Pass Island In Coron, Palawan: Complete Guide

PASS ISLAND: THE COMPLETE GUIDE

Pass Island in Coron, Palawan is a quiet getaway with clear blue waters, white sandy beaches, and lots of palm trees. It’s a bit off the main tourist path, which means it’s less crowded. The clear waters around the island are great for snorkeling and diving because of the colorful coral and fish. If you’re looking for a relaxed beach day away from the hustle, Pass Island is a good pick.

3 POPULAR CORON TOURS

• Coron Island Hopping Trip: The iconic boat trip to amazing Kayangan Lake & Barracuda Lake. Best value and most popular
• Coron Tour B: Barracuda Lake Snorkel, Banol Beach, Twin Lagoon & Skeleton Wreck. This is my favorite island hopping in Coron and is the snorkeling paradise & active tour.
• Coron Tour C : Malcapuya Beach, Ditaytayan Sandbar and more. This tour is about beaches, sandbars and chilling out!

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WHERE IS PASS ISLAND

Pass Island is a small island off of Busuanga in Palawan, Philippines located near the Calamianes Islands. It is about 1.5-2 hours by outrigger boat from Coron Town. I have pinned it on the map below so you can understand where it is in relation to Coron Town (Busuanga).

HOW TO GET TO PASS ISLAND

There are two main ways to get to Pass Island and I’ll share them all but I personally visited on a tour with Big Dream Boat Man on a 3-day expedition of Coron.

1. From Busuanga (Coron Town): From Coron Town there is one great Coron Island Hopping & Snorkelng Tour, which includes a visit to Pass Island OR you can do the Coron Private Speedboat Full-Day tour. The regular tours such as the Coron ‘Ultimate’ Island Hopping Trip include the classic spots like Kayangan Lake and Barracuda Lake.
2. Big Dream Boat Man (How I visited): Big Dream Boat Man is a 3-night Coron island hopping tour expedition that is different from the rest. Instead of battling the crowds, the sea of life-jackets and the lines, Big Dream Boat Man takes you to the hotspots such as Kayangan Lake and Twin Lagoon before the crowds come. After spending one day at the hotspots, Big Dream Boat Man veers away and guides you on an expedition to some of the hidden gems such as Pass Island and off-the-beaten-path locations in Coron, which in my opinion were equally as impressive if not more so than the famous spots on Coron Island. We free-dived at WWII shipwrecks, camped on secluded beaches, swam with stingrays, counted the stars from the beach at night and ate like kings during our island hopping tour with Big Dream Boat Man.

   If you want to read the big blog post about my Big Dream Boat Man 4-day journey you can head over to read that by clicking here.

ACCOMMODATION ON PASS ISLAND

On Pass Island, you can camp or rent one of the bungalows for about 1000 PHP per night, which is about $20 USD. Inside the bungalow is a fan, a mattress, pillow, sheets, light and an electrical outlet. To be honest that is all the essentials right there and might we could have a great night sleep, charge our gear and be ready for another day of exploration.

I had a really great nights sleep here on Pass Island and woke up for sunrise feeling relaxed and ready to go. Note: There are also bathrooms including showers and toilets for your use while on the island. 

WHEN TO VISIT PASS ISLAND

When we arrived it was perfectly in the golden hour, no-one else was on the island and it was truly a tropical paradise. Our boat pulled in and we sat beneath the coconut trees and watched the pastel sky before relocating to the hill to watch the final moments of sunset. The isolation of this island paired with its white sand, coconut trees, and incredibly calm atmosphere make this one of the most beautiful spots to visit near Coron Island.

It’s best to visit in the dry season not only for the weather but for the calmer seas. In the wet season, the ocean can be unpredictable and big waves can be tough to handle in the outrigger. During the day the island can get busy. With our Big Dream Boat Man trip, we didn’t see any other tourists because we arrived just before the end of the day and left after sunrise to enjoy the best moments on the island with no crowds.

WHAT TO DO ON PASS ISLAND

• Basketball and volleyball court: We had a great basketball match with our guides on the court here at Pass Island
• Sunset Viewpoint: At the back of the island is a little hill that looks out over the ocean towards the sun and is the perfect spot to grab a beer and watch the sunset.
• Snorkeling: Like all spots in Coron, there is some great snorkeling to be done near Pass Island with corals and fish plentiful.
• Hanging out on the beach: With beautiful white sand and coconut trees, Pass Island is the perfect place to relax, read a book and work on your tan.
• Flying: If you are fortunate enough to have a drone, Pass Island is spectacular from the air and you will get a unique perspective of just how amazing the reef and water clarity is.