to navigate with good charts and it is virtually landlocked.
Halsey Harbour: This is a huge harbour on the south-western side of Culion Island with many
protected bays, scenic beaches and islets. When coming across the Linapacan Strait, the southern
entrance is very obvious, with several huge jagged rocks off Alava Island on the left side. There is deep
water through this passage on the southern side of Alava Island. The northern passage is also deep.
The harbour is surrounded by tall hills and there does not seem to be much flat and arable land here.
Unfortunately much of the harbour is very deep and finding a shallow anchorage can be difficult. We
found a comfortable and very secure anchorage at the end of the northern arm of the bay in 15M over
27
mud. This anchorage had another significant advantage – a local fisherman brought us about a kilo of
huge live king prawns and 3 big mud crabs – all for 900 pesos.
We also anchored at the entrance of the
southern arm, over rocks at 10-12 M, and this
was a very comfortable anchorage even in
high NE wind. We explored a long way down
this arm by dinghy – it is very scenic and
protected. We found a probable typhoon hole
about .5Km in, on a stretch of flat mud bottom
at 5-6 M (See Secure anchorage section). Past
this the arm became quite shallow, though a dinghy could continue for .5km or so. There are many
protected bays within the harbour – there are 3 listed in the Very Secure Anchorages section.
Popototan Island: This island due north of Culion Island has a small resort in its southern bay called
Coral Bay Resort. They are welcoming to yachtees but do have fees. In 2014, if you use their mooring,
it costs 200 pesos per day. It is free to anchor, and we found good holding in mud at 16M. There is an
excellent home reef in front of the resort but in March 2014 they charged 300 pesos per person per
day to snorkel, to use their wifi, bar/restaurant, toilets and showers. There is also a small souvenir
shop and massage room, and they will give you a free map of the walking trails of the island at
reception.
Busuanga Island: This is the largest of the Calamian Islands, and hosts Coron Town, the main town
in this region. The regional airport is also on Busuanga Island. The southern side of the island appears
drier than Coron and Culion Islands – it seems to be in a rain shadow from Mindoro and Culion Islands.
The road system is fairly basic and most of the roads are unsealed away from Coron Town, though the
National Highway from Coron Town to Old Busuanga is currently being sealed. There are many smaller
islands, beaches and bays around Busuanga suitable as anchorages for cruising boats in either of the
two monsoon periods – take your pick! Several islands, both close to Coron and further afield, have
resorts on them, and most are definitely yacht-friendly. Many bays have pearl or seaweed farms in
them, so you may need a back-up anchoring plan when heading off.
West Coast: There are some small towns along the south-west coast – Conception, Salvation and
Old Busuanga but they can be difficult to reach because of shallow off lying reef. There are many
beautiful islands just off the coast and a couple has large towns on them. Black (or Malajon on the
charts) Island, just north of the populated Talampulan Island, is an impressive limestone kaast island,
and is often visited by tourists because of its beaches, caves and reef.
Calauit Safari Park: This is situated on the NW tip of
Busuanga Island, on Calauit Island. The island is a huge
natural reserve for African and local animals – an unlikely
attraction, but one well worth visiting. The main attractions
are the free-roaming giraffes and zebras, as well as the 800 or
so cute little Calamian deer. Apparently the park was a
28
President Marcos initiative, to help relocate and protect several species of African wildlife.
There is an excellent anchorage in the inlet between Calauit and Busuanga Islands, and entrance to the
park is within this inlet in a small mangrove basin towards the western end, on the Calauit Island side.
Entry fees in July 2013 were:
400 pesos entry fee per person, 1,000 pesos for the optional vehicle safari tour (around 2 hours) – the
cost is shared between the number of participants, and 200 pesos optional giraffe food contribution.
We toured both by vehicle and on foot, and preferred the latter.
There were also great options for dinghy-touring here. We travelled along the creek that separates
Calauit from Busuanga through to the north-eastern end. The bay at the western end of Calauit Island
has many sandy beaches to swim from, and Little Black Island, one of the small kaast islands in the
bay, has some small caves.
North Coast: The northern coast of Busuanga Island
seems to be less visited by yachtees, perhaps because it
is open to the NE winds, and during the SW monsoon
there is a lot of rain on this coast. There are, however,
many protected coves, bays and inlets along this shore,
and we found the only pearl farms were on the southern
and eastern side of Cabilauan Island, at the bottom of Pt
Caltom. They definitely did not welcome cruising boats
there in July 2013.
There are many stunning offshore islets and small rocky
islands, often with sandy spits and beaches.
The El Rio Y Mar Resort is yacht-friendly with reasonable
fees, great amenities and is in a well-protected cove at
the top of Pt Caltom. For a fee of 200 pesos per day (in
July 2013) you can use their moorings, pool, games room
(pool table, table tennis, volley ball, darts, etc) book
swap library, bar/restaurant, spa and dive centre.
East Coast: While not spectacularly beautiful, this short coastline has some lovely islands and inlets
along it. This area doesn’t seem to be very populated, though the coast would only be 10 or 15 miles
over unsealed road from Coron Town. Minangus Bay has two entrances but the northern one would
be difficult to navigate, with its many scattered shallow reefs and seaweed farms. We found a very
protected anchorage in Minangus Bay after entering via the southern channel. Pt Borac is easily
accessed and its bay provides an excellent secure anchorage.
