Discover Culion
skip the over-Crowded areas of El Nido and Coron in the north of Palawan and instead head to Culion Island. Situated between El Nido and Coron.
The island was known as the “Land of the Living Dead” and for being the world’s largest leprosaria as there was no definitive cure until the 1980s for Leprosy.
The reason why it was called the Island of No Return is that during that time when a leprous member of the family was collected for segregation, families knew that it would be the last time they would see them.
After its leprosy-free declaration in 2006, Culion’s image has changed for the better. Through the years it has become an alternative destination for those wishing to skip the hustle and bustle of El Nido and Coron.
Leprosy is a thing of the past so there’s no need to be worried about that anymore!
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Top Things To Discover in and About Culion
Location
Culion is the second-largest island in the Calamianes Archipelago, a group of several hundred islands of varying size that are found roughly halfway between Palawan and Manila.
The island is the site of Culion Reservation, a therapeutic community founded in 1906 for the treatment of leprosy (Hansen’s disease). Rice and coconuts are grown on the island. Culion, the main settlement, is located on the northeastern coast.
Culion
A small town and is very walkable. The rich and unique history makes a walk along its streets a trip back in time to the dark and hopeful past.
Culion Island has always been isolated, a distant, hardly accessible paradise. But isolation found another meaning in 1904 when an Executive Order was issued to create a leper colony in Culion, shutting it off from the rest of the world. The patients became the first residents of an ordinary town built under extraordinary circumstances.
Entrance fee: 150 pesos.
Culion Church
The La Inmaculada Concepcion Church is a 17th century church built by the Augustinian Recollects. According to the marker on the site, the walls of the church were taken from the old fortress built in 1740.
The base and surrounding walls of the church are said to be hewn from live corals. The church was later restored and renovated to preserve its structural integrity.
Fort Culion
Right next to the church are the remains of Fort Culion, which was constructed roughly back in 1740 by the recollect Augustinians. There are a couple of cannons here, which were historically used to defend the island. The Fort offers an excellent vantage point o the sea, the town and the surrounding islands.
Agila Viewpoint
The hike up 330+ steps to reach the top of Agila Hill will reward you with a panoramic view of the town and surrounding islands is worth the climb. Large crosses direct the way up the concrete stairs going up to the Christ the Redeemer statue at the top of the hill, one of the most iconic landmarks in town.
Island-Hopping Expeditions
Your best option is to combine all the highlights of Coron and Culion with your own private expedition.
Kawil Tours offers Live Onboard tours, where everything is taken care of including transfers to and from Coron, your transportation the whole time, island overnight camping, guides and entrance fees plus all the meals during the trip.
One of the highlights of Kawil Tours is snorkeling in Crowning Glory Reef, a Marine Protected Area (MPA) that’s one of Isla Culion’s best destinations. The water is so clear that visitors don’t need to dive to appreciate the rainbow-colored corals and schools of fish. Sea turtles and dolphins also have been spotted in the area. This is the best place in the country that I’ve tried snorkeling by far. For those who have limited time and can’t go on multi-day island-hopping expeditions, I highly recommend you go snorkeling here as a half-day activity, as the site is near the Culion town proper.
Culion Accommodation
BingBong Leron Homestay & Restobar
#070 BBL Buillding, Brgy. Balala, 11.89565, 120.017031 5315 Culion, Philippines
Relax, Unwind, And Recline.
Hotel Maya
Situated in Coron, Hotel Maya is the perfect place to experience Palawan and its surroundings. Only 30 km from the city center, the hotel’s strategic location ensures that guests can quickly and easily reach many local points of interest. With its convenient location, the hotel offers easy access to the city’s must-see destinations.
Take advantage of a wealth of unrivaled services and amenities at this Palawan hotel. The hotel offers access to a vast array of services, including Wi-Fi in public areas, room service, family room, restaurant, tours.
Starting from : 1300 pesos
Culion- Tabing Dagat Lodging House & Restaurant
Step into one of 16 inviting rooms and escape the stresses of the day with a wide range of amenities such as non smoking rooms, desk, fan, shower, seating area which can be found in some rooms. The hotel’s recreational facilities, which include massage, garden are designed for escape and relaxation.
Best Time to Visit
Dry season between January to the end of April is the best time. You may also visit Culion during the months of November to December where it is fairly good.
Culion has the tropical monsoon climate prevailing.
How to Get to Culion
From Manila, the easiest way to reach Culion is via Busuanga airport. Cebu Pacific and PAL Express (Philippine Airlines, Airphil Express) all fly to this destination. From Busuanga Airport, take a van (shuttle) to to Coron town. From there, you have three options.
Price Per Person Staring at 1600 Pesos, book early for a better deal.
Operates once a week sailing from Manila to Puerto Princesa & Coron and vice versa.
Price per person starting from 1300. pesos
Passenger Boat. There’s one boat that operqates the Coron-Culion route, scheduled at 1:30pm. Be at the port by 1pm because the seats are limited and the staff is strict in not going beyond the passenger capacity limit. It arrives at the dock in the town proper of Culion. All the major points of interest are within walking distance. The trip back is scheduled at 7:00am the next day.
Travel time: about 90 minutes.
Fare is P180; terminal fee, P20.
Getting Around In Culion
Since Culion is still a remote area, your transportation options to get around are: a tricycle and motorcycle.
Kawil Tours offers Motorbike Rentals for P500/day (self-drive) Renlee at +639455098522.
Tips & Info for Culion
Bring enough cash and withdraw from ATMs and banks in Coron before heading to Culion. Credit cards and traveler’s checks are not yet accepted in town.
Internet get a Globe sim card with a data plan, You can bring your own mobile WI-fi to Culion for internet access. However, the internet connection in Culion is intermittent so most of the time, it’ll be hard to establish a decent connection. Call and text functions are also available but don’t always have good signals.
- Electricity in the Culion town proper is now 24 hours.
- Remote areas of the island still do not have electricity or rely on solar power or generators at night only.
- Be sure to charge gadgets beforehand and bring power banks.
- There’s still no WiFi yet in most places of businesses.
- Tabing Dagat Lodging House & Restaurant runs a small internet shop.
- Have small bills for random purchases like snacks, drinks from stores etc.
- Bring insect repellent / bug spray & reef-friendly sunblock for the different beach activities.
- To avoid contributing to the plastic waste and to save costs on buying bottled water, bring your own water bottle and refill at your hotel or lodging house.
Culion Turismo
