Culion Sights and Landmarks Guide, Philippines

Culion is the newest island municipality of Palawan. This growing town was once a home or isolation colony of lepers coming from different provinces around the country. Culion Island covers a total land area of 389 square kilometers full of mountains and peninsulas offering the best works of nature.

The Municipal Tourism Office of Culion offers a warm greeting to their visitors by offering well-knowledgeable tourist guides who are ready to give assistance and complete information about Culion. The office offers motorcycles and ATVs available for rent that can be used by the tourists in touring around the former leper colony. Inside the colony are the old buildings, laboratories and facilities that were used by the patients and the medical staffs.

One of the former colony offices was transformed into Culion Museum that exhibits the pictures and artifacts of the former sanitarium. One can feel the grievances and the life of the leper inmates through the pictures and videos in the museum. The museum also holds the complete records of the admitted patients since their opening up to their cease of operation. Outside the museum is a view of the endless horizon in beaches and the neighboring islands.

The innermost and mountainous part of the island offers the best place to camp, hike and do cliff or mountain climbing. A Culion outdoor adventure can start at the town’s famous Agila, a hill that has more than 300 steps. One can see the beauties of the waterfalls and rice terraces in other parts of the island. And some beach resorts around the island offer the best place to go snorkeling and scuba diving.

Within the island are several tourist attractions including the remains of the historic fort and leper colony and some of the nature wonders around the island.

Culion Island is one of the Calamianes Group of Islands that is known for its white beaches, waterfalls, caves and underground rivers. The only access to Culion takes a 90 minute ride on a pumpboat from Coron Palawan where the drop points of planes and ferries are located. Approaching the island’s main entrance the visitors are welcomed by the large seal of the colony that was embossed on the side of one of the hills fronting the port of the island.

Other scenic and historic places in Culion include the Culion Fort and the Culion Church offering a feel of history and solemnity. These and more await you in this once isolated beautiful island that only the lepers have experienced before.