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PUERTO GALERA,dubbed as the Pearl of Mindoro, is a beach resort town
located on the north shore of Mindoro Island, 130 kilometers south of
Manila, and 14 nautical miles from Batangas City. It comprises of 12
coastal districts (barangays) and one mountain district scattered over an
area of 23,247 hectares, bordered on the north by Verde Island, on the
south by Baco and Malasimbo mountains, on the northeast by the town of San
Teodoro, and on the northwest by the province of Mindoro Occidental. Its
natural seawall, exciting dive sites, lush mountains and pristine beaches
make Puerto Galera one of the Philippines’ top travel destinations.
Topography - The terrain is rugged with sometimes dense jungle, an
irregular coastline with crystal clear waters and white sand beaches, a
natural harbor which serves as an all-weather anchorage for all types of
sea vessels.
Climate - March to May are hot and dry; rains and typhoons abound from
June to October; November to February are pleasantly cool and dry. Peak
tourist season is from December up to May.
Accommodation - Numerous, mostly family-run cottages and hotel rooms of
all categories are available. The types of accommodation range from simple
beach huts, made of bamboo and rattan, to comfortable luxury bungalows
with kitchen facilities. Nearly all accommodations are quoted for double
accupancy and range from 700 to 1,000 pesos for simple beach huts with
porch and from to 50 to 80 US dollars for suite rooms in high-end resorts.
Discounts are commonly given for extended stays and depend largely on the
visitors’ bargaining ability. During the low season, from June to October,
rates are about 20 percent lower than quoted above. Beachfront
accommodations are generally more expensive than those further inland.
Water - All resorts have running water. However, bottled mineral water
(widely available) is recommended for drinking. Mindoro Spring’s bottled
mineral water is the preferred choice.
Food - Most resorts have restaurants. Native as well as international
cuisine is served in a variety of restaurants, along with a wide selection
of fine wines, imported and local spirits. Needless to mention, seafood is
the best choice here.
Watersports - The waters around Puerto Galera are rich in corals and
manifold marine life. The best diving sites are located around Sabang,
Small and Big Lalaguna, and on the northcoast of Medio Island. The latter,
known to world scientists because of its treasures of botanical and
zoological specimens, abounds with thousands of terrestrial and marine
plants. Fully-equipped, modern training facilities for all levels of
diving are available. At most beaches, there are surfboards, sailing
boats, kayaks, jet skis, dive masks, snorkels and fins for rent.
Shopping - Souvenir textiles and RTW are sold in stalls along the pier, in
boutiques in Poblacion and by street vendors. Handicraft particularly
marble novelties, rattan and coconut products can also be purchased. Fresh
fruits and fish can be bought at the public market in Poblacion.
Postal Service - The post office is located in downtown Poblacion. Some
beach resorts take care of their guests’ mail for a small charge.
Communications - National and International DDD (Direct Distance Dialling)
can be made on numerous call stations using CATSI-PLDT or Globelines
telephone. Cell sites abound in Puerto Galera providing maximum coverage
and strong signal for subscribers of Globe, Smart and Sun Cellular.
Currency - It is advisable to take a sufficient supply of peso since the
exchange rates offered by resorts are usually 10 percent below the rates
in Manila. Cash, checks and tickets and other valuables should be
deposited with the resort management against a receipt.
Electricity- Since power failures occur frequently many beach resorts and
hotels are equipped with electric generators. The voltage is 220 volts
Medical Care- There are several medical centers in Puerto Galera. Serious
ailments or injuries should be treated in Batangas City or in Calapan. A
list of all the medical clinics and their corresponding emergency phone
numbers are provided herein.
Municipal Hospital 287-3049
PALM Medical Clinic 442-0250
De Torres Medical Clinic 287-3122
De los Reyes Medical Clinic 287-3260
Metropolitan Doctors Clinic 287-3156
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Puerto Galera is a soothing vision of shimmering seas surrounded by lush
mountains. It is considered one of the most beautiful and developed beach
resort community in the country. Starting from "backyard tourism" wherein
local residents accept local and foreign tourist as stay-in guest, tourism
in Puerto Galera has flourished. In the course of time, several hotels,
resorts, inns and restaurants have mushroomed within the area. Upon
arrival in Puerto Galera, visitors board any of the waiting bancas
(outrigger boat) that ferry passengers across the surrounding waters and
into the various resorts dotting the coastline. Jeepneys to the inland
hamlets of Sabang, Small and Big La Laguna, White Beach and Talipanan
Point likewise traverse hilly, tree-lined routes that offer a sweeping
view of the island’s less aquatic, but equally tropical side.
