El Rio y Mar Resort

Unbelievable hospitality, clean and spacious rooms, environmental friendly. The place is serene which is a great retreat from busy life. From the moment you arrive to the day you leave they are very helpful and warm. It is a remote area but there’s so much to do around! I am very impressed how organize they are during transfers. I would suggest to take minimum of 3 nights so you can enjoy the resort fully. They also offer tours which were really amazing. Rooms are beachfront , I highly recommend if you like beaches as Around Coron town does not have a good public beach.

Our stay at El Rio y Mar was truly magical. The setting was beautiful with incredible snorkeling all around. The staff was just wonderful—everyone was so helpful and friendly. The rooms and facilities were beautiful and clean. Food was delicious and there was a ton of variety. It’s clear that a lot of thought and effort has been put into giving guests a memorable experience. We cannot wait to go back!

We stayed for a weekend to explore Coron before flying home to the States. Our only complaint is that we wish we had more time! The resort is lush and beautifully maintained. Given the climate and the close proximity to the mangroves we expected far more mosquitos and insects but we were pleasantly surprised. The rooms are rustic but well appointed and the AC unit works well. We loved our cedar cabin (room #1) and enjoyed watching storms roll in from the porch. We liked its proximity to the pool, dock, and restaurant. We took advantage of the all day Coron Island tour and had a wonderful day with Darren as our kind and knowledgeable tour guide. The crew prepared a fantastic lunch on board and the lakes and lagoons were all beautiful for swimming and snorkeling. From the warm mabuhay song as we disembarked to the stellar service throughout our stay from every staff member, we loved our stay.

This must be the warmest, most gracious, happiest place on earth. The service is tremendous, the food is incredible, and the space is beautiful. The cabins invite you to relax and drift into the calmness of this perfect get-away. I loved my time here, and the best part was the lovely people of the Philippines.

Absolutely the best time we had in the Philippines. Everything from the restaurant service, the food, the hospitality of the reception and of course the dive shop all located in one place. Thank you Vanessa for extending our stay, and Brian for making our snorkeling experience the best. Thank you also to the entire staff for being so friendly and hospitable. The El Rio y Mar Resort will be in our memories forever! 😊❤🐠
Mary and Scott Williams

What a wonderful stay in paradise.

From the moment you arrive to the moment you leave, the staff are so gracious and attentive. You’re welcomed with a lovely cold drink on arrival (and the staff entertain you with a welcome song), then shown to your room.

The room was sumptuous and comfortable. The air con is great, the shower is hot, the bed is huge. If you have a ground floor room, your balcony leads into the ocean.

The grounds are spotlessly cleaned and I had great fun following the massive monitor lizard who sunbathes on the path in the morning.

I was travelling solo but it’s also a very romantic spot for couples.

The food selection is huge and I didn’t have a disappointing meal once. In the evenings there is an acoustic guitarist who will go around each table playing covers of songs. He’s great!

They have various activities available, like kayaking, snorkelling, SUP, karaoke, snooker. And also offer a range of day excursions as well.

I was there primarily for the diving. They have a house reef which has a lot of coral. The reason to dive here, though, is for the trip to see the dugong, and to the second best dive site in the Philippines- Apo Reef.

It was a wonderful one week vacation we just came back from. And we miss the team already. You don’t need to worry about anything - all will be taken care of (also airport transfers). From the moment you arrive, you‘ll be treated fantastic from the well trained staff. Our cedar cabana was very clean and roomy and right at the beach. Happy hour at the bar was amazing and a great way to connect with other guests. A la carte lunch/dinner is reasonably priced and tasty. Dive instructors are one of the best I experienced and I was so happy that my kids could experience scuba with such a great team. Why go to the Maldives when you have a way better experience in the Philippines at El Rio y Mar.

We just had an absolutely wonderful stay at the resort- everything was impeccable from the rooms, the transport, the logistics, and the staff ready to help us at any point. We had a last minute cancellation for another trip, and they were able to coordinate several rooms last minute with about 1 hour heads up. The dive shop is incredible, they were flexible and able to accommodate 10+ divers last minute as well. Dive guides excellent, and the food and service was top notch. If and when we go back to Coron, there's no where else on the island we'd stay. Looking forward to going back!

We booked this accommodation for a couple days because we wanted to relax and get away from busy Coron town proper. The staff are super accommodating and the atmosphere is very relaxed. There is snorkelling off the pier with some decent reef life, kayaking, paddle boarding, and two pools. There are options for half day and full day snorkelling/island hopping tours and scuba diving. They also have some spa treatments available as well.

