Melo Villareal
Puerto Galera Underwater Cave
Last month, I had the incredible opportunity to join a group of fellow bloggers and travel writers on an exciting visit to Puerto Galera, where we immersed ourselves in the vibrant annual De Galera Festival. Throughout the trip, we participated in a variety of lively events and engaging activities that showcased the rich culture, colorful traditions, and lively spirit of the festival.
We began our day by immersing ourselves in a vibrant religious Fluvial Parade, a captivating procession that started at the bustling historic Muelle Bay, with colorful boats and reverent ceremonies marking its route. The parade gracefully looped back to the bay’s edge, creating a mesmerizing spectacle of tradition and community spirit. Afterwards, we made our way from the lively port area to the nearby Puerto Galera Tourism Office, where we enjoyed a delicious lunch, savoring local flavors amidst the charming surroundings.
After having lunch, we had our island-hopping tour organized by Ms. Aileen Bareng and her staff. Our first stop was at Long Beach in San Antonio Island, then we proceeded to the beautiful Underwater Cave located on the same island.
There’s a ton of fun to be had in Puerto Galera. White Beach and Sabang Beach are hot tourist spots. But for something quieter, take a boat to one of the many small islands offshore, some of which are great for a romantic escape and offer lovely little places to stay that are also very beautiful and less overrun by tourists.
The Underwater Cave in Puerto Galera
But by far, the most exciting part of our trip to Puerto Galera was the trip to San Antonio and the underwater cave. After passing the appropriately named Long Beach, we finally reached a small cove where the entrance to the underwater cave is located.
It’s a scramble down the beach and then a climb up onto a very jagged rock outcropping before you’re at the entrance to the cave. I went with a group, and we all crawled down, passing a small cave opening to reach the hidden underwater cave. Bringing my DSLR Camera was a risky decision, but I later realized I made the right choice. Our excellent experience will not be complete without capturing the beauty of the underwater cave.
It’s warm and light, and the cave is protected from the waves, so it’s ideal. The water’s not super deep, only about waist-high, but still swimmable. Because it’s so nice down there, it’s easy to imagine staying for longer, but after about half an hour, we had to leave for our next activity, so we climbed back out.
Our last activity was visiting Puerto Galera’s famous coral garden – a beautiful dive site and a great snorkeling area. By simply holding a rope in front of the small outrigger boat, tourists can easily feed various species of tropical aquarium fish, including Angelfish, Pipefish, and Lizardfish. If you are a nonswimmer like me, you can stay on the boat while feeding and watching schools of fish from up close.
How to Get There
The best thing to do is to book it through your hotel or resort, but if you want to save, you can hire a bangkero, who is widely available in White Beach and the Sabang area. The small banca is suitable for 3 people, and the island-hopping tour includes Long Beach, Coral Garden, and the underwater cave. Banca rates may vary by season, but the standard rate is P600 per person.
You can catch boats from White Beach as well for an island-hopping and snorkeling trip, but make sure the boat drivers stick to the standard price (2000 pesos for up to 8 people). The underwater cave is usually the second stop; make sure to bring an underwater camera.
All in all, well worth the trip if you’re out at Puerto Galera.
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Read:
- Travel Guide to Puerto Galera: Travel Requirements, Things to Do, and More
- Nice and Cozy at White Beach Resort in Puerto Galera
- Stoked at Club Paradise Palawan Resort in Coron
- 12 Photos That Prove Anilao is One Of The Best Diving Destinations in the World