There are a thousand things one can do in Puerto Galera. Landlubbers can
pitch tents, light bonfires, play volleyball, toss a Frisbee, go
beach-hopping, watch the sunset, gaze at the stars, hike, go rock
climbing, carom off on a motorcycle, discover Oriental Mindoro’s other
tourist spots or simply live it up. The Puerto Galera chapter of the Hash
House Harriers – a club that started 50 years ago in Kuala Lumpur and
which was introduced to the Philippines in the early 90’s – regularly
holds "runs": rowdy drinking sprees that have participants following two
trails, one of which leads no where. When a runner follows the wrong
track, he has to go back, downing bottles of beer in the process. What
follows is a night of revelry no doubt spurred by the free flowing booze.
But water is certainly the main attraction of the island. Crystal clear
and shimmering especially during the hot summer months, the sea framing
Puerto Galera is ideal for swimming, sailing, surfing, snorkeling and
scuba diving. In fact one doesn’t have to go by boat to get to a dive
site. Within a kilometer from the coast, schools of Moorish idols, trumpet
fish, frog fish, lion fish and leaf fish weave in and out of thriving
corals and sea anemones while species of starfish – from the speckled
red-and-white to the neon-blue Pacific-rest on the sandy floor.
Gradually sloping beaches – with the terrain ranging from powder white
sand to grainy dark sand to smooth stones to rough coral rubble – comprise
a large chunk of the island’s 25,247 hectares. And while the department of
tourism’s last count pegs the number of resorts at 63, pockets of isolated
and virtually "resort-less" coves and beaches are tucked between massive
rock formations. Then, as now water was what shaped Puerto Galera. As
early as the 10th century, Chinese, Indonesians and Malay merchants were
already doing business with locals in what is now known as Mindoro, the
tiny strip of land which the Chinese called "Mai" and which lay directly
in the Asia-Pacific trade route. In route to Manila in 1570, a Spanish
expedition led by Martin de Goiti and Juan de Salcedo stumbled upon the
resource-rich island and christened the entire province Mindoro after the
harbor at Minolo. Mindoro was later divided into the provinces of Oriental
Mindoro and Occidental Mindoro.
At the height of the raids mounted by Moro pirates in the 17th century.
Mindoro was a defensive bastion, with fortresses in the nearby towns of
Calapan and Mamburao. Puerto Galera, the northernmost strip so named
because it served as a port for Spanish galleys, became the capital. Here,
the Spanish found safe anchorage and put up dock-repair facilities for the
galleons that plied the Manila-Acapulco route. The island’s generally calm
waters, however, belied a tumultuous streak, and once in a while giant
waves would crush galleons and marauding vessels. Coins, jars, lamps,
swords and other artifacts salvaged from shipwrecks and sunken vessels are
displayed at the Puerto Galera Museum and at Capt’n Greggs in Sabang,
lending credence to the island’s colorful history.
Today, foreigners continue to be part of Puerto Galera. They have been
flocking since the late 70’s making it one of the country’s foremost
tourist destinations. Many, for whom the lure of the tropics proved too
strong, have stayed on triggering a real-estate boom in the process and
growing expatriate community.
Outside of minor glitches, Puerto Galera is a tropical paradise that is
both rustic and thriving. By day it echoes with the soft breeze and the
pounding waves. At night, it comes to life with heady laughter and the
clink of wine and glasses, only to segue one again to the barest whisper
of the elements.
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1.) POBLACION (TOWN PROPER)
Originally a fishing village, Puerto Galera by the Muelle Bay is Mindoro’s
tourist center. It is the starting point to all the interesting sites in
the vicinity. Within the town, which has about 6,000 inhabitants, all
shopping or any other business can be done on foot. A stroll from the
center to Balete Beach takes just about 15 minutes as well.
