How to get from Manila to Puerto Galera
One of the reasons Puerto Galera is increasingly considered the scuba diving capital of the Philippines is the speed with which it can be reached from Manila.
Of course the very quickest way is to use the Lalaguna Villas luxury chartered helicopter service – just give us a call or an email (Phone: +63 917 570 3415 / WhatsApp or WeChat or Viber: +63 917 570 3415 / Email: info@lalagunavillas.com.ph) and we will arrange it all for you!
But if whirring rotor blades do not suit your style or budget, never fear you can still be with us with just a few hours’ travel – and you’ll be back-rolling off one of our speedboats and into the clear blue waters of Sabang Bay before you know it.
Budget option: take the bus and the foot passenger fastcraft
When your humble blogger travels, this is how I do it.
From the airport make your way to the main terminal of the DLTB bus company, on Taft Avenue, on the outskirts of the Makati area of Manila. It’s a short taxi ride from the airport which – depending on your haggling skills and your taxi driver – shouldn’t set you back more than 200-300 pesos ($3-£5).
Take the bus with a sign for “BATANGAS” in the front window. There’s one leaving roughly every hour, but you’ll find the vehicle waits to leave until every seat is full. The trip is a bargain at just 268 pesos and you’ll have the opportunity to buy homemade coconut cakes or hand roasted peanuts from vendors on the bus if you’re hungry for a snack.
The 100km or so to the port of Batangas (stay on til the port, don’t get off when the bus stops outside the town centre) will take a couple of hours, then when the bus comes to a halt alight and head down a thronging side street lined with vendors towards the port terminal complex.
At the Island Waters kiosk half way down the street on your right, buy your ticket for the next crossing (the last ferry of the day usually departs at 1pm or 2pm so best to check with them in advance) and then head on into the terminal building. Island Waters recommends arriving no less than one hour before departure. Tickets are 670 pesos per person for an adult.
The fast craft takes less than an hour and a half to cross the Verde Island Passage from Batangas to the small port of Balatero in Puerto Galera, and from there you can jump in a tuktuk or motorbike sidecar which will bring you to Lalaguna Villas – or anywhere else in the Sabang area which is the diving hub of the Puerto Galera region – for just 300-400 pesos.
OR… take our full point-to-point car-and-speedboat service
Lalaguna Villas operates a private car service which will take all the hassle out of the trip for you.
We pick you up from any location in Manila and transport you privately and safely right to LLV.
It includes ground transportation in our spacious Hyundai Grand Starex, then a speedboat ride to the resort’s beachfront entrance. The one-way charge covers five people and their luggage.
Or… let us cover the ground and you can cover the water
Alternatively we can pick you up from any location in Manila and take you to Batangas port, where you can board a ferry to Puerto Galera. The private service is for up to 5 people.
From there grab a ferry as above, or we’ll take you a little further down the coast to Berberabe beach, where a daily shared boat service operates at 2pm direct to Sabang pier. The boat tickets are 2000 pesos per person.
Or… Bring your own car: roll-on-roll-off ferry
If you intend to explore the island of Mindoro while you’re here you can rent a car from the airport and bring it with you.
Manila’s Ninoy Aquino international airport has car rental options from Avis, Hertz, Europcar and several Philippine firms and you can be on the road straight away.
Head south out of the city and take the main toll road down to Batangas, the fees for which will only set you back a couple of hundred pesos depending exactly where you join and exit the route.
Book yourself tickets on the RORO ferry operated by Island Waters (https://www.puertogaleratour.com/product/rolling-vehicle-1000am-batangas-pier/) for 3000 pesos for car and driver, plus any passenger seats you may require.
The crossing will take around two hours.
From Balatero port drive east a couple of kilometres towards the town of Puerto Galera and then follow signs towards Sabang.
Give our front desk a call to discuss options for parking.
Whichever option you choose, it’s wise to bear in mind that if you want to take a scuba diving holiday in the Philippines, one factor to consider is how long it will take to get from the airport to that blissful moment of relaxation when you first splash into the ocean.
Head straight for Puerto Galera and you won’t need island-hopping flights or overnight stays en-route – you could be swimming with sea turtles within three or four hours of touching down on the runway.
