Puerto Galera Travel Tips

In this page you will find practical information to plan a scuba diving trip to Puerto Galera:

Puerto Galera Photos

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Puerto Galera is a small city on the Coast of Mindoro Island. Actually most people refer to Puerto Galera but the main tourists centers are actually the nearby small towns of Sabang Beach and White Beach. It is a popular scuba diving and snorkelling destination, also famous for its beautiful “pocket” white sandy beaches. The interior is worth exploring too with lush tropical jungle and beautiful waterfalls.

In addition, Puerto Galera still holds a lot of its charm and isn’t too over developed (yet!) as with some other diving destinations in the world.

Activities and excursions in Puerto Galera

Puerto Galera is primarily a scuba diving destination but there are also many activities for non-divers. If you want to let your hair down, White beach is famous in the Philippines for its nightlife where you can party all night long in the many bars and clubs. In addition, you can for example:

• Go Trekking in the Jungle or on a volcano
• Discover Tribal settlements in the forest
• Try sailing, windsurfing and kayaking around the Islands
• Enjoy a deep sea fishing day trip
• Relax on the beautiful white sandy beaches
• Snorkelling the Coral Garden and Island hopping
• Play Golf on a very scenic golf course

Best time to visit

Tourist Season

• November to March is the High Season with a peak for Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
• April and May is the Peak Season so you should book well in advance as accommodation room prices do increase substantially.
• June to October is the “low” season.

Where is Puerto Galera?

Puerto Galera is located on the North Coast of Mindoro Island in the Philippines. It is about 130km South of Manila.

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/acullador/2554968401/

How to get to Puerto Galera?

It is quite simple to get there.

Step 1: Take the bus from Manila to Batangas. It takes between 2 to 3 hours depending on traffic and costs about P200.

Step 2: Take the ferry boat for 1 hour from Batangas pier to Puerto Galera Ferry Terminal. You will have to pay P250 for the ferry plus P50 for the Environmental User Fee and P30 for the Terminal Fee at Batangas.

Hot Tip:

• The last ferry leaves Batangas at 5 pm so be there in advance or you will have to stay overnight to take the first boat in the morning at 7:30 am.
• If you take the “Sikat” tourist service, it will cost you P1400 for the round trip Bus + Ferry.
• If you need to, dive operators can arrange your transfer from Manila airport to Puerto Galera by private mini-van and charter boat.

Getting Around

Like anywhere in the Philippines, for short distances trips, tricycles are the main form of transportation. Be careful as they can be sneaky and try to over-charge tourists. It is also possible to rent a scooter which will cost you around P500.

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/acullador/2777309779/

Where to stay?

Most foreign visitors stay in Sabang Beach. White Beach is more for the nightlife with many bars and restaurants and is also more popular for Filipino tourists. In Sabang you will find a whole range of accommodation from basic Guesthouses to luxurious beach resorts. Many resorts have also their own dive centres attached.

The room rates greatly depend on the season and prices can even double during the peak season in April and May.

Scuba diving

You will find all information about sea life, best time to visit, top dive spots, etc. in our review: Puerto Galera Diving