WHITE BEACH, PUERTO GALERA

A top destination among beach travellers, mostly from Manila and neighboring areas, is White Beach in Puerto Galera.  White Beach’s popularity goes back even before Boracay’s. Not only it is cheaper because of its closeness to Manila but it has white sands (not powdery though like in Boracay) Hotels, shops, bars, restaurants and activity centers for snorkelling and scuba diving.

It is a tourist haven. In fact, you might find yourself with some local movie and TV stars enjoying the music in one of its bars most especially during Holy Week.  Or, see a lot of foreigners who already considered the place home and had families.

The place is so crowded during summer most especially the Lenten Season thus you have to book early.  Otherwise, the only available places for your group to sleep in are the rooms or houses that are too far from the beach and being offered for rent by enterprising locals. The price of these rooms or houses during the peak season is ranging from P2,500.00 to P4,000.00 per day and good for at least 6 pax.

Transportation going to White Beach from Manila to Batangas  by air-conditioned buses or vans are available 24/7 except for the rigged boats from the Batangas port to Puerto Galera or vice versa which  sail as early as 6:00 AM until 7:00PM.  Waves though are higher during the afternoon so better schedule your trip very early morning.

Hedonistic, that is what I (who is so used to observe Lenten Season rites yet what am I doing here?) can best describe White Beach during evenings. Seems like Ermita in Manila, once notorious for its sleazy clubs, has been transported to the beach with women in bikini dancing on the ledge or stage of the bars while fire dancers compete for the crowds’ attention.  There are also local brew-sponsored bands playing for the younger market. So while the rest of our folks were beating their chest, others were having an orgiastic way to spend the week.

Puerto Galera however was in the news recently for banning gay performers. I don’t know exactly the reason but local officials want the place “sanitized”. It earned the ire of the gay community because Puerto Galera is actually a “gay haven” the distinction which the officials want to be erased. The gay community however, is among the large part of its visitors which made Puerto famous and brought so much largesse to Puerto Galera’s economy.