El Galleon Beach Resort & Asia Divers

Dive resort · Philippines · Puerto Galera, Mindoro · Official Website

Booking by Tour Leader Club

5 room types · More than 30 dive sites · house reef

El Galleon sits right on Small Lalaguna Beach in Sabang, in the municipality of Puerto Galera on the north coast of Mindoro. Thirty air-conditioned rooms are spread across the slope among the palms; some look out over Sabang Bay, some onto the pool, the rest into the garden. The restaurant runs out to the water’s edge.

The resort and its dive centre, Asia Divers, have worked together since the late 1980s. Asia Divers is the first PADI Career Development Center in the Philippines — the top rating PADI awards — and the only dive centre in Puerto Galera with its own pier and a diving platform with a large pontoon: boats dock alongside it, so you step aboard rather than climb in from the water.

Puerto Galera lies on the Verde Island Passage, the stretch of water scientists call the “centre of the centre” of marine biodiversity and the marine equivalent of the Amazon basin. The underwater canyons here hold around 60 % of all known shorefish species and more than 300 kinds of coral. Currents run up to six knots, and they are exactly what feeds these reefs.

More than 30 dive sites lie within fifteen minutes: the West Escarceo, Canyons and Kilima drifts, the Alma Jane wreck, and The Junk, Tommy’s Rock, Sabang Point and Pink Wall for night dives. The Verde Island drop-off is about twenty minutes out by speedboat. The schedule is dense — five departures a day, at 8:00, 10:30, 13:30, 16:00 and 18:00 for the night dive, each with a choice of sites, in groups of six or fewer.

People come here for the macro. Pygmy seahorses, ghost pipefish, frogfish, sea moths, dragonets, stick pipefish, wunderpus, mimic octopus and flamboyant cuttlefish are an ordinary list for one dive. The reefs carry huge barrel sponges, clusters of crinoids and gorgonian fans, and the larger cast runs to turtles, moray eels, cuttlefish, mantis shrimp and thresher sharks. Blackwater is a programme of its own — drifting in the Verde Island Passage over a hundred and sixty metres of water, with the team trained by Scott “Gutsy” Tuason, one of the best-known blackwater photographers in the country.

Ashore there is Arthur’s restaurant with French chef Antoine, the legendary Point Bar on the path between Sabang and Small Lalaguna, the Morning Brew coffee shop, a swimming pool, the La Palm spa and a conference room for 25. Non-divers have plenty around them too: a zipline over the jungle, golf at Ponderosa, the Tamaraw falls, the Tukuran river, a Mangyan village and sunset cruises.

No markup

You pay exactly the rate the resort publishes. On top of that, only the actual bank costs of currency conversion and the international transfer — no commission of ours.

We run the deal

Correspondence with the resort, holding the room, the contract, booking confirmation and all paperwork are on our side. There is nothing for you to arrange yourself.

Card payment

We accept payment by card through Stripe and issue an invoice. The transfer to the resort is our job — you do not have to find a way to pay abroad.

Support all the way

We help you choose the room and dates, work out the dive package, answer questions about flights and gear, and stay in touch until you are home.

The exact amount is confirmed when we hold your booking: it includes the resort's rate at the day's exchange rate plus the actual transfer costs. No hidden fees.

About the resort

Country

Philippines

Location

Puerto Galera, Mindoro

Nearest airport

Manila, Ninoy Aquino International (MNL)

