What's up for today? Snorkeling at Siete Pecados Marine Park, and stopping at three different areas of Coron Island: Kayangan Lake, 91 Beach, and Twin Lagoon.
Siete Pecados Marine ParkEntrance fee: Php 100Activity: Snorkeling
What's the story behind the marine park's name? Story goes that seven sisters swam from the mainland and drowned in the area. The seven islets sprouted and are said to be the seven sisters.
Were there really seven islets? Can't say. I didn't bother counting. I was too busy putting on my snorkel and mask, too excited to jump in the water.
PS. Try this while you're at Siete Pecados: Float. Stare at the fish. Don't move a muscle. Tell me if you get jolted by a bite on your leg.
Kayangan LakeEntrance fee: Php 200Activities: Hiking and swimming
The lake is higher up the mountain and this is where the hiking activity comes in. Not to worry, it's just a short hike. The hike will be worth it.
Kayangan Lake is said to be the cleanest lake in the Philippines. It is part of the ancestral domain of the Tagbanua tribe of Coron. The Tagbanua consider their lakes sacred. Of the many (some say seven, some say nine, some say thirteen) lakes that are part of their ancestral domain, only Kayangan and Barracuda Lakes are open to the public.
Satisfied with swimming in the lake, we go back to our boat and find that our boatmen have started grilling our lunch—on the boat. The boat has its own grill!
91 Beach
Entrance fee: none
Activities: Lunch, swimming, spotting monitor lizards
At 91 Beach, we had lunch, took photos, slept, lazed around. What else was there to do at the beach? Oh, we stared at monitor lizards, too.
Twin LagoonEntrance fee: Php 100Activity: Swimming
The Twin Lagoon was our last stop. To get to the other half of the twin, we had to swim through a hole in the limestone (it was low tide; the hole was visible). When the tide is high, you can get to the other side by climbing the wooden stairs.
The lagoon on the other side is called Linunggangan (according to the small sign I saw on the far end of the lagoon). If you have your mask or goggles on while swimming through the hole, you'd think it all got fogged up or your eyes were failing—wrong! It's just the brackish water playing tricks on you.
Careful now, the fish here bite. While a fish bit my leg, my camera bit the dust. (Or should I say, bit the salty water?) Our last stop was also my camera's last stop. Rest in rusty piece, camera.
The Calamian Group of Islands is composed of the islands of Busuanga, Coron, Calauit, Culion, and several small islands. The time we spent there—a day and a half (day one was basically just half a day)—was definitely too short. I want to see the smaller islands and its beaches. Next time I visit, I will spend more days. More days, more islands, more expenses—almost all of the spots in the islands of Calamian have an entrance fee. For now, I will start saving and wait for the next promo fare.
Coron Town and Coron Island:
Day 1: Coron Town
Day 2: Coron Island (you're here!)