updated September 26, 2016
There are three ways to get from El Nido to Coron (and back):
| Ferry | Fastcraft | Passenger / Cargo Ship | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Description | Large outrigger boats that depart El Nido every morning. | A faster boat that departs El Nido every morning | A large steel-hulled cargo/passenger ship that travels once a week |
| Boat Names | Bunso and Jessabel | Montenegro Lines | MV May Lillies (Atienza Shipping) |
| Departure | Leaves El Nido: ~7:30 – 8:30 am | Leaves El Nido: 6 am | Leaves El Nido on Wednesdays: 7:30 am |
| Return | Leaves Coron: 7:30 – 8:30 am | Leaves Coron: 12 pm | Leaves Coron on Mondays: 7:00 am |
| Duration | 5 – 9 hours | 3 1/2 hours | 8 hours |
| Capacity | 70 – 80 passengers | 110 passengers | TBD passengers |
| Price | 1,400 Pesos | 1,760 Pesos | 1,150 Pesos for air-conditioned seats; 1,000 Pesos for non air-conditioned seats |
We’ve posted more information on each below:
You can get to El Nido by large outrigger boat that seats between 60-80 from Coron. The trip takes 5-9 hours, depending on the weather and your boat. The trip can only be made in good weather, as the Coast Guard will stop all boats during bad weather.
Bunso 3 at the El Nido port
You will read mixed reviews about this online as the journey can be tough in choppy waters, and it’s a rough ride crossing the Linapacan Strait between the Palawan main island and the Calamian Group. You can read some reviews of the trip on a Tripadvisor forum here.
The cost is 1400 pesos, plus a 20 peso terminal fee. A small lunch is served, but you should bring a snack. There are 2 companies that operate boats, and they all leave on different days at different times from the port in Coron or downtown El Nido. Your hotel should be able to help you book a boat, many booking agencies in town sell tickets, or you can get tickets at the port.
Please note: the MBCA Overcomer used to service the El Nido -> Coron route, but it has been discontinued as of 2017.
Coron to El Nido
Monday – MBCA Jessabel 2, Bunso 1
Tuesday – Bunso 4
Wednesday – Bunso 1
Thursday – Bunso 4
Friday – Bunso 3
Saturday – MBCA Jessabel 2, Bunso 1
Sunday – Bunso 2
El Nido to Coron
Monday – Bunso 2
Tuesday – MBCA Jessabel 2, Bunso 1
Wednesday – Bunso 4
Thursday – Bunso 1
Friday – MBCA Jessabel 2, Bunso 4
Saturday – Bunso 3
Sunday – MBCA Jessabel 2, Bunso 1
MBCA Jessabel 2
7:30 am Departure
Smart: 0918-967-6837 / 0918-967-6838
Globe: 0915-850-1391
Bunso 1 (80 capacity), Bunso 2 (70 capacity), Bunso 3 (80 capacity), Bunso 4 (80 capacity)
8:00 am boarding, 8:30 am departure
0910-720-8443
0906-637-4258
Booking office downtown Coron/El Nido
Please note: Bunso 1, 3 and 4 take about 5-6 hours to get to Coron. Bunso 4 is a slower boat, and takes about 8-9 hours.
Montenegro Lines has started offering a steel-hulled passenger ferry that takes only 3 1/2 hours, and departs every morning. Here is their ferry schedule, as posted on their Facebook page.
Atienza Shipping Lines sends a passenger/cargo ship between El Nido and Coron every week. The boat is steel-hulled and is named the MV May Lillies.
You can find more information about the schedule on their website.