How to get to Puerto Galera? If you’re planning to visit this beach area of Mindoro, read this detailed article carefully.
One thing to keep in mind is that Puerto Galera has 2 main ports: Balatero and Puerto Galera (Muelle). Public boats now only arrive at the former and Muelle is only used for private boats. There used to be bangkas to Sabang, White Beach and Talipanan, but because they were a bit unstable (and, let’s be honest, dangerous), they have stopped operating.
Unless you’re coming from other corners of Mindoro Island (such as the fabulous Apo Reef), Marinduque or Tablas, the usual starting point to reach Puerto Galera is Manila. Therefore, we recommend you read our article How to get to Manila carefully.
How to get to Puerto Galera by private transport
Once in Manila, if you’re in a big hurry to get to Puerto Galera, you can hire companies such as Hap & Go or Mindoro Sprinter and you’ll be there in just about 3 hours. However, you should consider that prices are very high and only make sense if you’re traveling as a group. Many resorts arrange private transfers.
Another company that does a more or less door-to-door service is Si-Kat. They organize a kind of transfer from the Ermita district at 8:00 on a quite comfortable bus and drop you in Puerto Galera at 12:30. The one-way ticket is 1.500 pesos per person.
Of course, the most economical alternative is to go to Puerto Galera by public transport.
How to get to Puerto Galera by public transport
Here are the steps to get to Puerto Galera cheaply:
1. Take a taxi or a Grab car (the Uber of the Philippines, the best option in Manila) to the JAM Liner Buendia terminal. If you’re at the airport or in Makati, it won’t take you more than 30 minutes (although this depends on traffic). If you need to stay overnight in the city, stay in one of those 2 areas. Find recommendations in Where to stay in Manila. There’s another terminal in Cubao, but it’s farther from Batangas and if there’s a traffic jam you’ll take much longer.
2. Hop on a bus to Batangas: they depart constantly between 1:00 a.m. and 23:00. The most well-known are those of JAM Transit, but you can also take Ceres or DLTB. If you can choose, it’s best to look for one with a sign that says CALABARZON and another that says Batangas Pier. This means it will go on the expressway and will be faster (2 hours instead of the 4 it can take). Get off at the last stop, the one for Batangas Pier, not the stop for the city itself. The ticket costs about 250 pesos. Heads-up: the earlier you leave (4–6 in the morning), the less traffic you’ll find. The early start is worth it.
3. Walk to the port: the bus will drop you in a vacant lot right next to the port.
4. Buy the boat tickets to get to Puerto Galera: go straight to the official counters and don’t pay attention to anyone who approaches you saying to buy from them because they leave right now. They’ll overcharge you or outright scam you. Prices are around 600–700 pesos, depending on the boat and class you choose.
Here you can choose between fast boats (fast craft) and RO-RO. The fast-craft going to Balatero Port are comfortable and take roughly 1 hour. The RO-RO to Balatero take a couple of hours, but they’re a good option if you’re traveling with a car or motorbike. You can take a look at schedules and book on 12go, but figure there are more or less between 6:00 and 16:30.
5. Pay the Batangas terminal fees: 30 pesos.
6. Enjoy the boat ride: if you tend to get seasick, it’s a good idea to take a motion-sickness pill because it usually isn’t a very calm crossing. It’s also worth bringing a warm layer because of the air conditioning.
7. Pay the Puerto Galera environmental fee: 120 pesos.
8. Take a jeepney or tricycle to your hotel. If you want to save money, look for the jeepneys, which are cheaper. If you want a private tricycle, negotiate prices. From Balatero to White Beach you can pay around 150–200 pesos for a whole tricycle. To Sabang it’s 30 pesos by jeepney and 200–250 pesos by tricycle.
If you want to reach Puerto Galera the same day you fly to Manila, your flight should land before 12:00 noon. That way you’ll be able to go comfortably to Batangas and board one of the last boats to Puerto Galera.
If you land later, a way to shorten road time is to take a taxi directly from Manila (even the airport) to Batangas. Figure about 4.000–4.500 pesos.
How to get to Puerto Galera from other parts of the Philippines
If you’re elsewhere in the Philippines, you can fly to Manila or look for a ferry to Batangas. This is one of the country’s main ports and one of the gateways to the island of Luzon.
Go to Puerto Galera from Romblon or Tablas
Another possibility is that you want to go to Puerto Galera from Tablas or Romblon. In this case, it’s best to take a ferry from Odiongan (Tablas) to Roxas and from there go overland to Puerto Galera (passing through Calapán).
Go to Puerto Galera from Apo Reef
Are you in Sablayan because you’ve been diving in Apo Reef? Then you’ll need to take a bus to Abra de Ilog (6–7 hours) and, once there, take a boat to Puerto Galera (2.5–3 hours). There’s only one boat daily, so you might have to spend the night in Abra de Ilog or take an overnight bus.
Go to Puerto Galera from Marinduque
Another nearby island you might be on is Marinduque. From here, small bangkas leave for the port of Pinamalayan and, once there, you’ll have to combine several land transports to reach Puerto Galera.
We hope this article on how to get to Puerto Galera has helped you figure out how to reach this destination. Remember that you have plenty of information in What to do in Puerto Galera.
If you have any questions or you’re elsewhere in the Philippines and want to know how to go to Puerto Galera, leave us a comment and we’ll gladly reply.
