How to Travel from Manila to Puerto Galera [Via Ferry or Seaplane]

By: Fatima Turla

Learn how you can travel from Manila to Puerto Galera here.

Puerto Galera is a beautiful town located on the island of Mindoro. It’s boasting with long White Beach having bars and resorts and the island is rich with marine life. This makes Puerto Galera an ideal place to go to if you want to just chill or do some water activities like diving. And what’s better about this place is it’s not really far from Manila.

Photo by Jun Acullador CC BY-ND 2.0

You might have heard of Boracay and Palawan, but these islands are quite far from the Philippines’ capital. So if you want to enjoy your stay in Manila without going too far from it, Puerto Galera is the place to be. And with that being said, we’ll guide you on how you can travel from Manila to Puerto Galera.

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Table of Contents

Traveling from Manila to Puerto Galera by Ferry

Photo by Jun Acullador CC BY-ND 2.0

To clear things out, the ferry won’t literally depart from Manila, it will actually depart from Batanga Port. So if you’re coming from Manila, you need to head your way to Batangas first.

From Manila to Batangas Port by Bus

A bus ride from Manila to Batangas Port may take up to 2-3 hours depending on traffic. There are buses leaving from Pasay, Cubao or Buendia. A one-way ride costs around PHP 200 ($4).

They run almost all day and every hour. You will have to get to Batangas Pier 3. 

From Batangas to Puerto Galera

When you arrived at Batangas Port, you need to catch a boat going to Puerto Galera. You’ll see several kiosks of companies that sell ferry tickets. Purchase your ticket in any of these kiosks. It’s up to you which one you would choose, they are all similar anyway. But remember that not all of them go to all the drop points on Puerto Galera. 

Plan ahead where you want the ferry to take you, White Beach and Sabang are the two most popular places. If you want to go diving, Sabang is the place to be. The usual price ticket is more or less PHP 300 ($6) per person one way, that includes the environmental fee.

Travel time

From Batangas Port to Puerto Galera, it will take you at least 1.5 hours. This is for the smaller boat. If you’d take the Ro-Ro which is bigger than the traditional boats, it’s slower and can take between 1-3 hours. It has a similar price with the smaller boats.

Traveling from Manila to Puerto Galera by Seaplane

Photo by Alexander Hatley CC BY 2.0

There’s another option on how you can travel from Manila to Puerto Galera, and that’s by taking a seaplane. This one though is not common since it’s more expensive but it’s faster than that of a ferry. If you want a unique experience, you should try this one. 

AirJuan offers flight by seaplane. You can get by a plane going to Puerto Galera either from Subic Bay or from Manila Bay. The ticket price is around PHP 5,000 to PHP 6,000 ($99 – $119) one way. The seaplane lands at Sandbar Beach Resort in Puerto Galera.

Travel time

It will only take you 30 minutes of travel. However, please remember that there are no daily flights. It is advisable to always check their website and see if there’s an available flight on your target date. If you found one, book it as soon as possible. 

Summary

From Manila to Puerto Galera by Ferry

Total travel time: 5-6 hours (including the travel time from Manila to Batangas Port)

Cost: Around PHP 500 ($10) *This is subject to change.

From Manila to Puerto Galera by Seaplane

Total travel time: 30 minutes 

Cost: Around PHP 5,000 to PHP 6,000 ($99 – $119) *This is subject to change

Photo by Stefan Munder CC BY 2.0

Going to Puerto Galera is not so difficult as it is one of the most visited islands in the Philippines. The only downside, however, might be the traffic you’d experience if you’ll be coming from Manila going to Batangas Port (if you chose to travel by ferry). But all in all, you won’t have any problem as long as you’ll plan ahead of time. We hope that this guide on how to travel from Manila to Puerto Galera was able to help you. If you’re planning to visit this gorgeous island, share with us your thoughts!

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About the Writer

Hi there! I’m Fatima. My first major travel was in 2016 in the beautiful city of Cebu. After that, I got interested in traveling. Now I enjoy learning languages and other country’s cultures. My goal is to visit at least one country each year and to share my experiences with other people through writing or blogging. Witness my journey by following me on Instagram.

The original content (article & images) is owned by Fatima Turla. Visit the site here for other interesting stories.