Best Things to Do in Puerto Galera

Travel Guide: Itinerary and places to see when planning a trip to Puerto Galera, Mindoro

Includes Island Hopping, Snorkeling, Underwater Cave, Fish Feeding, Giant Clam Shell, Sandbar Resort

This is NOT a sponsored post. All opinions are mine.

April 2012. Island hopping is one of the best alternative water activities in Mindoro Island’s Puerto Galera. Being a marine reserve and diving spot, Puerto Galera has several island beaches with its charming blue waters, and white sand where the local government and its community implements strict environmental protection of their rich marine resources.

Ballatero

From White Beach we booked a banca [boat] PhP2,500 [approx. $58] for the family of eight. Ride off a tricycle going to Ballatero boat stations. From Ballatero, we traveled around 45 minutes going to San Antonio island, where smaller bancas waiting to transfer tourists for the snorkeling, underwater cave, giant clam viewing and fish feeding. Those activities mentioned are chargeable by PhP300 [approx. $7] per head. We’re off to Coral Gardens around San Antonio, where wonderful coral reefs and rich marine biodiversity can be found. Before taking off, the locals offer fresh buco juice PhP50 each and pork barbeques.

San Antonio island

Fresh buco juice at 50 pesos
not from the island
came from Baco [another place in Mindoro]

pork BBQs and fresh coconut s

She sells sea shell at the sea shore 🙂

clam shell PhP100

the rest of the shells PhP 50

Halo-halo sells PhP50 each [ordinary sago-type plastic cups]
in Calapan area the same size only sells at PhP15 🙂

this part of San Antonio Island
was owned by Marcos’ era architect Alejandro Locsin

First stop, the underwater cave, unlike the Palawan’s underwater cave where the banca will go through inside the cave, from this point, you have to leave the boat and climb the uphill coral formation and jump off a hole and then go down the water cave with the use of improvised wooden stairs. Since it’s nearing high tide, that’s the only way point to reach the cave, on usual low tides, you need to climb up, just pass through the cave hole and voila! What’s great about the climb, the scenery above is fantastic, photo shoots with backdraft of the corals and blue waters is unbelievable! Please take note, the area seems to attract coral snake habitats, we’ve seen one near the makeshift stairs around the coral walls and was pointing its venomous head towards my sister, literally she shouts “snake! snake!” while the “bangkero” [boat guy] told her not to shoo away the snake because it will attack her more. Coral snakes are more dangerous than cobra snakes as mentioned.

Puerto Galera
Underwater Cave

coral snake
noun.a brightly colored venomous snake of the cobra family, typically having conspicuous bands of red, yellow, white, and black.

Coral Garden
Underwater Cave

From the underwater cave, halo-halo sells at PhP50. Guys when you reach this point, try to help them with their livelihood by purchasing something. 🙂 Snorkeling and fish feeding was next…

Coral Garden
fish feeding

coral snake was seen the second time!

One of our fisherman guide show case his mighty snorkeling 🙂

Giant clam shell sightseeing was not successful, the waters were not cooperative that time. Even when you snorkel, it’s 20 feet deep. These huge clams are said to be cultured by University of the Philippines students, the area has mounted a CCTV camera and is manned by “bangkeros” 24/7. Mario, our boat guy, told us that Korean tourists frequently do silly things like throwing a huge rock over the clams, it was reported that the Koreans paid up to PhP150,000 [approx. $3,488] while the CCTV monitors local thieves, trying to sell the clams to earn a living out of it..

Off to giant clam shell sight seeing

CCTV camera monitors the illegal activities

As we approach sunset, we go to Sandbar resort in Boquete island. We took snacks from the Sandbar Resort, very quiet at that time, seems on one was around. Going back to our resort in Talipanan Beach, the banca we hired was supposed to bring us back in White Beach, it was already 7:00 p.m., so we agreed to pay additional for the boat to send us direct to the Talipanan port area.

sunset at the Sandbar Resor

That day, we started swimming at El Canonero beach front, hiked the mountain of Talipanan Falls, had lunch and spent a short swim and kayak at the White Beach and island hopping experience. When in Puerto Galera try to explore the island, the food, culture, mingle with the locals and engage in water activities while you still have time.

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Disclosure: DeiVille receives products in order to conduct reviews. No monetary compensation was provided unless noted otherwise. All opinions are 100% my own. Some posts may contain web links in exchange for payment. In the event of a giveaway, the sponsor is responsible for delivery of the prize, unless otherwise noted in the posting. I only recommend, discuss, or introduce products/services/businesses I personally use and believe will be a good fit for my readers.