Exceptional hospitality ! The staff goes out of their way to be helpful. The Dugong dive center was a highlight, we spotted a Dugong and swam with it for 5 minutes, this trip is a must do for a nature lover. They are also very respectful of the islands and regulations to protect the reef. The bar had great service. Thanking Jemery for the amazing drinks (must try the Maldita with Calamansi liquer), Darrell made sure we enjoyed our half day island hopping tour - add this to your itinerary if you would like to experience different corals and landscapes. Christen was very helpful during the Dugong snorkel - making special videos with our go pro after free diving. And special thanks to cherry the intern - for handling our checkin checkout like a pro ! We were glad to be welcomed with a live song and be serenaded like all guests at dinner, what a dedicated caring team !! We did not feel like leaving at all. Tip : we were in native cabana 13, this is right by the beach and you can see crabs and fish by your cabana in the evenings, sound insulation with the neighbouring cabana was not top notch (probably because these were connected villas) - but it really wasn’t a big problem :) Choose el rio y mar without any doubt Tip 2: if you have any intolerances, the resort caters to your needs with utmost care. Dairy and fish allergies were taken care of even in our packed meals for snorkelling trips. Thank you all for a great stay.

The best hotel in all the Philippines. Great location, with its private beach where you can do snorkeling, kayak, paddle surf, water ski. It has a bar that its amazing, specially at night. The food is good, not that much for breakfast. It has a gym, play room, and the rooms are really good. Nothing to complain. And of course. Great service. They welcome you singing.

Words alone cannot describe the absolute serenity of this place. From the moment the boat approached the dock I could tell that I made the right choice. The water surrounding the island was beautiful and so clear, I was in complete awe of the natural surroundings and extremely grateful for the opportunity to be able to experience it for the 4 days we were there.

Getting to the resort was a breeze with their airport shuttle service. As soon as we walked outside the airport, we were met by the driver who drove us to the port, where we transferred on to the boat that took us to the resort. The staff have been amazing throughout our entire stay. They welcome you with a song as you arrive at the dock and brief you about the facilities and activities available during your stay (many of which are completely free of charge). There was always someone available to assist us whenever we had a question. I especially want to thank Jemery for being so attentive every time my girlfriend and I stopped at the bar on the dock. We usually drink our beers with lemon and salt which he brought out for us and then topped up when he saw our lemon slices dwindling before we even asked. He also would stop to answer my questions about what type of fish I was seeing in the water. Thank you for everything Jemery!

When it comes to activities, the only obstacle was not having enough time to do them all! There was plenty to do both on the island and off. For those who just want to stay on the island, there are kayaks, snorkeling equipment, and paddle boards available for use at no cost. They also have a hiking trail where you can get some beautiful shots of the island and its surroundings. They also have billiards, table tennis and volleyball as well as darts and a karaoke room. They offer diving experiences both near the resort and dugong watching a little further off. We only had enough time for one full day tour so we were unable to try the diving, but I hope to come back and experience it next time. They offer plenty of guided tour options (private and group options available) which we did take advantage of and I highly recommend. Darren was our tour guide and was very informative and supportive with us. This was our first snorkeling experience so we were a little scared at first but Darren completely changed that. Thank you Darren!

Dining options at the resort were plentiful with both international and local dishes. I absolutely loved their Bihon Guisado (rice noodles with chicken and vegetables) and Kare-Kare (pork cooked in a peanut sauce served over a bed of grilled vegetables and a side of rice). The live music at dinner was the perfect extra touch for an unforgettable experience. You can also get a range of snacks at the shop and any other essentials you might need such as sun screen, shampoo or conditioner (which saved my life since I had forgotten to pack mine).

Keep your eyes peeled around the resort for some cool sightings of wildlife. I saw a little monitor lizard walking over the path to get to the trees which was a nice bonus to the beautiful fish and corals I saw while snorkeling.

All in all, excellent stay that felt like luxury at reasonable rates. I highly recommend this place and can't wait to visit again next year hopefully.

Had a trip of a lifetime for a family of six. We booked the premium cedar Cabana and my parents had the native Cabana. It was certainly one of the best hotels we've ever stayed at due to its privacy and exclusivity. It's away from the hustle and bustle of the main city of Coron or very busy places like Boracay.

