MAQUINIT HOT SPRINGS
One of the few natural salt water hot springs in the world.
The Maquinit Hot Springs is part of a 150-hectare property owned by Vicente Manlave Sandoval, the eldest son of Don Claudio Rodriguez Sandoval and Doña- Evarista Bartolome Manlave. Upon his demise, the property passed down to his three surviving heirs: Claudio, Evarista and Evaristo. In 1973, Erlinda Sandoval Salas-Jovellanos (daughter of Vicente’s youngest sister, Rosario) bought the portion of the property. Initially, she enclosed the two strongest outflows to form two shallow pools so the family can dip themselves and enjoy the benefits of the natural saltwater hot springs.
In the late 1990’s, she built a larger pool to accommodate the growing number of guests and visitors. By the year 2000, the family decided to incorporate and this gave birth to Maquinit Realty and Development Corporation which has made Maquinit Hot Springs what it is today…one of the top destinations in Coron, Palawan.
Maquinit Hot Springs is located at the southeastern coast of Busuanga Island which can be reached by a 20-minute tricycle ride from Coron town proper. The hot spring outcrops on cracks and fissures in the exposed gray limestone discharging hot water at a temperature of 41 degrees Centigrade and 5,115 liters per minute (Sincioco & Bautista, 1985). There is no smell of sulfur. Spring deposition is very- minimal and is limited to staining of rock by a brownish material believed to be limonite. The water is very salty suggesting intrusion of sea water depth.
The algae produces by the water in the pools should not be considered as dirt. According to UPLB Algae Expert, Dra. Milagros Goss, the two (2) small pools produce two different kinds of algae. Small pool number 1 produces GREEN DIATOMS while Small pool number 2 produces SPIRULINA. Both algae species are beneficial to marine life and should be considered as part of the therapy.
The Mangrove Forest surrounding the resort is over a hundred years old. These are STRICTLY PROTECTED. Mangroves prevent erosion by stabilizing sediment with their tangled root systems. They maintain water quality and clarity, filtering pollutants and trapping sediments originating from land. They provide nesting and breeding habitat for fish and shellfish, migratory birds, and sea turtles. An estimated 80% of the global fish catch relies on mangrove forests either directly or indirectly. Mangroves sequester carbon at a rate two to four times greater than mature tropical forests and store three to five times more carbon per equivalent area than tropical forests. This means that conserving and restoring mangroves is essential- to fighting climate change. They protect shorelines and structures from damaging storms like the 300-kph Typhoon Haiyan, locally known as Typhoon Yolanda, which devastated parts of the Calamianes Group of Islands in 2013. These are the reasons why shower services are not provided here. Some of the chemicals in your soap, shampoo and conditioners may be toxic to the biodiversity of the place.