Transfer

Door-to-door by the resort, car and boat

charged separately

House reef

The resort describes no house reef — all diving is from the boat

Dive sites

More than 30

Dive centre

Asia Divers, the first PADI Career Development Center in the Philippines

Nitrox

Yes — $7 per dive, $14 for a day unlimited, $80 for a week

Rooms

Staff

Groups of no more than six divers per guide

Internet

Free across the resort and in the rooms

At the resort

The only private pier with a boat pontoon in Puerto Galera

Arthur's restaurant at the water's edge

The Point Bar on the path between the beaches

Morning Brew coffee shop

The Barrel Bar on the grounds

Swimming pool

La Palm spa — aromatherapy, Thai and Swedish massage

Dive centre with a personal gear crate for every guest

Camera room with a computer and its own camera rinse tank

Air-conditioned conference room for 25

Air conditioning, mini bar, kettle, safe and TV in the rooms

Hot water, towels and daily housekeeping

Drinking water stations and refillable bottles

Diving

Asia Divers, the country's first PADI Career Development Center

Own pier and pontoon platform, the only one in the area

More than 30 dive sites within fifteen minutes

Five departures a day — 8:00, 10:30, 13:30, 16:00 and 18:00

Groups of six or fewer, every dive guided

Banca boats for up to six guests plus a guide, and two speedboats

The Verde Island drop-off twenty minutes away

Blackwater in the Verde Island Passage over 160 metres of water

Nitrox, technical diving and the full range of PADI courses

A personal gear crate and a camera room with a camera rinse tank

Before diving, the centre checks your logbook and certification card, and the briefings are detailed, down to what to look for and where. Water runs 22 to 29 °C, coldest from December to February, visibility is usually 15 to 30 metres, and you can dive year-round, seven days a week. Blackwater and day trips to Verde Island and the hot springs are arranged on request.

Food

Arthur's restaurant over the water with a view of Sabang Bay

French chef Antoine — quiche Lorraine, coq au vin and seafood platters

Local and international cooking, pasta and seafood

Vegetarian and vegan dishes

The Point Bar serves the same menu as the restaurant

Morning Brew coffee shop — coffee, wine, beer

Wine refrigerator

The restaurant is open to non-guests too. Breakfast is not part of every rate — the resort says it depends on the package you book. Celebrations and birthdays are arranged separately, and a barbecue on a secluded beach is put together to order.

Beyond diving

Snorkelling off the beach and around the bays of Puerto Galera

Kayaks, beach volleyball and beach hopping

Sunset cruise out to White Beach

Barbecue on a secluded beach

A 610-metre zipline over the jungle canopy

Golf at Ponderosa, 450 metres above sea level

Trekking along the Tukuran river and the Tamaraw falls

A Mangyan village — the indigenous people of Mindoro

The Puerto Galera museum with Spanish and Chinese finds

Mountain bikes and motorbikes, an adventure park

The Puerto Galera Yacht Club in Muelle Bay

Everything is booked at the front desk. The resort warns separately about the currents: before snorkelling, ask an instructor where to get in and out — though there are long stretches of the day with no current at all.

Rooms

Room

View: Sabang Bay

Beds: King-size bed or twin beds

The most requested category: front-row rooms looking out over the water. Spacious, with ample storage and a private bathroom with a vanity area.

View over Sabang Bay Air conditioning Mini bar Kettle with complimentary tea and coffee Room safe TV Private bathroom with hot water and a vanity area Complimentary WiFi

Room

View: The resort grounds

Beds: One king-size bed and two single beds

Spacious rooms for families and small groups: a king-size bed and two singles in one space, plenty of storage and a private bathroom with a vanity area. One or two extra beds can be added.

Room for one or two extra beds Air conditioning Mini bar Kettle with complimentary tea and coffee Room safe TV Private bathroom with hot water and a vanity area Complimentary WiFi

Room

View: The pool

Beds: King-size bed

Rooms right by the pool — step out of the door and you are in the water. Ample storage and a private bathroom with a vanity area. The resort's largest category.

The pool a few steps away Air conditioning Mini bar Kettle with complimentary tea and coffee Room safe TV Private bathroom with hot water and a vanity area Complimentary WiFi

Suite

View: The sea

Beds: King-size bed

A one-bedroom apartment on the top level: its own kitchen, an adjoining living room and a large private balcony over the water. The most spacious and private category at the resort.

Separate bedroom Private kitchen Adjoining living room Large private balcony with sea views Air conditioning Mini bar Kettle with complimentary tea and coffee Room safe TV Private bathroom with hot water Complimentary WiFi

Room

View: No sea view

Beds: Queen-size bed or two single beds

The most affordable category. There is no ocean view, but everything you need is there — and more time and money left over for diving.

Air conditioning Kettle with complimentary tea and coffee Room safe Private bathroom with hot water Complimentary WiFi

Rates

Diving and equipment

	Price
One dive with tank, weights, boat and guide	$37
Night dive surcharge	$18
Nitrox, per dive	$7
Nitrox, unlimited for a day	$14
Nitrox, unlimited for a week	$80
Equipment with dive computer, per dive	$8
Equipment for two dives in a day	$16
Equipment per day, unlimited diving	$18
Torch rental	$7

Prices in US dollars. A dive includes the tank, weights, boat and guide — all diving at the resort is guided.