There are several small island groups off the east Busuanga coast that look pristine, but we did not
explore them. We suspect it may be difficult to find shallow anchorages off their shores.
29
South Coast: This is the busiest area of Busuanga
Island, with the main town of Coron and many
interesting bays, islands and resorts sited there.
Dupuyoi Bay: This is an amazing double bay on the
southern coast of Busuanga Island and due north of
Culion Island. It is a natural river mouth and the
moorings in the second bay are very protected. In
April 2014 the entrance was well-marked with port
& starboard markers. There are three boat-friendly
resorts here.
The Puerto Del Sol Resort provides several moorings for visiting yachts. The fee for the moorings is
250 pesos per day or free if you use the resort’s bar and restaurant. You can even use their pool! The
food is good though some of the drink prices are a little expensive. To book for a meal there call on
0920 2961274, or just walk in. Puerto Del Sol has also installed 5 cyclone mooring buoys in the next
bay, which are available for US$130 per month. One of these moorings has a water line attached, and
you are able to buy potable water for 500 pesos. The river which empties into these bays is also
navigable by dinghy or catamaran for quite a long way, with the shallowest draft of 0.5M at LWS at its
entrance but greater depths inside.
Opposite Puerto Del Sol is another small resort – Al
Faro - which offers about 8 cottages as accommodation,
a horizon-style pool, bar and restaurant in an amazing
setting, at relatively good prices. The buildings are
interestingly quirky, the gardens lovely and the sunset
views are incredible! The owner Jimmy and his wife are
also very welcoming to people from boats in the bay.
It’s best to pre-book meals there on Ph 0908 8658987
or 0920 2949138.
The newest resort, Busuanga Bay Lodge, opened mid
2013 and is very up market with European styling. Its
accommodation includes 6 casitas, 4 deluxe casitas & 3
suites, with another 24 rooms due to be completed by
late 2014. The bar/restaurant, with horizon pool area, is
high on the hillside with great views. Prices here are more
expensive than the other two but management welcomes
visiting yachtees. They have opened a very small marina
with dive shop and bulk fuel. To buy fuel you must join
their “club” - this probably makes fuel purchases too expensive for passing yachts.
30
Just 1km out off the entrance to Dupuyoi Bay is a WW2 wreck – a Japanese oil tanker sunk in 1944 lying in 25M, with the top at 10M (marked with 1 black and 1 white buoy). In the first part of the bay
there is also a post-war seaplane lying on a beach.
The only drawback with Dupoyoi Bay as an anchorage is the restricted internet and phone coverage,
though wifi works at the three resorts. In early 2014 Globe opened a new tower on Horse Island and
this now enables Globe customers to access the internet and phone here in Dupoyoi.
Just one mile or so north of Dupoyoi Bay is the small town of Conception. While there is significant
shallow reef in front of the town it is easily accessible by dinghy. There are several sari-sari stores here
with eggs, some fresh fruit and vegetables and some grocery items. On the waterfront there are two
small resorts – the Pier House and Conception Dive Centre, which has a tiny beach where you can
anchor a dinghy. Just a few metres up the road is Mike and Anne’s café, with very friendly staff and a
great menu.
Pass Island is a beautiful small island about 4 miles south-west of Dupoyoi. There are day-use facilities
there, including a lovely beach and small reef with many clams. It is well-kept but the managers do
charge a higher –than-usual fee - 200 pesos per person, and 100 pesos for use of a shade house.
Tanget Island is another limestone karst island just off the south coast of Busuanga, between Dupoyoi
Bay and Coron. It has several wrecks around it and is popular with the dive boats, but we found a
couple of quiet and reasonably shallow anchorages on the eastern side of the island (see Anchorages
section). The fringing reef is excellent for snorkeling here, and there is a small shallow wreck of a
Japanese gunboat at 11*58.47’N, 120*04.75’E. This wreck gets very busy during the day with many
bangkas bringing tourists. There is a lovely beach on the SE corner of the island, with a mooring sited
in a natural bay in the fringing reef, but this area is apparently private and connected to Tanget Island
Resort.
Coron Town: This is the main town in the island
group and is quite busy. Diving tourism is big here,
with many resorts, dive shops and boats. Tour
companies also offer a variety of day trips by bangka
to places around the area. There are daily flights to
Manila, flights 3-4 times weekly to Cebu and almost
daily boat transfers to El Nido. There was a ferry
service between Manila, Coron and Puerto Princessa once weekly in March 2014. The town is well set
out with many tricycles offering travel within the town for 10 pesos. There is a comfortable and safe
feeling about the place and the locals are very friendly. Best of all, there was no karaoke booming out
all night. The town bustles until about 9pm then it is pleasantly quiet.
Beware of the reefs within the harbour and in Coron Passage. There are also many moorings and some
floating ropes – we caught one unbuoyed mooring line in our prop. The approach to Coron from the
west via Port Usen has fewer obstacles than the southern approach.
Anchoring: You can anchor just off the town, behind the fringing reef in 9-10 M but watch for
moorings, floating lines and small scattered reefs. There can be a lot of boat wash here while the
31
tourist bangkas are working and it is open to southerly winds. Boats can also anchor off the old port
area, just south of the main wharf (depths 12-20 M), but it is also quite busy there.
