Sunlight by the Sea, a Place to Simply Be.
You know Sunlight from your boarding pass. In Culion, Palawan, the same name comes with free bikes and villas that let you watch fish swim beneath your feet.
For most of us, Sunlight is the name printed on a plane ticket. Take a 45-minute boat ride out of Coron town, though, and the name shows up again on a dock in Culion, this time at Sunlight Ecotourism Island Resort (SETIR). The property is big enough that you’ll want wheels, and some of the villas have a feature that will take over your camera roll by day one: glass floors with the sea moving underneath.
Grab a bike, the grounds are huge
Villas, pools, restaurants and beach areas are spread across a wide stretch of the island, so the resort lends bicycles to guests for free during their stay. Ride to breakfast, pedal to the pool, take the long way back to your villa just because the sea breeze is nice. It counts as movement without having to schedule a workout.
If you’d rather not sweat before dinner, call the buggy service for a pick-up or drop-off. Nobody’s judging.
The villas come with a window to the sea
The entry-level Cluster and Studio Villas sit at around 44 to 45 square meters with ocean-view balconies, while the Two-Bedroom Villa gives a group of friends 135 square meters to spread out.
Sirakan Villa
The one to screenshot is the Sirakan Villa. At 65 square meters, it has a king bed, a private outdoor jacuzzi and a glass-bottom floor that shows the water right below you. The One-Bedroom Villa has a smaller glass-floor accent in its lounge. If you’re going all out, the two-storey Salepan Villa runs 244 square meters, with a glass-floored living area, a lanai with its own glass floor and steps straight into the sea, a four-person jacuzzi plunge pool, a roof deck with a canopied daybed, and a personal butler.
Salepan Villa
Inside, the look is pale timber, woven pendant lamps and native baskets, the kind of interior that photographs well without trying hard. You’ll film the glass floor first, obviously. Then you’ll find yourself sitting on it for twenty minutes, phone face down, just watching the water shift.
Pick your water speed
On the beachfront, you can go slow or go fast. The traditional kayak is there for an easy paddle along the coast. The clear-bottom kayak is the upgrade, since you can see the green shallows right under your seat.
When you want more adrenaline, the concierge can set up snorkeling, scuba trips, glass-bottom boat rides, jet skis, hydrobobs and aqua jets. Plan a full day of it or book one thing and spend the rest of the afternoon doing nothing. Both are valid.
Recovery mode
After a day in the sun, Sanctuary Spa handles the cooldown. The menu includes the 90-minute Waves of Delight signature massage, the 60-minute Breath of Island Whisper combination massage, and the 90-minute Sea Wind Healing Touch shiatsu. Rates start at PHP 2,500.
There’s an infinity pool for golden-hour photos and a separate kiddie pool if you’re traveling with younger cousins. Gym people can keep their streak going at the Sunlight Fitness Gym. For a mid-afternoon break, head to Café Adlaw for afternoon tea. Adlaw means “sun” in several Visayan languages, which fits the brand a little too well.
Take in the beauty of the sunset while enjoying a refreshing dip in the infinity pool.
Nine places to eat in one resort
You won’t run out of options here. Breakfast is usually served at Sun Café, though ours was set up at Mangrove with a view of the beach. Mangrove does modern Filipino food, Island Garden Restaurant stays open all day, and Poolside Patio covers comfort food for when you just want something familiar.
Enjoy the experience of having your steak freshly prepared right before your eyes at Hikari
For dinner, book a table at Hikari for Japanese or at Xiang Hotpot and KBBQ if your group is craving Chinese and Korean. Cerveza Reál brews its own beer, and Ric’s Place is the late-night spot for whiskey and cigars.
The resort says it uses farm-to-table ingredients, and its guest guide asks buffet diners to take only what they’ll actually eat. It’s a small rule, and an easy one to follow.
Dinner by the sea, a reason to celebrate
As the day winds down, dinner by the beach offers a more intimate way to experience the island. With the sea just beyond the table, the breeze coming in from the shore, and good food to round out the evening, it’s an inviting setting for couples, families, and friends who want to slow down and enjoy the moment.
The beachfront setting also lends itself to special occasions, from intimate celebrations to destination events where the scenery becomes part of the experience. It’s easy to imagine sharing a memorable evening here, with the sea as your backdrop and the people who matter most around the table.
A place for leveled up celebrations
The island also offers a setting for celebrations that deserve more than an ordinary venue. Imagine gathering your closest family and friends for an intimate wedding, with everyone staying on the same island and sharing the experience beyond the ceremony itself. Birthdays, anniversaries, and private gatherings can take on a different feel here, with the beach, the open sea, and the resort’s accommodations bringing everyone together in one destination.
House rules worth keeping
SETIR builds its sustainability practices into everyday habits. Guests are asked to turn off the aircon when leaving the villa, refill water bottles at stations around the property, wear reef-safe sunblock and leave the marine life alone. The resort also sources and sells locally made products to support communities nearby, so the souvenir shopping can do some good too.
How to get there
The journey begins with Sunlight Air, where even the small details add to the experience. The inflight banana chips were crisp, light, and genuinely delicious, a simple snack that made the flight feel a little more memorable before the island escape even began.
Enjoy a light snack of complimentary banana chips on board Sunlight Air.
Fly from Clark International Airport to Francisco B. Reyes Airport in Busuanga, which takes about an hour and 15 minutes if there are no delays. From the airport, a shuttle takes you from Sunlight Lounge to Sunlight Hotel in Coron in roughly 30 to 40 minutes. From there, a boat ride of around 45 minutes brings you to the resort, with island views the whole way that make good content for your stories.
Schedules can change, so confirm your flights and transfers with the resort before you go.
Relax at the Sunlight Air Guest Lounge before your flight.
The other Sunlight
The airline gets you to Palawan. The resort in Culion gives you a reason to stay longer than planned: a free bike, a clear kayak, a massage booked for 4 PM, and a glass floor you’ll keep coming back to between all of it. Next time you see the Sunlight logo at the airport, you’ll know it leads somewhere worth the boat ride.
Comments