About Puerto Galera
Oriental Mindoro, Philippines · UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve
What is Puerto Galera?
History
Long before Spanish galleons ever anchored here, this stretch of coast was already a trading post. Chinese records dating back to 982 AD mention "Mai" — believed to be an early reference to this part of Mindoro — where merchants from China, India, Sumatra, and Java exchanged goods in what is now Muelle Bay. When Spanish colonizers reached the coast in 1570, they named the settlement Puerto Galera, "Port of Galleons," after the ships that used its deep, storm-sheltered harbor to anchor and resupply along the Manila–Acapulco trade route — a role the town's harbor has quietly kept ever since.
General Introduction
Puerto Galera — Spanish for "Port of Galleons" — is a first-class coastal municipality on the northern tip of Mindoro Island, in the province of Oriental Mindoro, Philippines. It sits just across the Verde Island Passage from Batangas, about a 2-hour trip from Manila, and its deep, sheltered natural harbor has made it a haven for traders and ships since long before the Spanish arrived in 1570.
Declared the Philippines' first UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve in 1973, Puerto Galera sits at the heart of the Verde Island Passage — often called the "center of the center" of the world's marine biodiversity. Its reefs are home to over 1,700 species of fish and 800 species of coral, earning the area the nickname "Amazon of the Ocean."
Achievements & Recognition
Puerto Galera's biodiversity and dive culture have earned it recognition both at home and abroad. In 1977, it became the first site in the Philippines declared a UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve — a distinction it still holds today alongside only three other Philippine sites. In 2005, it was inducted into the Most Beautiful Bays of the World Club, a Paris-based organization spanning 27 countries. Locally, the Sangguniang Bayan officially declared Puerto Galera the "Diving Capital of the Philippines" in 2023, recognizing its 30-plus dive sites and 60-plus dive shops accredited by major international diving organizations such as PADI, SSI, and NAUI.
The Three Main Ports
All of that traffic funnels through three port terminals — Muelle, Minolo, and Sabang — each with its own history and role in the town's growth. Muelle, beside historic Muelle Bay in the town poblacion, has been Puerto Galera's main gateway since the earliest trading days. Minolo grew alongside it as the terminal for outrigger ferry operators serving the wider municipality, while Sabang developed later, in step with the rise of dive tourism, into the area's busiest beachfront and diving hub. See below for what each port offers today.
About GaleraLink
GaleraLink is Puerto Galera's first digital boat-booking and ticketing platform. Built to reduce the chaos of manual ticketing at busy ports, GaleraLink digitizes the entire passenger experience — from booking to boarding — with real-time queue management and digital confirmations.
Designed in collaboration with the Puerto Galera Tourism Office and local boat operators at Minolo Port, Sabang Port, and Muelle. GaleraLink supports Filipino, English, Korean, Chinese, and Japanese — serving both domestic and international travelers.
The Team
GaleraLink was built and is maintained by a small passionate team in partnership with Puerto Galera's local government and boat operators' association.
The Three Main Ports
Puerto Galera's boat traffic runs through three terminals — Muelle, Minolo, and Sabang — each on GaleraLink's shared queue system. Muelle sits in the town poblacion beside historic Muelle Bay and serves as the main town port, with RORO and fastcraft operators such as Montenegro Lines, Starlite Ferries, and FastCat running daily crossings from Batangas Port (about 1 to 1.5 hours). Minolo, just outside the town center, is the longtime terminal for outrigger ferry operators like Minolo Shipping Lines and handles both scheduled crossings and chartered island-hopping trips.
Sabang, on the eastern coast, is Puerto Galera's dive and nightlife hub — home to dozens of dive shops, resorts, and the area's busiest strip of beachfront restaurants and bars. Because of rougher open-water conditions there, GaleraLink enforces a big-boats-only rule at Sabang. Most travelers reach it by a direct ferry from Batangas or a short transfer from Muelle or Balatero, then a tricycle ride to their resort.
Pro tip: Book your boat transfer on GaleraLink before you arrive so you can board immediately.