An alternative anchorage that provides more protection from most winds and that has less boat traffic
is the bay to the north-west of the small island at the northern end of Coron Bay, where there are
many concrete pilings for a future marina. There is good holding here in 6-8 M. The small resort on the
island – Discovery Island – is very casual and their meals and drinks are fairly priced. Their wifi usually
reaches to boats in the anchorage. Alan and Little Mama, the owners, welcome yacht crews into the
bar/restaurant of the resort, where there is a small beach for dinghies. The downside is a longer
dinghy ride to town. Alternatively park your dinghy along the nearby seawall and walk or catch a
tricycle into town. From March 2014 Discovery Island Resort is offering free non-potable water to
yachtees, accessible from a tap by their restaurant. They hope in the near future to be able to offer
drinking water for sale as well.
Dinghy access in town can be awkward with so many
bangkas around. SeaDive Resort has a small water
“alley” beside their building with steps up to their
pathway. They seem to be happy for yacht crews to use
this if you also use their bar/restaurant occasionally,
but watch for floating ropes there.
Provisioning: The public “wet” market (fish, chicken,
pork, etc) and fruit and vegetable markets are situated
around the Plaza administration building and the
central Gateway Hotel off Don Pedro St. There is no western-style supermarket, but many sari-sari
stores and small groceries where you can buy odds and sods. There are two local “supermarkets” at
the eastern end of Don Pedro St and another one called Peechies in a narrow street between the Plaza
and the port, where you can buy most basic items.
For more exotic items you can try Twiggy’s in Real St, which has a good selection of packaged and
canned goods, wine, beer and spirits, though they are expensive. There is also Eurofoods Phils in Real
St - it offers European foods for quite reasonable prices (muesli, jars of various beans, peas and fruit,
mashed potato mix, German beer, pretzels, wine, etc) and Cima, in the grounds of the Ice Plant on the
National Highway, at the airport end of town (frozen sausages, ham, bacon, tinned vegetables &
pickles, cheap wine). Cima extended their range of foods in early March 2014, so there is also frozen
bread, pizza bases, cheeses, beef mince, frozen salmon and other yummies.
There are at least three laundry services in the main street (Don Pedro St), four bakeries, numerous
hardware stores and various other shops and services.
Eating Out: There are many restaurants and restobars in Coron offering mediocre food at variable
prices but we have found a few that we thought were worth recommending.

Sirenettas, on the waterfront but accessed by a walkway from the National Highway – great
location and ambience, with consistently good food.
32




Winnies, between Neptune Dive Shop and LBC on the National Highway - offers a mix of tasty
local Pinoy food and western/Swiss German food, at very reasonable costs
Coron Bistro on the National Highway in town, opposite where Don Pedro St starts – has a
huge menu with many French-inspired choices.
Calle Real, at the Coron Eco-Lodge in Real St – has an interesting and varied menu, yummy
food, with clean and modern furnishings and surprisingly good prices.
Blue Moon Café– on the corner of the National Highway and Rosario St is great for lunch or late
night munchies.
Coron has four banks with ATMs – BPI on the National Highway in town near LBC, Land Bank on the
Highway east of town and Allied Savings and Metrobank on Don Pedro St.
Internet and cell phones both work well here. There are many places to reload your SIM cards. Sin
Tech, on the National Highway, Sinamay, about 1 km east of town and opposite a fuel station, offers
an excellent range of computer services, printing, laminating, book binding, fax and email.
Beer is readily available at most sari sari stores, but check prices as they differ greatly from store to
store. Rum and other local spirits are also cheap and easy to find. Wine is more difficult to buy, and
expensive. Twiggy’s, EuroPhils, Cima and some of the larger grocery stores sell Californian or Chilean
wine. Red wine is more available than white for some reason.
Refueling: You can buy diesel and petrol at the port area behind the main wharf where there is an
obvious but now defunct tank farm. There is a concrete ramp that offers easy access for dinghies at all
tides. In January 2013 they charged around 50 pesos per litre for diesel, 40 pesos for petrol.
Alternatively, you can take drums by tricycle to any of the three fuel stations in town, and load these
into your dinghy at the town wharf beside the markets. In March 2014 diesel at the town’s fuel
stations was 53-55 pesos per litre . You can arrange to come alongside the main wharf for a minimal
fee, and organise a fuel company to bring 200 litre drums down to the wharf for you, but we rarely
saw available space on the wharf.
Things to see and do: The tourist side of things is very busy here but there are some fantastic sights
you shouldn’t miss. The north coast of Coron Island is well worth a visit – either by bangka or dinghy.
The snorkeling areas of Siete Pecados and Twin Peaks actually have some very good coral and fish life.
The Makinit Hot Springs is interesting – accessible by dinghy/bangka, bike or tricycle. The wreck dives
throughout the area should entice divers – the cost of a commercial trip from Coron is not that
expensive. Motor bike rentals are available for half or full day, so you can explore inland areas. The
views from the top of Mt Tapyas offer a 360 degree panorama of the town area after the strenuous
700+ step climb. And of course there are many, many restaurants to try!
