Our second day was a long day of water fun under the sun! :)
While I love the ocean and its underwater beauty, it is also my utmost fear to defy it. I don’t know how to swim and I instantly panic when my feet no longer touch the sand or the ground. So Coron has been quite memorable because it introduced me into many of my first experiences including gaining a little courage to play in big waters.
The HIGHLIGHTS:
We woke up around 8 AM, a little late than usual, as we enjoyed spending the cold morning in Coron on bed. Hahaha! We took our breakfast which were already set outside and we got ready for the day. We were told not to take a shower anymore as we would be spending the entire day in different bodies of water anyway.
The boat was already waiting for us. We went out with our swim wear on, brought towels, sun block lotion, shades and of course, cameras. Note: it is best to bring an underwater camera because Coron is a place of true beauty underneath.
SIETE PECADOS
It was my first time to snorkel for real (because the last time I tried in Balicasag, I was accompanied by our guide the whole time).
“Andito na tayo? Dito na?!” – I was expecting that we would land on a cove then snorkel from there but was surprised that our boatman switched off the motor boat in the midst of the ocean, surrounded by islets. Counted them, there are seven, though one seemed to have separated from others.
This cluster of seven islands is called Siete Pecados, which means seven sins in Spanish words. I think there’s also a folktale about it but I don’t remember anymore, sorry. I can still recall how much my heart thumped that moment when we were told to wear our snorkeling gears and the boatman started to lower the ladder down the water of about 30-feet deep. Seriously, why is there no bay to put my feet on?!
I muster the courage to go down the ladder with my life vest on. After all, I don’t want to miss the enchanting underwater glory filled with wide variety of coral reefs and colorful fishes, clearly seen even from the top of the green water. There was a rope set-up along to guide the newbie snorkelers like me. We stayed there for about 30 minutes.
This area is protected from tourists and fishermen. There’s actually another boat hanging around there to which we have paid hundred pesos for maintenance or entrance fee.
Fee: P100 (included in our package)
KAYANGAN LAKE
Our next destination is Kayangan Lake – grand and postcard perfect – hailed as one of the cleanest lakes in the country.
The route to “splendor” however isn’t as easy as we expected. We had to trek another set of stairways on the way to the lake. We ascended the steps not knowing how much it would take this time and wishing that it wasn’t like the hike to Mount Tapyas.
Our guide, Tolits, reminded us to be extra careful since Kayangan have unevenly shaped steps made from natural stones which are slippery, unlike those concrete steps from Mount Tapyas.
Halfway up, there is a cave and in front of it was the most photographed spot in Coron. So beautiful!
From the cave, the second part of the journey is to descend down to the lake. I realized that we just crossed a mountain. Wow! The sight of the blue green water is already popping into our view and it made every single step through the rocky, slippery trek worth it.
The freshwater lake is surrounded by tall rock formations. Its emerald green color is so clear that it gives a deceptive shallow look at first, but is surprisingly deep once we got in. There are no corals and colorful fishes here but there are lots of lime stones underneath.
Fee: P200 (included in our package)
Since Kayangan is surrounded with tall rock formations protecting us from direct heat of the sun, we enjoyed it too much that we already forgot the time. Our guide, Tolits, reminded us that it’s almost noon and we have to go to our next destination so we can get a nice spot there for lunch.
BANOL BEACH
Banol is a small cove with fine, white sandy shore, sparkling turquoise colored waters and giant limestone cliffs speckled with shrubs and small trees. We headed to one of the free cottages as soon as our boat docked. There’s only another family of foreign tourists beside our place so the beach is free for us to own.
Before another round of play in the waters, we prepared our packed lunch and indulged ourselves first – with steamed white rice, chicken adobo, grilled pusit, 1.5 liters of cold soft drinks and bananas. Busog! The sun was already high and hot by the time we finished and we’re already feeling a little groggy because of too much fullness. So we decided to check out other parts of the island and take pictures.
We stayed for a little while, swam under the shadow of our boat to avoid the sun and had small chit chats and bonding moments. #friendshipgoals
Fee: P100 (included in our package)
TWIN LAGOON
Just as we thought we’ve had enough water that day, there’s still one more – from ocean to lake to cove, now is, Twin Lagoon!
Like Siete Pecados, there’s no sandy beach to land on here, too. I was expecting two lagoons, literally, but was pleasantly surprised that our boat routed through quiet, calm waters surrounded by tall limestone mountains and then, stopped in front of one – the first lagoon. I looked around to find the second lagoon but I learned that it isn’t something that I can see from where we’re at.
Twin Lagoon is separated by limestone cliffs – an outer lagoon where we ported, and an inner one where one has to swim through a hole to get in during low tides or climb a ladder and dive during high tides.
From my observation, the water in the lagoon was the strangest of all. One side it’s crystal clear, the other side it looks blurry and greasy, but in reality, not at all. According to my friends who dipped in the water, underneath feels cold, and a little below it feels warm. Wow! There must be a scientific explanation about it but that we don’t know.
Since playing in these big waters for real is new to me, I didn’t have much gut then. My legs were already tired from swimming since morning so I didn’t come to the other lagoon and just stayed in the boat. I’ll try it out next time, for sure.
Fee: P100 (included in our package)
