The photos on TripAdvisor truly do not do this resort justice. Almost everything about our stay here was perfect, especially the beauty of the property and the welcoming staff.
GETTING THERE
The property is only reachable via boat, so you need to arrange transfer via the resort. We flew into Busuanga Airport and were happy that it only took a ten minute car ride and ~20 minute boat ride through mangroves, which was perfect after a long day of travel. When you arrive at the resort, there are musicians who welcome you with a song and a host who greets you with a cold drink and towel to give you an overview.
ROOM/SUITE
We stayed in a Cedar Cabana, which was perfect and homey and felt like we paid way more for it than we actually did. We appreciated touches throughout, such as a huge walk-in closet, super comfortable bed, air conditioning, and a porch with a hammock, dining set, and beach chairs. It was also kept extremely clean by housekeeping. The only complaint I have about this property is that we couldn't get the hot water to work in the shower, even after maintenance came. Not sure if we were just being lazy or what, but it was only a minor drawback to us since we didn't spend much time in our room anyway.
FOOD AND BAR
Since the resort is so secluded, you have to eat at the restaurant for all meals. All the food was delicious and affordable and there was a huge variety to choose from. I also have to give a shout-out to the awesome musicians who go around taking requests during dinner, they are truly talented and I really enjoyed listening to them every night while we ate. There are also two bars, our favorite one was at the end of the pier as you could watch the fish swimming by at night while enjoying a drink/snacks.
POOL AND BEACH
We made a lot of use of both the pool and the beach during our stay. The beach was fairly small but there weren't a lot of people at the resort anyway so we never felt crowded. There are also some corals/fishes in the water that make for decent snorkeling trips. The resort also has kayaks, stand up paddleboards, and other water equipment you can borrow at no charge, which we appreciated.
TOURS
We did the Coron Island Tour and our tour guide made it truly fantastic. You visit a hot spring, three lakes, and a snorkeling site. While we felt going to three lakes in a row was a little bit repetitive, we still enjoyed the tour overall and the lunch that was provided was delicious. What made it a five-star tour was our tour guide Andrew, who went above and beyond multiple times to make it a fun tour for everyone involved. We had an elderly woman on our tour and I watched Andrew carefully guide her through all the stairs, swims, and getting on/off the boat so she could enjoy the tour like everyone else. At the snorkeling site, my husband's brand-new snorkel came unattached from his mask and we thought it was lost for good, but Andrew spent most of the visit looking for it and dove deep to retrieve it for us, which allowed my husband to enjoy the last few minutes of snorkeling with everyone else.
We had a very peaceful and enjoyable time at El Rio y Mar. If you are looking for a fast-paced, party place, this is not for you. If you are like us and looking for a relaxing place to unwind. this resort is perfect. I hope we can return again soon.