Puerto Galera Diving Guide: My Favorite Short Trip from Manila
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If you’re based in Manila or just flying through, and you’re itching for some solid diving without having to hop on an internal and second flight then Puerto Galera is your best bet. I’ve done a fair few dive trips in the Philippines, but when I only have a week (thanks to half-term breaks from teaching), this is the perfect place for a Philippines dive itinerary.
It’s easy to get to, full of stunning coral, and has that perfect mix of relaxed dive culture and proper adventure. I’ve dived here twice now, both for a week in October and honestly, I’d go back again in a heartbeat.
Why Puerto Galera Is Perfect for a Short Diving Trip
The big win? It’s close to Manila, so you don’t waste time in airports. That makes it ideal for a one-week dive itinerary if you’re working with a tight schedule (hi, fellow teachers 👋). The coral reefs here are some of the healthiest I’ve seen in the Philippines and dare I say it…in Asia. Most dive sites are just 5–10 minutes by boat. That means more time underwater, less time bobbing around waiting.
I saw hawksbill and green turtles on almost every dive, and they were super chill even with us nearby. We rarely ever saw other divers underwater (except at the Alma Jane wreck) which was refreshing. Given that I live in Thailand and sometimes it can get so crowded underwater with other divers. I love being the only divers on a dive site!
The first time I went diving in Puerto Galera I was so pleasantly surprised. I wasn’t sure what to expect, I’d literally just picked a place on a map in the Philippines that I knew wouldn’t take too long to get to. I was worried that because the dive sites are near Manila, they could be crowded, polluted or just contain a lot of damaged coral. That could not be further from the truth! The coral is pristine! I honestly just wanted to take videos of everything because it was so breathtakingly beautiful!
Best Dive Sites in Puerto Galera (based on multiple trips!)
While the Alma Jane Wreck is popular, I usually found myself completely alone with my dive buddy and guide at most spots. While there were other dive boats around and divers in the restaurants, underwater was pleasantly empty of people!
Some of my absolute top dive spots in Puerto Galera:
Monkey Beach
Dungon Wall
La Laguna Point
Fantasea Reef
Verde Island (only if you’re ready for current!)
Diving Verde Island Conditions & Expectations
Speaking of Verde Island – this day trip is worth the added expense. Imagine a massive pinnacle with hundreds of thousands (maybe millions? my dive buddy and I couldn’t decide!) of fish swirling around you. It’s exhilarating, but definitely not for beginner divers due to the current.
We were extremely lucky with our Verde island trip as we had enquired about it and then the big boat was busy but we eventually managed to find a suitable time when the boat was free so we got to dive Verde island in the end! I’m not going to lie, I was quite nervous before as I’m aware that had been some diver deaths there due to current.
However, the current was not crazy at all when we dived in October, was totally manageable for advanced scuba divers like myself – I’m a divemaster and my dive buddy who is an instructor. I think if you have experienced some current before and have over 50 dives then you should feel confident diving Verde Island.
Best Places to Stay in Puerto Galera
I’ve stayed in two very different places here, and both were great for what I needed at the time.
Budget trip? Head to White Beach. It’s got a real local vibe with cheap restaurants, bars, and a white sand beach that’s actually nice (yes, really). I dived with Crystal from Pacific Divers and she was fantastic.
Wanna splurge? I stayed at an incredible resort the second time. Still affordable but such a step up. Think: a bay surrounded by mangroves, a spa overlooking the ocean, adorable kittens, and veggie-friendly meals (which can be super hard to find in the Philippines).
Lola and I both agreed that we had never stayed so close to the actual dive boat before! The dive centre was 5 metres in front of our room with the boat just in front – another reason why I totally recommend Edgewater Resort. Just note, there is no beach at this resort. It’s all about the mangrove magic but it also means you can’t swim in the sea from the resort so pick White Beach if you are after a beach experience!
We booked direct but you can see more photos and check availability for Edgewater Resort here.
How to Get to Puerto Galera from Manila (Easiest Route)
You’ll fly into Manila and then:
Option 1 (budget): Take a bus (3–4 hours) to the port. I did this on my first trip—it’s fine but getting to the bus terminal is a bit of a pain.
Option 2 (easier): Take a private taxi to Balatero Pier. Bit pricey but if traffic is good, it can take as little as 1.5 hours. I did this the second time and wow, what a difference. From Balatero Pier, grab a ferry—ours was around 650 pesos and took about an hour. Having done the bus route, I definitely recommend splurging on the taxi but Grab wouldn’t go that far for us and we got screwed over and over paid with the taxi company from the airport. The driver then insisted we pay 2 way for tolls for him which we knew wasn’t right but we were rushing for our ferry. Definitely recommend booking transport through your hotel so that you can avoid the hassle we had!
Once you arrive in Mindoro, it’s just a quick tuktuk ride to your hotel. The ferries were surprisingly on time in my most recent trip to Puerto Galera last month so that was very handy! Always allow lots of time built in for the Philippines as anything can happen.
My dive buddy Lola left 2 days after me but there was a typhoon warning so no ferries were making the crossing (even though the weather appeared fine!).
Tips for First-Time Divers in Puerto Galera
- October is a great time of year to go
- Allow plenty of time for ferries and transfers
- Manila traffic might even beat Bangkok traffic! (I live in Thailand!)
- Diving from small boats with small groups is ideal!
- Snorkelling is an option too
- Do a night dive – ours was super trippy and we saw tons including a bobtail squid eeee!
Why I’ll Be Back again to Dive Puerto Galera
If you’re looking for easy, breezy diving with serious coral action, Puerto Galera delivers. It’s affordable, close to Manila, and somehow still feels like a hidden gem. I would recommend this place for snorkellers as well so if you love snorkelling, the coral reefs aren’t deep, usually around 5m so still accessible if you have snorkellers in your dive group!
For a stress-free Philippines scuba diving trip, Puerto Galera is ideal – book it!
Explore the Philippines Resources
Best 2 week itineraries for the Philippines (for ocean and nature lovers)
Best Dive Spots in Puerto Galera, Mindoro
Best Diving in the Philippines
Where to stay in Malapascua Island, Cebu
Where to ethically swim with whale sharks in the Philippines