Coron Island: The northern coastline of Coron Island, just opposite the town, is quite spectacular
with clear water, many protected and semi-enclosed lagoons, great coral reef, sandy beaches and
freshwater lakes. The distances along this coast make it easy to explore via dinghy, or else rent a
bangka. There are admission charges for the freshwater lakes (100 & 200 pesos pp) and a couple of
the beaches, but the rest is easily accessible and free. Several of the small protected bays would make
excellent storm refuges if the entrance allows enough draft. Most of the bays have a “bar” of reef
33
across their entrances with a depth of around 1.5 to 2M, but there are some without this reef bar (eg.
the left hand entrance to Kayangan Lake and behind the island which lies in front of the western part
of Twin Lagoon). It can be quite busy with tourist bangkas along this coastline but it is worth the effort
to see this area. Barracuda and Kayangan Lakes are amazing (though it’s quite a hike to Kayangan
Lake), the snorkeling areas have some lovely coral (not many fish though), the water is usually crystal
clear and the rock formations are spectacular.
At the northern end of the west coast there are several white
sandy beaches that have been set up as “day beaches” for the
tourist bangkas, but they will also welcome yachtees in dinghies,
for a small fee. These beaches are very clean and usually have a
good area for swimming and snorkeling.
The rest of the island is steep-to, with some small beaches along
its western side and a large bay on its south-eastern tip, which may
be accessible to shallow draft vessels. This island seems to be fairly
unpopulated.
34
CORON TOWN MAP
The main anchorage is in front of the town, to the left of the public market area on the map. Please
note there are many reefs throughout this area and two fringing reefs between this anchoring area
and town access. An alternative anchorage – more protected – can be found to the NW of Discovery
Island, where there is good holding in mud at 6-8 M.
Dinghies can be left safely in the waterway by Sea Dive (perhaps ask as a courtesy, and use their
bar/restaurant occasionally) or by the public dock area, though this is generally full of tourist bangkas.
Fuel can be bought in the port area behind the main wharf.
35
VERY SECURE ANCHORAGES IN CORON TOWN AREA
Note:
All
ancho
rages
have
access
to
them
at
depth
s
greate
r than
4M,
thoug
h
there
may
be
reefs
to
be
negoti
ated
aroun
d to
reach
them.
PU
ER
TO
PRI
NC
ESSA TOWN MAP
36
37
VERY SECURE ANCHORAGES IN PUERTO PRINCESSA
Note: Iwahig River anchorage suitable for shallow draft vessels only - wide bar at entrance has
greatest depth of 1.2 M at mid tide neaps. Curamuran Bay has access depths of at least 4M to all sites.
38
EL NIDO MAPS
Tour company map showing their day trips around the El Nido area. They are relatively inexpensive
but we explored these areas in our own boat and by dinghy with no problems.
39
40
ANCHORAGES:
Balabac/SouthEastern Palawan
area
Anchorages
Clarendon Bay
7*48.9’N
117*1.3’E
Dalawan Bay
7*53.32’N
117*04.42’E
Balabac Town
7*59.5’N
117* 4.15’E
Coboang Bay
8*0.9’N
117*4.1’E
Candaraman Is.
8*4.6’ N,
117’ 5.8’ E
Cabugan Islands
8* 23.8’N,
117’ 15.8’S
Okayan River
8* 30.6’N,
117* 27.6’E
Rio Tuba/Tuba
River
8* 30.5’N,
117* 25.5’E
Sir James Brook
8* 46.2’N,
117* 49.5’E
Access
Easy – watch reefs both sides
of entrance and conflicting
currents out from entrance
Easy
Easy
Holding/depth Protection
Facilities
Excellent –
From all directions but None but friendly villagers will
6-8 M over mud SE to S
probably visit, to trade or sell fish,
veg & fruit. Take trade goods. No IC.
Very good – 9From all directions but None. No IC. Sandy beach at back of
10 M over
NE thru E to SE.
bay, many local gardens.
sand/mud
Excellent –
From all directions
Town, shops, Ph & internet coverage
6m over mud
except NE-E
(IC). Some submerged rocks against
the shore to east of town jetty. IC.
Excellent but
From all directions
None, very few people living here,
deep – 18 M
except E.
but there is an enormous crocodile
over mud.
living in this bay.
Easy but narrow passage thru
fringing reef at entrance,
watch for central reef within
bay
Easy – 1 small isolated bommie Excellent – 15M
on SW corner
over
sand/rubble
OK – circuit islands for depth
Excellent – 15M
wanted
over mud
OK – negotiate around fish
traps, watch depth – it is very
shallow in river.
Easy – enter between markers
and sand cays. Least draft is 45 M at old wharf at river
mouth.
Easy, but it is very shallow in
anchorage behind rock wall.
Excellent for N to SE
wind & swell
Excellent for all wind
& swell
Beautiful island, beaches, snorkeling,
patchy IC. Locals are not overfriendly
here.
None but good cyclone anchorage.
Excellent – 3M
over mud
Fair from NW to NE
wind, some swell
None but IC good.
Excellent – 8M
over mud
Excellent for all
directions of wind and
swell
Town/market, able to buy SIM cards,
reload phone & internet. Cyclone
anchorage, IC. Access to PP via road .
Excellent – 3m
over mud
V. good for SW to NE
wind, some swell
Small town, IC, access to PP via road.
41
Arrecife Island
Island Bay
9* 5.5’N,
118* 9.4’E
Bessie Island
9*4.23’N
118*8.13’E
Mid East Coast
NW corner of
Island Bay
9*6.6’N,
118*9.4’E
Rasa/Tando/
Narra Pier
9* 14.5’N,
118* 24.3’E
Rasa Island - NW
9* 15.1’N
118* 26.7’E
Rasa Island - W
9* 13.8’N,
118* 25.7’E
Malanao Island
9* 26.5’N,
118* 36.3’E
Abanico YC,
Puerto Princessa
9* 45.9’N
118* 43.7’E
Buguias Island
Hunda Bay
9* 55.9’N
118* 51.0’E
Easy from the east, watch for
reef to west of island
Very good –
18M over sand
Accessible from north and
south but watch for reef
patches
Very good – 12
M over
sand/mud.
