Mount Tapyas sunset and the Maquinit hot spring

Climb some seven hundred steps to the giant cross above Coron town for sunset, then sink into a saltwater hot spring under the stars.

Area

Coron & the Calamianes

Start from

Coron town

Distance

about 700 steps, then roughly 4 km to Maquinit

Time needed

Half a day (evening)

Best season

All year; clearest November – May

Difficulty

Moderate

Transport

On foot to Tapyas; tricycle to Maquinit

Tickets & rules

Entrance fee at Maquinit hot spring

Why go

Mount Tapyas is the steep hill rising behind Coron town, crowned by a large white cross and a set of giant letters. A concrete staircase of roughly 700 steps climbs to the top, broken by small landings where people stop to breathe and pretend to admire the view. It’s steep and sweaty, but at the summit the whole of Coron opens up: tin roofs, the busy pier, mangroves, and the jagged silhouette of Coron Island across the water.

The best time is the hour before sunset. The bay turns gold, then pink, and the bangkas coming back from the islands leave long silver wakes. Local teenagers sit on the railings with their phones, joggers pass in both directions, and nobody is in a hurry. I shot the last frames of a roll here, then simply sat until the lights came on below.

Once darkness falls, take a tricycle out to Maquinit Hot Spring, one of the rare places where hot water meets the sea. Stone pools sit at the edge of the mangroves, filled with warm, salty water that steams slightly in the night air. Soaking there after a day on boats and stairs, with stars overhead and frogs calling, is about as good as an evening gets.

The story

The cross on Mount Tapyas is visible from much of Coron town and has become a local landmark, especially when it is lit at night. Residents treat the steps as their outdoor gym, climbing them at dawn and dusk, and the hill is a gathering place on holidays. It is a reminder that Coron is a living town and not only a launch pad for tours.

Maquinit is fed by geothermal water that rises through the ground and mixes with seawater seeping through the rock. The temperature in the pools usually hovers around 40°C, hot enough that you ease in slowly. Locals say the water eases aching muscles and skin problems, and it has been used for bathing for generations, long before the pools were built.

Coron town grew as a fishing and trading settlement, and in the twentieth century as a centre for manganese mining on Busuanga. Tourism arrived later, with the wreck divers of the 1970s and 1980s and then the lagoon tours. The town still has a working, slightly ramshackle feel, with a busy public market, fish drying on racks and simple eateries, which I found a welcome counterweight to the postcard scenery.

Getting there

The stairs to Mount Tapyas begin in a residential street in town; anyone can point you there, and many tricycle drivers will drop you at the base. Allow 20–40 minutes for the climb depending on your pace, and set off about an hour before sunset.

Maquinit is around 20 minutes by tricycle from town along a partly rough road. Agree on a round-trip fare and a waiting time with the driver, as finding a ride back late in the evening can be hard.

A suggested plan

1. 16:30Start climbing the steps, pausing at the landings.
2. 17:30Sunset from the cross and the viewing deck.
3. 18:30Walk down by torchlight and take a tricycle to Maquinit.
4. 19:00Soak in the hot pools, alternating with cool air on the deck.
5. 20:30Back to town for grilled fish and rice at the market area.

Where to stay

Coron town is the easiest base, with many guesthouses within walking distance of the Mount Tapyas steps. Hillside guesthouses have views of the bay, at the cost of a few more stairs each day.

Good to know

• Bring water and a headlamp for the descent in the dark.
• Maquinit is quieter later in the evening, after the tour groups leave.
• Wear a swimsuit under your clothes and bring a towel.
• Go on a clear day; cloud on Coron Island spoils the sunset view.