Hello Philippines!: Philippines' Top Beaches: Puerto Galera!!!

Brief History

The Philippine archipelago is made up of 7,000+ islands. For that reason, it is among those countries that have been gifted by an abundance of beautiful and enchanting beaches. One of which is Puerto Galera. “Puerto” as locals commonly refer it to, was actually once a port in which the Spaniards used to dock their large trading ships referred to as “galera”. Hence the name, Puerto Galera or “port of galleons.”

Puerto is situated at the equally remarkable province of Mindoro Oriental (Eastern Mindoro). It is about 130 kilometers south of Manila and 14 nautical miles from the City of Batangas.Over all it is composed of 12 coastal villages and 13 barangays!

By the 17th century, under the Spanish rule, Mindoro was organized into a corrigimiento, with Puerto Galera as the capital. The seat of government remained there through the Spanish and American rules, until 1903.

But because of the frequent attacks of the Moro (southern Muslims), the government was forced to relocate the capital to where it is now.

In December 7, 1927 Puerto finally became an indipendent municipality.

Today, the beautiful and scenic Puerto Galera is the centre of tourism in the province of Mindoro. Its appeal is mainly thrusted in its long line of white beaches and its abundant flora and fauna. It is a jewel worth exploring and discovering for your self. You might want to start doing that by visiting Sabang and White beach, two of the most famous beaches in Puerto.

Accomodations & notable attractions

Considered as a tourism hot spot, there are lots of resorts, hotels and cottages available in the vicinity. For that, accomodation is not really a problem. Whether you’re a spendthrift or a wise-spender, you can find a comfortable place to stay in. During the summer, you could even find transient houses for rent! Prices are about Php 300 for a hut to about US $ 150 for high-end accomodations.

Some of the nicest places to visit in Puerto are as follows:

Hidden Valley – a must-see for tourist where you could find “Paradise Lost.”
The Mangyan Village – Mangyans are the real natives of Mindoro. According to hearsays, their tribe was once composed of people with “tails.” But that’s probably just a hoax! The Mangyan people will always be a national treasure!
Muelle Bay – this is Puerto’s natural harboar where ferryboats arrive. You can find plenty of souvenir shops here
The Tamaraw Waterfalls – this site is 10 kilometers away from Puerto Galera. It’s nice place where you and your friends can hold a picnic
La Laguna Beach Club and Dive Center – They take pride in having uber-friendly staff, pleasant athmosphere and the most personalized service for all guests.
Atlantis Beach Resort – It’s one of the best resorts for scuba divers. They also offer instructor program at all levels.
Portofino – this award winning Spanish-Mediterranean designed resort is one of the most popular residential resorts in La Laguna. If you want privacy, this is the place to be!

The space is not enough to provide you with the complete list of resorts so, just refer to your travel agents.

Some of the activities you can do are trekking, kayaking, snorkling, diving and of course swimming at the beach! You might also want to oggle at some topless ladies (oops, sorry!)

At night, you can chill out and groove at some of the hippest, coolest and hottest nightclubs. Just drink moderatly people!

How to get there

Puerto Galera could be reached via land transportation from Manila to Batangas Port. That’s typically a 2-hour drive. You should be able to find Sikat Bus and Ferry Service [yes, they also offer a ferry ride to Puerto - bus departure time is 9am/ ferry arrival time is 1:30pm] located at the City State Tower Hotel, 1315 A. Mabini Street, Ermita, Manila. Cheaper commercial buses that should help you reach Batangas Pier are:

BLTB – located at EDSA-Pasay terminal
JAM– Taft Avenue near Gil Puyat Avenue, Buendia/Pasay, City
TRITRAN - Taft Avenue/Pasay City

Departure schedule of the above mentioned buses are not fixed but the first bus usually leaves at around 6am. The fare is from about Php 80-100 depending on whether it is an aircon bus or a regular bus.

When you reach Batangas Pier, you will find several ferries going to Puerto. You can choose which one of those ferries best suit your need especially if you’re travelling with your family or friends. The first departure is at 7:30 am and the last is at 4pm. >> more

What people say about Puerto

“Today, Puerto Galera is a major destination for low-budget, fun-loving travelers who seek sun, sand and sea. You may come to enjoy its beaches, which are crowded with hotels, restaurants, discos, and rental services for water activities.” - Rowena Ajero

“As folks in PG depend so much on tourism, it's normal to try to get as much out of a tourist as possible. We wanted to rent a small motorbike (moped) to go around the island. The 1st shop we went to wanted Pesos 700, the next one wanted Pesos 1200 and the next day in a different shop they wanted Pesos 1500! All for the same type of motorbike. The same goes for jeepney and boat rides.

It's best to compare prices first before renting anything here. We finally decided just to chill by the pool.” - Restless-in-kl

“Once we arrived at Sabang beach, lots of locals come aboard to take the tourists' luggage... if you are planning to carry it by yourself, grab it and don't leave it... but if you want some "help", of course they will charge you for that... In our case, well, we were kind of overloaded, so it was not a bad idea to have them carried. You can always say a polite "no, thank you" - ahoerner

“I hate the heat but I love the beach...Crowded during holyweek but I enjoyed the place, food and time with my friends.” – Yototab

“A mere four hours away from Manila, Puerto Galera is easily one of the best places to catch wanderlust. Besides being home to very friendly locals, Puerto Galera also cradles one of the most fascinating harbors in the world---a peninsula and an island surround the harbor’s perimeters and form a basin. From above, this appears much like a peaceful, palm-fringed lake. An abundance of wonders like this, along with coral reefs, waterfalls, mountain trails—many of them hidden still--- have rightfully earned Puerto Galera the title, “Pearl of the Mindoro.”
And though some areas—popular beaches, mostly--- have yielded to the demands of consumerism, a large part of the island remains unspoiled. It is this rustic appeal, these tiny little lands and inlets of paradise, that beckon dreamers to cross the seas---and then stay, spiritually, forever.” – Karla Vizcarra, 2006

Tips

Here are some tips that will help you enjoy your visit:

When you reach Puerto, make sure to look for the best accomodation. Don’t rush, you can find the right place that should help you out with your budget!

Best time to visit the place is from December to May when the climate is really pleasant. It’s also a great Holy Week hideout. Just make sure you make a reservation in advance.