Puerto Galera which means “port of the galleons” is a municipality in the province of Oriental Mindoro, Philippines. It refers to the town and the resort areas surrounding it. PG or Puerto is just a few hours away from Manila. To get there, you can ride a private van or public bus from Manila to Batangas Pier. The terminals are in Buendia, Alabang, and Cubao. The one-way fare would cost about four dollars if you take the bus. Travel time with moderate traffic is 2 hours. After that, at Batangas Pier, you can take a public boat that would take you to Muelle Port. There are boats going to Puerto Galera from Batangas Pier as early as 7 am. Then at Muelle Port, you can take public transportation such as jeepney, boat or tricycle going to your destination resort.
Puerto Galera is well known for snorkeling and Scuba diving spots. Moreover, it has some of the most diverse coral reef diving in Asia.
In Sabang Beach and White Beach, tourists can enjoy an active night life since it has numerous bars and restaurants. There is the Big La Laguna Beach and small La Laguna Beach that are considered part of Sabang.
For people who love nature tripping, your group can hire boatmen which will take you to different small islands.
You can include other activities such as snorkeling, fish feeding and visiting the underwater cave. There is also an island in which you can avail group meals for a very affordable price of about seventeen dollars. This group meal is good for seven to eight people. You can choose from a variety of dishes. For example, one group meal would include grilled pork, grilled fish, salted egg and tomatoes, sinigang which is a sour fish soup, cups of rice and a bottle of soft drink.
If you want a more exotic food, you can also try eating the delicious raw sea urchin. The sea urchin is very fresh. You can just add a bit vinegar on it before eating it. And of course, don’t forget to try the refreshing coconut water also known as buko juice.
If you have more time, you can do parasailing, banana boat, and other activities at the beach.
There are lots of things that you can enjoy in Puerto Galera!
/// Written by Verna Banasihan, The Philippines