V. good for SE to NW.
Beach, old resort now not
functioning but security guards quite
friendly.
Good protection from
NE to SE, extra
protection from
nearby islands.
Difficult – should have detailed Excellent –
V. good for E through
chart of area
3-4 M over mud N to W
Next to Arreciffe Island. Just a few
village of fishermen living here – no
facilities, no IC.
Easy – watch for shoals and
rocks in bay
Excellent – 6m
over sand/mud
V. good from S to NE
Village, tricycle to larger town, IC.
Locals seem very friendly.
Easy – watch for sticks and
reef close in
Excellent –
19 M over mud
Good for SE to SW, OK
SW to NW
IC
Easy – watch for sticks on edge Excellent – 13M
of reef
over mud
V. good N to SE
protection.
IC
Easy – circuit around fish traps
Excellent – 6m
over mud
Excellent from N to SE
None
Easy but watch reef to southwest of YC anchorage. Transit
wharf to communication
tower
Fairly easy – need to skirt
around several reefs
Excellent – 8M
over mud
Excellent all round
Immigration & Customs, large town,
club, scenery, shops, cyclone
anchorage, IC.
Excellent – 16
M over
sand/mud
Good from NE to SE
Not an attractive anchorage, but
good base to explore Honda Bay beaches, snorkeling. IC.
42
IC. ?Old Portuguese fort on
promontory.
Meara Island
Hunda Bay
9*53.15’N
118*46.5’E
Ramesamey Is
Hunda Bay
9*50.0’N
118*46.1’E
Makesi/Pandan
Is., Hunda Bay
9*52.5’N
118*48.7’E
Fondeado Island,
Hunda Bay
9*55.83’N
118*54.96’E
Verde Islands
10* 5.5’N
119*13.5’E
Reinard Island
10* 8.85’N
119* 14.7’E
Flat Island
10*16.5’N
119*20.9’E
Reef Island
Green Island Bay
10* 17.1’N
119* 26.9’E
Puerco Island
Green Island Bay
10* 19.4’n
119* 28.9’E
Easy. Some buoys in close to
shore.
Excellent – 16M
over sand/mud
Good from NE to SE
No facilities, but close to main town
and road transport to PP. Good IC.
Easy but watch for reefs to SE
& NW of the anchorage
Very good – 8
M over
sand/mud
Good from W thru N
to E
Just off tourist island of Cowrie
Beach (75 pesos pp to land) and a
dinghy ride to Hunda Bay town.
Easy but there is a lot of
bangka traffic during the day.
Good from N to E
Day beach resort – food & beverage
outlets, great swimming beach. IC.
Fairly easy but watch fringing
reef and isolated bommies.
Very good – 5-8
M over
sand/low
bommies
Very good – 5-7
M over sand
Good from NE thru NE
to SE
Mangrove island at the outer edge of
Hunda Bay. Probably good only in
fair weather. No facilities, IC
Fairly easy – deep passage
between fringing reef. Don’t
rely on CMap.
Easy – sticks and fish traps
mark the reef
Excellent – 10
M over
sand/mud
Excellent – 16
M over mud
Excellent all round
Mangrove islands, lots of fish traps,
IC
Excellent all round
1 beach, small village on coast, IC
Easy access, western side has
an even depth around 14 M
close to island
Easy
Excellent – 14
M over
sand/mud
Excellent – 23
M over sand
Very good protection
from NE to SE
Easy, most reef is to E & NE
Excellent – 23
M over sand
Good from NE to E
No facilities but close to Roxas Town,
which has an easy access and
relatively good shopping. IC.
Resort, beach, excellent coral for
diving & snorkeling. Patchy IC.
Visitor’s mooring for 500 pesos per
night.
IC? Private island with resort under
construction so visitors not welcome
ashore.
43
Good from N to NE
North East Coast
Dumaran Pass.
10* 29.84’N
119* 42.67’E
Dumaran Island
10*28.8’N
119*45.5’E
Dumaran island
NE corner
10*32.70’N
120*00.35’E
Dumaran Island
Langcan Bay
10*31.12’N
119*54.49’E
Sth Channel Is.
10*31.9’N
119*43.6’E
Bay Point cove
10*39.2N
119* 38.7’E
Icadambanuan Is
10* 49.1’N,
119* 37.1’E
Icadambanuan Is
10* 49.5’N,
119* 37.5’E
SE bay on
Maytiguid Island
11*1.08’N
119*37.5’E
Salanga Bay
11*01.78’N
119*35.72’E
Easy from south-west. Avoid
small reef & main pearl farm
east of anchorage.
Care needed to avoid pearl
farm and island’s reef
Excellent – 14
M over
sand/mud
Excellent – 19M
over mud
Very good from NW to IC. Pearl farm workers are not keen
E
on visitors around the farms but may
tolerate overnight anchoring.
Very good from N to
IC
SE
Easy access but anchorage is
between 2 visible reefs.
Excellent – 6M
over sand.
Protected by several
islands, open to SE
thru S to W.
Fairly easy – follow chart to
stay in channel. Seaweed farm
on northern side of outer bay.
