Sights: A Livelier PUERTO GALERA

It has been more than a decade since I've been here. Back then, the tallest structure I saw had two flloors and there were a few resorts and inns to say in. I've heard on how crowded the place has gotten and how thrash has littered the shores. Even with all the bad hearsay, I didn't have second thoughts on visiting the island again.

Puerto Galera

It was the lean season and a storm was reported to be heading towards Luzon. Luckily the boat ride from Batangas Pier  to White Beach was not as rough as we expected it to be.

The Bangka Ride Going to Puerto Galera

As soon as we reached the islands, I was surprised to see yachts anchored between the islands. I don't remember seeing this much or even one before.

Yachts Anchored around the Islands

We stayed at Tamaraw Beach Resort which has its own private beach. The resort was simple and clean, it offers the basic necessity. Judging from the number of rooms and how big the beach area is, the beach area looks like it can get really crowded during the peak season. But lucky for us, there were only a few guests and we pretty much had to beach to ourselves.

Tamaraw Beach

One reason why Puerto Galera is memorable to me is that this was the first spot where I got to snorkel. The snorkeling site pretty much hasn't change, there were even assigned locals patrolling the area guarding the marine life from poachers. Though there were only a few species of fish, it was still fun swimming around with them.

Just before the sunset, we made our way to White Beach, this is where we stayed and hanged out before. From Tamaraw beach, we had to walk and climb around big rocks along the shore to reach White Beach.

Crossing over to White Beach

When we reached White Beach, the first thing I noticed were the numerous bars and restaurants along the shore. Aside from the bars and restaurants, a lot of high rise inns and cottages were also built around the area.  The beach looked clean and pretty much the same as before.

White Beach

As night fell, the place starts to liven up, music started blaring out from the huge speakers of the different bars. As we sat down at a random bar, we found out that the bars would staged their own respective shows.
While waiting for the show, we ordered a pitcher of the most famous drink that originated here, the Mindoro Sling.  The sweet cocktail is always a must have whenever in Puerto Galera.

Mindoro Sling

The show started with the fire dance. This is the not the 1st time I've seen or watch something like this, it is now pretty common in beaches. But still I had fun watching the dancers twirling and spinning their poi.

Fire Dancers

As the Rain Fell, the Dancers continued to Perform

After the fire dance show, it was the drag queens who took center stage. Dancing and lip syncing to famous tunes, the drag queens were hilarious. I was laughing my head off at their performance, it was so much fun.

Drag Queens

Before leaving the island, we had breakfast at the terrace with a view of the sea. From how it looks, Puerto Galera can indeed get crowded specially during the peak season. One can view it in a positive way, as the saying goes, the more the merrier. As for me, I'm not a fan of huge crowds but I'm not discouraged to go back again. I can always choose to go here during the off peaks months, Puerto Galera will always be memorable to me. From having a calm and peaceful atmosphere, it has turned into a livelier beach destination.