Pukaway Cave Coron Island

Pukaway Cave: Coron’s Hidden Underground Lake

Pukaway Cave Underground Lake is a captivating, semi-hidden cavern attraction situated along the steep karst limestone cliffs of Coron Island in Palawan, Philippines, positioned near major landmarks like Kayangan Lake. Unlike the exposed surface lagoons of the island, Pukaway offers a unique subterranean adventure, featuring a subterranean chamber flooded with clear, calm brackish water.

Pukaway Cave

Location and Island Hopping Access

Located along the rugged coastline of Coron Island, Pukaway Cave is accessed directly by boat across the bay from Coron Town Proper.

While headline attractions like Kayangan Lake and Twin Lagoon anchor standard group tours, Pukaway Cave is increasingly featured on expanded island-hopping itineraries and private boat charters departing from Lualhati Park or Coron Harbor. Because boat access near the narrow limestone entry can be tight, visitors often make a short swim from their boat to the shore before entering the cave.

Ancestral Ownership and History

Pukaway Cave lies within the official ancestral domain of the indigenous Tagbanwa people, who have inhabited and protected Coron Island for generations.

  • Tagbanwa Stewardship: Under the Tagbanwa tribe’s Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) granted in 1998, the island’s caves, inland lakes, and surrounding marine waters are legally owned, managed, and conserved by the indigenous community.
  • Geological & Cultural History: Formed over millions of years as rainwater and seawater carved deep fissures into the island’s ancient Permian limestone, these underground chambers were historically respected by the Tagbanwa as sacred, quiet spaces and natural shelters.
  • Recent Discovery for Tourism: While known to local tribal elders for decades, the underground lake has only recently been developed for eco-tourism, with local guardians adding safety fixtures and subtle lighting to share the hidden cavern with visitors responsibly.

Features for Tourists

Visiting Pukaway Cave provides a thrilling, hands-on subterranean experience:

  • Adventuresome Entry: Visitors are provided with protective hard hats before squeezing through a narrow natural limestone opening and descending a steep metal ladder into the cavern.
  • Illuminated Subterranean Lake: Inside, carefully placed soft electrical lighting illuminates the dark chamber, revealing dramatic stalactites hanging from the ceiling and submerged rock structures below the water surface.
  • Underground Swimming & Snorkeling: The cool, brackish water is exceptionally calm and clear, allowing visitors to swim or snorkel past underwater rock formations.
  • Bamboo Raft: A floating bamboo raft inside the chamber gives travelers a place to rest, take photos, and absorb the unique, otherworldly atmosphere of the cave.

Entrance Fee and Logistics

  • Entrance Fee: 600 PHP per person.
  • Fee Rationale: The fee is slightly higher than standard open-air beach stops due to the ongoing maintenance, safety gear, and electrical lighting infrastructure maintained inside the cavern.
  • Traveler Tip: Sturdy water shoes are strongly recommended to navigate the sharp, uneven limestone rocks surrounding the entrance.

Freediving and Mermaiding

While scuba diving is restricted in the lake, the underground environment is world-renowned for freediving and mermaiding. It provides an extraordinary setting for underwater photography, allowing divers to glide past dramatic vertical rock faces and through deep, dark waters.

Coron Freediving : The Barracuda Club for Freedivers visits Barracuda Lake regularly as part of their fun dive tours and special private requests. If you are interested in exploring the lake on a guided freediving session, you can reach them directly at: info.freedivingcoron@gmail.com