Mud bottom.
Easy access from main
shipping channel – watch for
pearl fields & stray buoys
Care needed – extended reef
and shoals
Very good –
11M over mud
in channel.
Virtually all-round
protection. Further
into 2nd bay could be
very secure anchorage
Very good protection Lovely beach, local fishermen living
from NW thru N to E. here. Good IC.
Excellent – 14M
over mud
Excellent all round
OK from west, care with shoals
and 1 deep “obstruction”
Excellent – 20
M over sand
Very good from N thru Large village community, patchy IC
E to SW
Easy entry to bay, watch
fringing reef
Excellent – 1821 M over mud
Excellent for all
directions but NW
Small village, patchy IC
Care needed to avoid rocks,
reef and fish traps in inlet
Excellent – 17M
over grey mud
Excellent for all
directions but SE to W
None.
Excellent for all
directions but south.
Small village, poor IC.
Good, 17 M
over sand
Easy but watch for fringing and Excellent – 6M
isolated reefs & fishtraps.
over mud/sand
44
Great spot for lunch and a swim, or
overnight in good weather. No
facilities but town on coast of
Dumaran nearby. IC.
Mangrove bay - no facilities, no IC.
Small village, cyclone anchorage, IC.
Shark Fin Bay
11*04.7’N
119*34.07’E
Imorigue Island
Shark Fin Bay
11*09.57’N
119*32.86’E
Casian Island
11*1.9’N
119* 43’E
Binulbulan Island
11* 14.8’N
119* 37.2’E
West Bay
Linapacan Island
11* 26.7’N
119* 44.0’E
North West Bay
Linapacan Island
11*27.67’N
119*46.2’E
North Bay
Linapacan Island
11* 29.7’N
119*50.0’E
North West Coast Corong Corong
11* 10.06’N
119* 23.6’E
El Nido
11*11.16’N
119* 23.17’E
Can approach from Tay Tay
Bay or Shark Fin Bay. Watch
for isolated reef and rocks.
Care needed travelling through
Shark Fin Bay. Can also access
from the north, passing along
west coast of Imorgue Is.
Easy, watch shoal at entry to
bay
Excellent – 8M
over mud &
sand.
Excellent – level
bottom at 13 M
over sand.
Easy approach, watch for
fringing reef
Excellent – 7 M
over sand
Easy but have to skirt pearl
farm SW of bay
Possibly not
good holding,
20 M over
rubble/mud
8-10 M over
coral rubble.
Easy, a small pearl farm on
west side of entrance, some
rocks in bay. Anchor on coral
shelf off small beach.
Easy but bypass pearl farm to
anchor further east, to north
of small islet.
Excellent – 10
M in sand/mud
13M over
sand/mud
Excellent for all
directions but north.
None but patchy IC.
Completely protected
from all directions
except from S across
Shark Fin Bay.
Excellent for all
directions but S
None but patchy IC.
Good NE to S
protection, swell from
N will make it rolly &
uncomfortable.
Excellent all round
except for NW
Beaches, IC, snorkeling. Only 2-3
family huts here, but in 2013 a small
pearl farm was established on west
coast of island.
No facilities but beautiful beaches
nearby. No IC.
Very well protected –
open only to north.
Large town on NE side of bay, some
beaches, several options for “very
secure” anchorages. Patchy IC.
No facilities but pearl farm buildings
and village .5km away. Patchy IC.
Caves on eastern headland of bay.
Easy access, shoal/reef in east
of bay
Reported not
good holding,
10-12 M
Good protection from
N thru E & S to W, but
if strong E winds,
bullets gust into bay++
Excellent for all
wind/swell but
southerly
Extensive low reef across the
bay but access past reef via
marker buoy at western end.
3-5 M over
sand/rock
Excellent but open to
N/NW.
45
Large village, IC
Beach for dinghy parking, road
access, small shops, good market,
laundry, fuel, tricycle to El Nido, IC.
Swimming beaches nearby.
Bars/restaurants, shops, airport, bus
to PP, laundry, WiFi, IC
Cabulauan
Islands
Calamian Islands
Nacpan/Bucana
Beach
11* 19.9’N
119* 25.5’E
Nangalao Island
11*25.69’N
120*10.16’E
Easy, stop before fringing reef
12 M over
mud/sand
Excellent from N to E,
good from E to S
Beautiful beaches.
Easy from south but watch for
isolated low reefs in bay.
12M over sand.
Beautiful bay/lagoon between
Nangalao and Magranting Is. Large
village on Nangalao. No IC.
Cabulauan Is.
11* 23.4’N
120*06.0’E
Halsey Harbour
Culion Is,NthArm
11*47.5’N
119*57.8’E
Halsey Harbour
South Arm
11*44.25’N
119*57.27’E
Popototan Island
11*59.6’N
119*51.4’E
Easy access – wide and deep
bay, gently shoaling.
10M over sand
& coral rubble.
Good protection –
open W to SE thru S,&
NE to N but reef stops
swell across here.
Protected from NW
thru N to SE.
Easy access via both N & S
entrances to harbour. Care
within bays - several islets,
rocks, shoals.
Easy access, watch for reef on
corners of middle island. Most
electronic charts are sl. “out”
here.
Easy, skirt round reef on
corners of bay
15M over mud
All round protection
but ?some minimal
fetch from E & S
12-14 M over
rock/coral
Virtually all-round
protection.
