Barracuda Lake feels like a dream world. The entrance to the lake leads you along a path that winds through jagged rocks that look straight out of a movie before they reveal the beautiful, expansive Barracuda Lake. The lake is huge but swimmers enjoy an enclosed area of free-diving paradise in the deep waters. Underwater cliffs will blow your mind as you snorkel or free dive in this fresh-water lake in Coron Island.
FREEDIVING AT BARRACUDA LAKE
We parked our boat in a beautiful little bay and jumped off onto the boardwalk. It honestly feels like a movie set. The limestone rocks in Coron look like they are straight out of a horror film as they are just so sharp! Back in the day there was no boardwalk and you needed to clamber over the rocks but today with new safety measures and increased number of visitors a beautiful boardwalk and stairs guide you towards the lake.
When we arrived just at midday (trying to get in while everyone was eating lunch), there was only one other group there. When we left there were about 50 people in the lake. Either way it didn’t bother us much as most people just snorkel and we had come to freedive near the cliffs.
We headed over the left of Barracuda Lake with our life-jackets on (compulsory) and then placed them on the rocks behind sight of the lifeguard.
Disclaimer: I don’t advise you do this unless you are willing to go against the rules and know your swimming capabilities. I know these rules are in place for the majority of tourists, many of whom cannot swim at all. I follow most rules when possible but free-diving fairly shallow here is something I felt posed no risk for me and what the lifeguard didn’t know didn’t hurt him.
We were now ready to enjoy the underwater playground of Barracuda Lake and took turns free-diving amongst the jagged cliffs below the surface. It is like another planet and even if you only snorkel on this side of the lake you will still enjoy the incredible landscape underwater at Barracuda Lake. This is a video I made at Barracuda Lake and Kayangan Lake, which has similar underwater cliffs.
WHERE IS BARRACUDA LAKE
Barracuda Lake is located on Coron Island. Coron Town is where all of the tourists stay is actually on Busuanga. It gets a little confusing but all you need to know is that you will be staying in Coron Town and taking a boat over to Barracuda Lake and Coron Island to visit all of the other lagoons, snorkel spots and shipwrecks. You can see where Barracuda Lake is in relation to Coron Town (Busuanga).
HOW TO GET TO BARRACUDA LAKE
The simple answer about how to get to Barracuda Lake is: by boat
You will most likely be staying in Coron Town, which is where the hotels, bars, restaurants, and airport is located.
The next question is about which boat. There are lots of tours available and they range in price. Options are a full-day island hopping tour or rent a private boat.
BARRACUDA LAKE TOUR PACKAGES
Barracuda Lake is part of Island Hopping Tour ‘B’. This means that as a solo or budget traveler you can visit Barracuda Lake as well as multiple other locations on a day tour for less than $25 including lunch! I highly recommend Tour B and of course Tour A and have done them both.
To book your ISLAND HOPPING B TOUR you can Click Here to check the availability and book online (It’s just $20 USD)
- It includes Barracuda Lake, Banol Beach, Snorkel at Skeleton Wreck, Twin Lagoon
BARRACUDA LAKE ENTRANCE FEE
Your entrance fee for Barracuda Lake is most likely organized by your tour operator but the system is not that you need to buy the tickets in town before you arrive. They are trying to regulate things more these days so that is how it works. The fee is 150PHP per person, which is $3 USD.
WHERE TO STAY IN CORON TOWN BEFORE YOUR CORON ISLAND HOPPING TOUR
Read my full blog post: Best hotels, hostels, and resorts in Coron
Save money in Coron by staying at an Airbnb! Get a FREE $40 Airbnb Coupon by using my code when you book! I use Airbnb on about half of my travels and find you always get more value than a hotel.
Coron Town is the base for all of your adventures in Coron. In Coron Town you have the bars, restaurants, transport, places to book tours and you are close to Mt. Tapyas and Maquinit Hot Spring. It is also just a $3 shuttle to the airport. Below are my three picks plus one all-inclusive resort (I’ve stayed multiple times) that includes private island hopping.
Budget Pick: Fat Monkey Hostel – The Fat Monkey Hostel has great vibes and you can get a really cheap dorm room or a basic double room at pretty much the lowest price in Coron. It is in the city center so you are close to all the bars and restaurants.
Value Pick: Kokosnuss Garden Resort – A huge swimming pool in front of a hotel that looks like a castle. A highly-rated breakfast is included with your private room. For just $40 a night this represents about the best value you will find in Coron.
Luxury Pick: Coron Soleil Garden Resort – I stayed at this resort in 2018 and it was incredibly nice. A huge pool stretches down the length of the resort and it’s a relaxing place to chill out after island hopping. The rooms are very luxurious but this resort is actually only just over $100 per night for a double room.
All-inclusive (Includes private island hopping): Casa Fidelis Resort – I had the most amazing stay at Casa Fidelis. The villa had a large patio area that looked out over the garden. Stepping stones led you from the room to the dining area, where we had decadent spreads of gourmet food for every meal. Casa
I highly recommend this resort if you are looking for an entire Coron experience. You won’t have to worry about what to do in Coron. It is a perfect resort if you want to see the best of this beautiful region and you can also enjoy the luxury of having every detail taken care of.
ARE YOU KEEPING UP WITH MY CORON SERIES?
If you want to experience best island-hopping tour in Coron (4 Days & 3 Nights), which includes camping on private islands, all meals, drinks and parties then you can check out my Big Dream Boat Man Coron Tour Review.
I’ve been to Coron three times and have written a huge guide about all the amazing things you can do in Coron. The list is now up to 22 different spots which you can catch in my Coron Travel Guide: 22 Awesome Things To Do
Only have a few days in Coron and want to know how best to spend your valuable time? I’ve written a detailed Coron Itinerary for 3-4 days that will help you plan out your days and activities.
If you are wondering about where I suggest for accommodation and where I have stayed, I wrote a blog post about the Best Places to Stay in Coron. It’s a pretty detailed list with budget, luxury and value picks.
Aside from the island hopping there are two must-do activities. The first is the Maquinit Hot springs and the second is climbing up Mt. Tapyas for the best view in Coron.
Or you might want to jump to a few of my favorite spots in Coron:
Blog post about Kayangan Lake
Blog post about Black Island
Blog post about Barracuda Lake
Blog post about Lusong Gunboat