After what seemed like eternity, at long last, I was able to return to Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro last March 02, 2013 to officially kick off (at least for me) the summer season for the year!

It’s been around four years since I last visited Puerto Galera and the last time I was there I was hardly able to notice the beach because my friends and I were quite busy with “hydration” this popular tourist destination is also known for.  This time around though I was able to be reacquainted on why this spot remains popular.

Puerto Galera is around 130K south of Manila and is really popular with tourists, particularly those coming from Manila, primarily because of the crystal clear water of its beaches without the big price tags common with tourist spots.  It’s also relatively close, just a boat ride away from the port of Batangas, so it’s quite accessible.

Puerto Galera may be just on the other side of Batangas but it’s still around a two hour travel time by the usual boats, so it’s normal to arrive hungry.  I really wish that there were more food choices at Puerto Galera’s white beach, particularly food unique to the area, but there were a few interesting finds (literally, just a few).

I don’t know when is the peak season for Puerto Galera but considering that March has just started, tourists, both local and foreign, are already flocking in the area.

After sunset, life at the beaches of Puerto Galera doesn’t stop: there are various entertainments along the beach, but if you prefer a much more relaxing activity, you can do stargazing at the darker east end of the beach.

Staying on the beach, hearing the waves while watching the sun set and waiting for the stars to come out is quite a relaxing experience indeed.  I just realized that there’s so much light in Metro Manila that we hardly see any stars!  We were lucky that our first day in Puerto Galera was blessed with a good weather and a practically cloudless sky.

Continued: Part 2