Love how their theme is focused on the Filipino culture based on their interior and exterior designs. They even had a cultural performance to entertain, while educating guests on the culture!

The staff was super amazing as they redefine Filipino hospitality! They were very personable from the private airport van/boat pick up, to the warm welcome performance, to the bar/restaurant, staff, to front desk, and the room attendants. They even had a heartfelt goodbye song as we departed, while the owner personally said goodbye to us as we get picked up by our land transfer. The greatest highlight was the half-day tour (island hopping), which we had the islands for ourselves!

The only opportunity I could think of was there was no hot water during our final night and also saw a few ants inside the cabana (although in a setting that has more nature that may be the norm)

Overall a wonderful experience at El Rio Y Mar and will definitely be back the next time we travel to Palawan!

This is a resort on a remote island. That said, there is nothing to want for.
We did 6 days here, longer than most, but add in the tours, diving and outdoor activities, and that time is just right.
Wifi is great, and with cell coverage, your suitably connected to conduct necessary business - if you have too!

I was skeptical at first because I thought El
Nido resort was the best. But when we arrived at El Rio Y Mar, we were in awe. The resort’s name was true to its meaning. The staff was excellent and made our stay so magical. We are just regular tourists but we felt we were VIP’s. Everyone was excellent - from the manager, Menchie, down to the crew. I cannot remember all the names but these people stood out the best, Andrew, Eric, Mikaela, the front desk staff , the restaurant, the welcome crew, and Rommel (the hired Banca helper). Kudos to the whole crew and good luck “pa more” to the resort!

1) Hospitable and attentive
2) Pick up van is waiting when we arrived in the airport
3) nice view with banana cake snack and bottled water in their own private boat
4)Welcoming serenade and drink upon arrival
5)still water beach: as if u r swimming in a lake, no waves at all
6) room is modern, cold AC, ortho king bed and small single bed in our room, with big walk-in closet and spacious CR/shower
7) No TV, no telephone/intercom, wifi strongest near front desk, farther rooms get 2 bars and maybe less. We get 2 bars in our room situated in the middle, don't know if they have mesh for the fathest rooms
8)in-house 3rd party professional divers: Dugong Dive Center
9) netted beach swimming area with soft powdery sand like Boracay with a flaw: too many tall sea weeds/sea grass. They did not bother to remove them inside the netted area. Water is shallow around 4 ft high the deepest, great for kids if the management bothers to remove the sea grass inside the netted swimming area
10) Recommend 4 days stay if u want to dive with the Dugong coz u need a full day for the Dugong Dive experience and another day for the island hopping
11) Nice infinity swimming pool, but exposed to the sun. Apply plenty of sunblock

I would give this resort more than five stars if I could. First, the customer service was great. When you need something the staff are always there for you. Next, the room was so clean and have everything u need plus the view of the ocean. The whole vibe of this resort was great. It’s so peaceful and such a relaxing place. The location is a bit far from town but that’s the beauty of it because you’re away from the big crowd which I love. Overall, our stay was very relaxing and we felt comfortable wherever we went around the resort. By far, this is one of the best private resorts I ever stayed in. We definitely recommend this place for a nice relaxing vacation in Coron. Shoutout to everyone who helped us have a great stay at this resort, from our tour guide, the manager, the front desk ladies and the restaurant crew. You are all the best! Thank you so much for everything ❤

Very nice Resort. Good food, The workers are Very Kind and helpful. Specially Ms. Chenee is the Best.

Excellent experience from start to finish. Service was impeccable, they know what you want before you even want it. Food was AMAZING and servings were way too big. The only complaint I have are with the rooms - we had a native cabana and the walls were SO THIN, you could hear every single word your neighbor is saying even if they're not shouting.

The resort was so peaceful. It could also be the fact that we went there in July and there was no one there. There was one day we had the whole place to ourselves and didn't see any other guests. The room we booked was the Native Cabana, so naturally, it didn't look impressive. But the view outside of it was breathtaking. In the mornings when it was high tide, the water was right in our steps. A note though, the water by the beach wasn't that great especially when low tide. Lots of sea urchins and sometimes looked murky. Also there were box jelly fishes in shallow waters so best to go swimming from the port where the water is deeper. Breakfast was great the first day, it was a buffet. But then they turned it to a la carte on days where there's 25 guest or below. I understand though, need to limit food waste. But overall, we just enjoyed the pool and the beach, went kayaking and snorkelling. Had drinks by the port bar, played some pool, and just went completely lazy.