Individual rental items, per day

	Price
Regulator	$4
BCD	$4
Computer	$5
Fins	$2
Mask	$1
Wetsuit	$1
Snorkel	$1
Boots	$0.50

PADI courses

	Price
Bubblemaker for children from 8, pool, 2 hours	$45
Discover Scuba Diving, 3 hours	$80
Scuba Review, refresher session in the pool	$90
Scuba Diver, 2 dives over 2 days	$350
Open Water Diver, 4 dives over 2–4 days	$549
Open Water Diver referral, 4 dives over 2 days	$265
Advanced Open Water Diver, 5 dives over 2–3 days	$420
Rescue Diver, 2–3 days	$524
Rescue Diver with Emergency First Response, 4 days	$662
Divemaster, 10 days or more	$1,318

The resort's full price list is considerably longer — these are the main steps. For eLearning courses the online portion is paid directly to PADI and is not included.

PADI specialties

	Price
Enriched Air Nitrox, 1 day	$252
Peak Performance Buoyancy, 2 dives	$290
Drift Diver, 2 dives	$270
Underwater Naturalist, 2 dives	$270
Digital Underwater Photographer, 2 dives	$350
Night Diver, 3 dives	$310
Navigation, 3 dives	$310
Deep Diver, 4 dives	$350
Wreck Diver, 4 dives	$350
Search & Recovery, 4 dives	$350

Freediving

	Price
An hour on the resort boat, no guide or equipment, two people minimum	$25 per person
Freediving buoy rental, $100 deposit	$25 a day
PADI Basic Freediver, half a day	$128
PADI Freediver, 2.5 days	$432
Coaching session with an instructor, up to 2 hours	$46

Transfers from Manila and back

	Price
Private transfer, 1–6 people	$780
Private transfer, 7–12 people	$1,014
Private transfer, 13–24 people	$2,028
Assisted transfer, one person	$334
Assisted transfer, two people	$434
Assisted transfer, three people	$534
Assisted transfer, four people	$634

Prices in US dollars for the round trip. A port fee of $3 per person, an environmental user fee of $3.50 per person and $1 per bag are paid separately in cash. Transfers are payable only in cash, by GCash or by local bank transfer.

Rates and availability can change. Message us — we will confirm current dates and prices.

When to go

Best time

Year-round, seven days a week

the water is coldest from December to February

Water temperature

22–29 °C

Visibility

Usually 15–30 metres

The resort is open all year and marks out no separate diving season. The only seasonal note on the site is the water: coldest from December to February. Thresher sharks appear at the right time of year, but the resort does not say which. Verde Island trips depend on the weather.

Getting there

Fly into Manila, Ninoy Aquino International (MNL). From there it is two hours by air-conditioned car to the pier and about forty minutes by boat straight to the resort’s own pier — two and a half to three hours in total. The water taxi runs from 5:30 to 17:00, so it is best to land in Manila by 13:00 at the latest and to book your outbound flight no earlier than midday.

The private transfer runs door to door — from the airport, a hotel or a private address in Manila. There is a cheaper assisted option: a car to the shared Sabang Express water taxi, which leaves at 13:15 and returns at 12:15. It only runs with five passengers, and is confirmed on the day of travel. The cheapest route is a bus to Batangas port and the public ferry to Balatero, from where it is thirty minutes by road to the resort and a ten-minute walk along the beach; the last ferry leaves around 15:30. The resort has its own pier, the only one in Puerto Galera, so a private transfer boat ties up directly at it.

Most nationalities enter visa-free for 30 days, and the passport must be valid for six months beyond the stay. No later than 72 hours before departure you must complete the Philippine government’s eTravel registration and get a QR code. The public ferry also requires a PG Pass.

The resort takes cash, GCash, bank transfer and all major cards — Visa, Mastercard, Amex — as well as WeChat Pay and Alipay, with no card surcharge. Transfers, however, are payable only in cash, by GCash or by local bank transfer. There is no malaria in the area, but vaccinations for hepatitis A, typhoid, polio and tetanus are recommended. The resort strongly advises dive accident insurance; entry-level students are enrolled in free DAN student cover worth up to $25,000.