Popular beach resort destination in the Philippines, about 150 km south of Manila. Located on the northern end of the island of Mindoro, in the province of Oriental Mindoro. It's a hour-long boat ride from Batangas City which is itself an approximately three-hour bus ride from Manila.

Puerto Galera itself is actually made up of several different resorts, each of which caters to various different clientele. I've only been to one of these beaches, the White Beach, so named because of its dazzling white sand. This resort is a popular party destination, and is full of restaurants, souvenir shops, and other tourist traps. It's a place to go swimming, partying, sunbathing, ogling girls in bikinis, jetskiing, and beach volleyball, but not so much for scuba diving (although there is a dive shop there) and waterskiing. Other resorts in Puerto Galera may be better destinations for these activities though.

Food is generally not that expensive there, although, ironically, seafood can be costly, far more expensive than in Manila, because the waters around the resort area have been overfished in recent years. Lodging is also horrendously expensive, at rates of US$30-US$50 per day or more, especially during holidays, but it is possible to camp out on the beach, which costs nothing if you already have a tent or sleeping bag, or about US$3 for a straw mat that should last you through the whole vacation. As of 2002, it should be possible to go on a three-day vacation for two there for under US$100, starting from Manila, complete with transportation both ways, food, and improvised lodging.

It's a popular vacation destination during Holy Week, and the place is usually packed with people around that time. Along with Boracay, it's a popular place for large corporate sponsored beach parties, which are always plenty of fun. Most of the vacationers are middle-class families from Manila (the richer ones tend to go to Boracay instead), college-age kids, and various foreigners (who normally avoid the resort during summer because they find Filipino vacationers excessively rowdy).

Oh, and no, it's not easy to have sex on the beach here. There's a roving band of local boys here on the lookout for couples looking for secluded spots, who constantly make themselves a big annoyance to those who want to have a little privacy.

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