16M over mud
or moorings
Good protection NE
thru W to SW
Pamalacan Is.
12*05.04’N
119*52.58’E
Calauit Inlet
12*16.15’N
119*53.07’E
Pangauaran Riv.
Port Caltom
12*10.48’N
120*05.71’E
Relatively easy but several
reefs and shoals nearby
8 M over sand
Some protection but
open to Sth China Sea
Easy access but watch reefs on
corners of inlet entrance and
corners.
Easy access – Port Caltom is
deep and wide. River entrance
upstream from this anchorage
has wide shallow bar
10 M over mud
Excellent protection
all directions except
west.
Excellent protection
from all directions.
Gently shoaling
18 M over mud.
46
Beautiful island with clear water.
Large village ashore. No IC.
Interesting fishing boats here.
Very protected harbour with many
inlets & bays. Patchy IC, prawns &
crabs for sale from fishermen in NW
corner anchorage.
This anchorage is on a small patch of
coral in a deep passage – careful
sounding may be needed to find it.
No IC or other facilities.
Small resort – bar, restaurant, home
reef, walking trails. Yachtees charged
a fee for day use (300 p per person in
2014). Poor IC but Wifi in resort.
Good lunch or calm weather
anchorage only. No inhabitants, no
facilities but good IC.
Very calm, quiet anchorage, close to
entrance of Safari Park. No facilities,
no IC.
Several good anchoring options in
this and other nearby coves. Small
town at river mouth. Good IC.
Dupuyoi Bay
Busuanga Island
12*1.37’N
119*58.9’E
Easy, reef corners buoyed.
Reef across left half of channel
as you enter inner bay. Port &
stbd channel markers present.
Moorings in 3
VG protection all
to 6M scattered directions except W
thru bay. (250 p
per day)
Culion Town
11*53.05’N
120*01.34’E
E Tanget Island
11*59.24’N
120*04.57’E
Enter bay to east of town
between obvious markers
14 M over mud
Good protection from
all directions but N.
Easy, but need to sound
around for bommie to anchor
on – general depth here is 20 –
24 M.
Easy but again need to sound
around for small bommie to
anchor on.
Easy but watch for reefs
On small
bommie at 12M
General depth
in bay is 20M.
10-12 M on top
of small
bommie
On top of a
large coral
bommie at 6M
Good holding in
10 – 14M.
Many bangka
moorings + reef
6-7 M over
sand./mud
Fairly well protected
but open to S to SE.
Easy access but watch depth
on corners of islets
20 M over sand
Very good protection
from all directions
Easy access but watch for reef
off the headlands and a 1M
spot offshore. Fringing reef in
bay.
7-8 M over
sand/coral
Good protection from
N thru E to SE. Some
wind over the island if
NE’s are strong.
SE Tanget Island
11*58.56’N
120*04.99’E
Uson Is, Sth Bay
11*58.26’N
120*10.62”E
Coron Town
11*59.7’N
120*11.6”E
Discovery Island,
Coron Town
12*00.17’N
120*11.3’E
Nth Coron Island
11*56.81’N
120*12.36’E
Ditaytayan Is.
11*43.8’N
120*6.06’E
2 access passages - easier via
Pt Usen approach if coming
from west. Watch for reefs
and mooring buoys in harbour.
Easy access from Pt Usen or
town anchorage. Buoyed reef
on Discovery Island.
47
Slightly more open
than anchorage
above.
Open to S thru SW to
W.
Good protection from
all directions, but
“bullets” off hills.
Very good protection
from all directions.
3 small resorts with bar, restaurant,
pool, all welcome visitors. Bus to
Coron Town (2 hrs). Some phone
coverage and poor internet – Globe
is best here. No shops/markets here.
Small town – sari sari stores,
historical church & fort. Good IC.
Quiet bay, opposite small resort on
Apo Is. Close to shallow gunboat
wreck & good snorkeling along rock
walls of Tanget Is. No IC.
Opposite gunboat wreck and not far
from small sandy beach with
excellent coral for snorkeling. No IC.
Quiet bay, deep anchorage except
for several large bommies. No
facilities but close to beaches. ?IC.
Main town, shops, airport, market,
banks + ATMs, bars & restaurants,
good IC, boat transfers to El Nido.
Longer dinghy ride to town but much
less wash from passing boats and
more protected from NE wind. IC.
Friendly resort with bar.
Excellent anchorage for exploring
bays, lakes, beaches of Nth Coron
coast. No facilities or IC.
Lovely bay, white sandy beach, clear
water, reef for snorkeling, sand spit.
“Security guard” may charge 150
pesos per night to anchor. IC.
El Rio y Mar
12*11.51’N
120*5.93’E
Easy access but watch reefs &
islets to NE.
Approx. 40 M
off resort, less
at end of bay.
Moorings avail.
Malpagalen Is.
12*13.52’N
120*06.14’E
Easy access, shoal on southern
end of islet.
16 M over sand, Poor protection –
less over coral
good for day
closer to islet.
anchorage in good
weather.
48
Good protection from
N thru W to S
Moorings provided for 200 pesos per
night, which allows 30% off food &
beverages at the resort, which has a
pool, games room, wifi, book swap,
restaurant/bar, sat. TV.
Beautiful sandy islet with small arch.
Great for swimming, OK snorkeling.
Close to local resorts, Pt Caltom.
