Puerto Galera, Philippines

City Guide

Introduction  |   Beaches and Diving  |   Entertainment and Eating Out  |   Shopping  |   Getting from A to B  |   Tourist Information Offices  |   Cyber Puerto Galera  |   Events

Introduction

Boquete Island

Puerto Galera is a low-key but nonetheless breathtaking beach destination in the Philippines. Located in the northern coast of Mindoro Island, it serves as a popular retreat for locals itching to spend long weekends (thank god it’s a public holiday!) somewhere outside Manila. Just a three-hour drive and a short ferry ride, city escapees are afforded a beautiful coastline, a handful of pleasant beaches some hidden away in secret coves, and cheap resorts (and massages) on White Beach! Most overseas visitors prefer staying near the nightlife in Sabang as compared to the more family orientated White Beach. Diving, considered some of Asia’s best, is the main draw for tourists. Dive resorts dot the Sabang side as a variety of tropical fish life, wreck sites and coral reefs are found anywhere from a few minutes to an hour away from the shore. A three or four-day stay here is enough to soak up the sights, longer if you are a scuba fanatic or just like the easy pace of life that Puerto Galera has to offer.

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Beaches and diving
Beaches are needless to say aplenty and suit everyone’s requirements. White Beach, one of the main destinations of ferries docked in the Batangas Pier, is the smart option for swimming thus expect swelling crowds here made up of families and young college set enjoying their school holidays. This is no remote setting for being at one with nature.

View of the White Beach from Aninuan

This part of Puerto Galera is made even more attractive by the inexpensive lodgings such as backpacker joints and on occasion, rooms for rent. During peak periods, locals are wont to offer you a room in their house for a small amount if they see that exasperated look on your face after a long arduous but unsuccessful haunt for a resort! If staying in White Beach, do walk a few steps just past the huge rocks in the shoreline, towards the adjacent Aninuan and Talipanan beaches for a quieter pace.

Island-hopping is highly recommended to see more picturesque coves. Encenada Beach and Coco Beach, privately owned, have clean fine sand though with quite a few scattered rocks. Haligi Beach in Boquete Island west of Puerto Galera is a long strip of white sandy haven perfect for swimming and snorkelling though the current can get strong here at times. Beside Boquete, hop east to San Antonio Island to see a motley of corals and colourful fishes found at Long Beach. On the other side, over at Varadero Bay, there are small resorts in Dulangan and Palangan beaches.

Aninuan Beach

On the diving front, there are over 40 dive sites in and around Puerto Galera. Allan Nash, Asia Divers’s PADI course director based in El Galleon resort, gives reef diving here a nine out of ten rating while the range of pelagics to be seen merit 5 nods. The majority of these dive sites are situated a few minutes away from the shores of Sabang and the adjoining Small and Big La Laguna beaches. These long strips of beaches are not ideal for swimming as it is quite rough and the motorised boats do clutter the beachfront.

Coral Gardens, off Long Beach, is so-named because of the abundant hard and soft corals, cowries and reef fishes – definitely a must to bring an underwater camera here. For novices, there is Sabang Junk, a shallow dive that leads to a wreck site and a wealth of marine life. Excellent night dives are to be had at La Laguna Point with its wide array of anglerfish, morays and clams and at The Boulders for its crevices and huge rocks. But for the more advanced diver, Canyons is a highly popular drift dive into ravines allowing the strong tides to sweep you into position! Leading to the Canyons is Hole In The Wall, recognised for its world-class canopy of multi coloured crinoids and sponges.

Encenada Beach

If you think Puerto Galera is all water, there are still quite a few other sightseeing options on dry land if you can tear yourself away from the beaches! To get an awesome view of the Puerto Galera coastline, you can head for Ponderosa Golf Club in San Isidro town near White Beach, oft-mentioned in guidebooks not for its courses but for the fantastic view its hilltop location provides! It can be reached around half an hour drive from Puerto Galera town. Another place worth checking out is Escarceo Point in which a 14 metre high lighthouse stands. Found two kilometers east of Sabang, the lighthouse is a perfect viewing deck for either dusk or daybreak. You can hike through a grassy path or if you have the stomach for it, rent a motorised banca from Sabang beach and brave the strong waves at the tip of the island enroute to the Point.

If you have time to spare, hike off to Tamaraw Falls, two hours away from Puerto Galera town. It’s a series of sloping falls dropping from a height of 423 feet onto a cool man-made pool, a refreshing alternative on a hot humid day.

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Entertainment and Eating Out

Busy Sabang

When dusk settles, Sabang takes a seedy turn as watering holes and girlie bars light up the night. This side of Puerto Galera is likened to Manila’s red light district; swinging beer joints dotting the crowded pathways reminiscent of Malate’s Mabini street. For food, most restaurants serve continental dishes and a host of seafood fare. Sample some good Italian meals at Ristorante de Franco, great Thai noodles and hearty soups at Relax Thai whilst Capt Greggs Pub has a mean menu lineup for all-day dining at a reasonable price (hefty English breakfasts most notably).

On White Beach, there are clusters of cabana bars serving liquor as well the place still maintains a more wholesome feel to it with the college crowd and families in tow. If you find yourself here on a pitstop from beach-hopping, try some good continental and local mix at Fernando’s. But do be warned that service in most restaurants is turtle pace.

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Shopping
Ubiquitous souvenir shops selling colourful shirts, sarongs, and trinkets are found everywhere. And you’ll never be rid of touts offering you massages right on the beach! If you’re not interested, then it’s best to stay firm and go your way.

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Getting From A to B

Blue Eagle Fastcraft at Batangas Pier

If you’re taking the backpacker route, there are commercial buses heading to Batangas City Pier coming from bus terminals in Manila. Schedules of these buses run most often on an hourly basis, but the earliest usually leaves at dawn.

Once at the Pier, there are lots of ferries going to Puerto Galera, depending on which port guests intend to enter. You can opt for either Muelle Pier, Balatero Pier, or Sabang Beach.

But be wary of long weekends when a long exodus of holidaymakers head to Puerto Galera. It’s best to book fullboard packages in advance to prevent any horror stories of missing the bus or ferry or even worse, a resort!

While at Puerto Galera, you can hire motorised bancas to get around. Negotiate the prices first before boarding but some honest chaps do run on fixed rates.

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Tourist Information Offices
The Tourist Information outpost at Muelle pier in Puerto Galera town can offer a bit of helpful information once you get there from Batangas. Most of the beach resorts also provide tours and assistance for diving expeditions, trekking to the Falls or beach-hopping.

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Cyber Puerto Galera
If you do need internet access, some internet cafes in Sabang and Puerto Galera town already have broadband internet (power supply permitting; outages are frequent). Most hotels and resorts have slow or no connection at all.

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Events
The Yacht Club of Puerto Galera holds the Easter Regatta every year, where yachts arrive from the Manila Yacht Club joined by local residents and guest yachts from Hong Kong.

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