Restaurants offering international cuisine can be found mainly among the
numerous boutiques by the pier, near the center, and close to the public
market. Day to day shopping can be done along the main road above the
pier. The public market is on the road to Calapan.
The Excavation Museum opposite the Catholic Churh, adjacent the Rural Bank
and Town Hall, exhibits valuable artifacts which were extracted from
excavation sites around Puerto Galera. According to museum officials, some
items have their origin in the early Sung,Yuan and Ming dynasties of some
1,000 years ago. The museum contains a portion of the more than 10,000
exhibited objects unearthed in Mindoro including underwater photographs,
which makes a visit definitely worthwhile. There are cockfights every
Sunday afternoon in the cockpit on a hill along the road to Tabinay. At
the intersection above the pier there are jeepneys plying all routes.
There are also tricycles that one can hire to travel around town and
nearby villages at reasonable prices depending on the distance.
2.) SABANG BEACH
Sabang village is a highly-developed area with nearly all sorts of
facilities sprung-up around the village of Sabang. There are numerous
souvenir shops, sari-sari store, open-air bars and four discos in the
center, three of which feature go-go dancers. As opposed to other beach
communities, Sabang offers a large variety of accommodations of all
categories.
3.) SMALL LALAGUNA BEACH
Small Lalaguna can be reached on foot from Sabang Beach via rocky path
along the coast. Small Lalaguna is a quiet sand beach with coral reefs
close to the shore. It is more suitable for sun bathing and snokeling
rather than swimming since rocks and corals hinder the access to deeper
water. In spite of the comparatively few establishment at Small Lalaguna,
there is quite a variety of accommodations and restaurants.
3.) BIG LALAGUNA BEACH
From the westermost end of Small Lalaguna a bright sand beach with a
relatively simple tourist infrastructure. A section of the beach allows
swimmers better access to the sea. On both side of the cove there are
colorful coral reefs especially suited for snorkeling.
4.) COCO BEACH
Coco Beach is a clean, private beach which is owned by a luxurious resort
of the same name. At high tide it can be reached by boat, or on a
difficult mountain path, but at low tide the beach is easily accessible
from the west of big Lalaguna along the cliffs.
5.) WHITE BEACH
Just a 20 minute jeepney ride from Puerto Galera to the west, near the
village of San Isidro lies White Beach, a wide sand beach in an isolated
cove. One can relax and stroll getting tanned by the tropical sun. The
place is suited for swimming, fishing, surfing and water-skiing alike.
6.) ANINUAN BEACH
Aninuan Beach is located near the village of Aninuan, west of White Beach,
on the foot of a mountain facing a white sandy beach with tranquil and
serene atmosphere. The place invites to swimming, fishing, and jungle
trekking, with clear, pollution- free, cool and clear waters along its
shores and its river. A small waterfalls nearby can be reached via a
snaking jungle trail.
7.) TALIPANAN BEACH
Talipanan Beach, with Talipanan point on its westernmost end, is the most
distant beach from Puerto Galera (roughly 10 kilometers). It is also the
end of the regular jeepney route. The few resorts are spread over the wide
beach where one can enjoy rest and recreation.
8.) BULABOD BEACH
Located at the village of Dulangan, 500 meters away from the road to
Calapan, the beach is an ideal hide-away where one can commune with Mother
Nature while relaxing or taking a dip in a cool spring or in a soothing
sea water.
9.) TAMARAW FALLS
Fourteen kilometers from Puerto Galera town proper along the road to
Calapan and near the village of Villaflor. A natural swimming pool is
found at the base of the falls.
10.) ANINUAN FALLS
A smaller but equally inviting falls which are reached on foot from White
Beach. The 45 minutes uphill climb along a snaking creek takes one to a
dense forest with tall hardwoods and exotic vegetations.
11.) MANGYAN VILLAGE
A settlement of Mindoro’s aborigines by the bank of Big Tabinay River and
the gold-digging sites along the Small Tabinay River. The area is suitable
for mountain climbing and gold panning and presents a fantastic view of
the entire of Puerto Galera, Verde Island, Maricaban Island and part of
the province of Batangas.
For more details, there is a Tourist Information Center at Muelle pier
which is open Mondays through Fridays. |
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