VERY SECURE ANCHORAGES
Balabac/Palawan
Islands
Anchorages
Cabugan Islands
8* 23.8’N,
117’ 15.8’S
Rio Tuba
8*31.6’N
117*24.6’E
Puerto Princessa
9*47.12’N
118*43.8’E
Linapacan Island
Calamian Islands
Bay Point Coves
10*39.26’N
119*38.15’E
Tanguingui Channel
between Shark Fin &
Tay Tay Bays
11*03.07’N
119*33.52’E
North West Bay
Linapacan Island
11*27.68’N
119*46.82’E
Halsey Harbour –
Nth Arm:
11*47.5’N
119*57.8’E
Halsey Harbour –
Sth Arm:
Access
Motor between 2 islands to
anchor behind long mangrove
strip.
Stay L side of river after passing
the town, take left turn at 3way. Should have 3-4 M water
at LWS
Enter creek from N side of Cana
Island at Nth end of harbour.
Ask locals re best access at creek
entrance.
North of Dumaran Passage –
then west - negotiate around
reef to gain access to coves.
Access via Salanga Bay (in Tay
Tay Bay) or Shark Fin Bay. Watch
for fringing reef & isolated rocks
and reef.
Facilities
None, no IC.
Details
Surrounded by tall mangroves, min.
fetch - excellent for all wind & swell.
None, but town is
1km down river.
Good IC.
Easy access through the main
bay – watch for rocky islets and
fringing reef.
Large town on
eastern shore of bay
Careful navigation around
islands, reef and rocks thru
harbour
None but village
1km away
Beware several mud banks on R side of
river past the town. Some fetch from
W. Hug to mangroves for wind
protection.
Past first turn of creek is wide area –
depth approx. 4M. Large mangrove
creek system provides several
anchoring options & variable protection
Good depths within coves and all round
mangroves offer good protection, esp in
3rd cove.
Located in long mangrove-lined
passage, approx. 300 metres wide and
1.0 kms long. Ends “close off” for
excellent protection. Depth 5-10M
Watch for rock in centre of channel.
Tight bay at end of North West Bay –
protected from all directions. Reported
depth of 16 M. Several other small
coves nearby.
Cove surrounded by small islands and
hills within a huge harbour. 15 M over
mud with good holding.
Careful navigation through
narrow passages and around
None but village 1
km away. Small
49
None, but town 1
km away. Good IC.
Small villages in first
2 coves. No IC.
None
Widening section of passage between
tall hills, little fetch. Bottom sounded as
11*43.55’N
119*58.17’E
Halsey Harbour –
Sth Arm:
11*44.25’N
119*57.27’E
Calauit Inlet
12*16.15’N
119*53.07’E
Dipuyoi Bay
Busuanga Island
12*01.65’N
119*59.03’E
Kalalalingday Bay
Culion Island
11*54.55’N
119*58.78’E
Bay between Apo &
Busuanga islands
11*59.5’N,
120*6.5”E
Uson Island Inlet
11*58.74”N
120*10.4’E
reef – generally stay to middle
of tight passes.
Careful navigation and sounding
needed into this small bay & to
find shallow patch of reef.
Minangas Bay
East coast Busuanga
12*09.0’N
120*14.6’E
Pt Borac
East coast Busuanga
12*2.28’N
120*18.89’E
Access by north & east channels
– east one deep & easy, north
channel navigable but has many
reefs and seaweed farms.
Easy access. No pearl or
seaweed farms, no fish traps.
Some fringing reef.
Relatively easy – keep to right
side of entrance. Watch for
reefs at entrance & within bay.
Easy access thru main bay then
keep left once round resort into
next bay.
Access thru narrow but deep
channel. Watch for isolated
reefs within the bay.
Easy access no less than 13M to
bay. Watch for reef on north
corner as you enter bay.
Easy access but watch for
fringing reef both side of
entrance and within inlet.
50
group of huts on
northern shore.
None but village
0.5km away
flat & 5-6M in this section. 18-24M
depth in centre of passage en route.
Fairly tight bay with 2 navigable
entrances. Most depths here 22-24M
but coral/rock patch at 10-12M. Good
protection from virtually all directions.
None but unsealed
Large bay surrounded by mangroves.
road access to
Several anchoring options give excellent
Coron from inlet.
protection from all winds.
Resort with bar,
Deep channel under mooring buoys
restaurant, pool but close to mangroves – 6 to 3M depth.
no IC, bus to Coron. Rest of this bay shallow. Bay closed to
all directions of wind.
None but Culion 2
Medium sized bay surrounded by hills.
miles away.
Level mud bottom except for isolated
reefs. Entrance closes off once you are
in bay. This anchorage at 7M. Fair IC.
None but Coron 2
Entrance deep. Bay fully enclosed by
mile away
hills. May get some fetch up length of
bay. Watch for reef and shoals within
bay.
None. Coron 4 miles Chart says depth 10 – 20 M but not
away.
checked. Fringing reef obvious.
Entrance “closed off” if anchored
towards end of inlet.
None, but several
This bay has several coves within it
large villages in the
suitable as secure anchorages. Some
bay. No IC.
are deep but several have shoaling
ends. Unsealed road access to Coron.
None, but sari-sari
360* protection. This position in 5M but
stores in large
end of bay shoals gently to 3M. Some
village in bay. Patchy people living around bay, unsealed road
IC.
to Coron – approx. 12 kms.