How to Get There?
Puerto Galera’s White Beach is just 3 hours away from Manila. It is the closest to the city and one of the nicer beach party places from Manila because most of the great beaches in Batangas are privately owned.
One of my apprehensions about going to Malasimbo Music and Arts Festival was I didn’t know how to get to the Batangas Port, which boat to take and how much budget we needed to get to White Beach.
Here’s a recommendation on how to get to White Beach…
Puerto Galera White Beach Series:
- OAP | Malasimbo Music and Art Festival
- OAP | Puerto Galera’s White Beach Guide 2012: What Happened?
- OAP | Puerto Galera’s White Beach Guide 2012: Where to Stay and What to Eat?
- OAP | Puerto Galera’s White Beach Guide 2012: How to Get There?
- OAP | Le Bistro d’Agathe – Puerto Galera’s Famous French Bistro replaces Fat Michael’s
- Inquirer.Net | Lessons from the Puerto Galera tragedy
You drive all the way to the Port of Batangas, which is about 90kms away or 2 hours’ driving distance from Nichols/C5. Take the last exit of the Star Tollway and just go straight, following the signs to Batangas Port.
The total toll fee is P306, broken down into SLEX (P214), SLEX extension (P25) and STAR Tollway (P67).
You can decide to Park & Sail inside Batangas Port.
The parking fee is P23 per 2 hours, P155 for 24 hours and P6 per hour after 24 hours.
The boats to Puerto Galera are stationed in Terminal III of the Batangas Port.
There are three boat operators to consider: Gallerian (Blue Boats), Father & Sons (Yellow Boats) and Minolo (Red Boats).
The Gallerian is a rebrand of Commando, which was involved in the Puerto Galera Tragedy.
Father & Sons has a much better boat operation but with older boats.
We would recommend Minolo because of its brand new fleet.
In Terminal III, go to the Minolo Shipping Lines booth and order the Round Trip Ticket to White Beach, which is P450/head (versus the one-way fare of P250).
Only thing about Minolo Shipping Lines is that the trip to White Beach sometimes passes through Sabang first — it is not a straight trip.
After getting your ticket, you have to pay an Environmental User’s Fee of P50 per head.
Finally, you go to the Terminal Ticket Counter to pay the terminal fee of P30/head.
You wait for your boat in the terminal and exit in Gate 2B. The last trip to White Beach is at 5pm.
Minolo has the biggest boat named Golden Vulture, with an authorized capacity of 150 passengers.
Life vests are not worn inside the boat, but they are just within reach.
Golden Vulture has a very powerful but noisy engine — it took us just under an hour to get to Puerto Galera. It usually takes 1 hour and 30 minutes to reach White Beach.
You have to confirm your Minolo roundtrip ticket back to Batangas at the Minolo Shipping Lines Ticketing Booth (in front of V.M. Resort area) one day before departure.
The Minolo Shipping Lines people are quite friendly and helpful. 🙂
From White Beach, you can choose to board the 6:00, 7:30, 10:30, 12:15, 3:00 or 4:00 (holidays only) boat back to Batangas Port.
As a rule of thumb, make sure to take your boat trips in the morning to avoid the rough seas in the afternoon.
The best seats are the ones in the middle so that you are facing front. Don’t sit near the katig and on the right side where water would usually enter.
The Golden Condor is a smaller and slower boat. It took us 1 hour and 15 minutes to arrive at the port.
Minolo Shipping Lines
Website: MinoloShippingLines.com
Telephone: +63 43 287-3614
Mobile Numbers:
Marian Datinguinoo (White Beach): +63 905-312 6534
Marivic Anilao (White Beach) +63 915 494-5323
Based on our trip, here’s the total cost to go to Puerto Galera’s White Beach:
- Toll Fees (SLEX and STAR Tollway End-to-End): P306
- Parking Fees (Park & Sail): P155 per 24 hours and P6/hour after.
- Boat Fees (Roundtrip ticket, EUF, and Terminal Fee): P530/head
- One full tank of gas
From Manila, SLEX and STAR Tollway is about 1 hour and 30 minutes drive. Allot 30 minutes for the Batangas port terminal procedures and around one hour for the boat trip.
Please share your own tips on how to get to Puerto Galera’s White Beach in the Comments section. Thanks!
Puerto Galera White Beach Series:
- OAP | Malasimbo Music and Art Festival
- OAP | Puerto Galera’s White Beach Guide 2012: What Happened?
- OAP | Puerto Galera’s White Beach Guide 2012: Where to Stay and What to Eat?
- OAP | Puerto Galera’s White Beach Guide 2012: How to Get There?
- OAP | Le Bistro d’Agathe – Puerto Galera’s Famous French Bistro replaces Fat Michael’s
- Inquirer.Net | Lessons from the Puerto Galera tragedy
Live an Awesome Life,
Founder, www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Contact me: anton@diaz.ph 
Full Disclosure: Nothing to disclose. We paid for all our trip expenses. We are not connected in any way with the owners or promoters of the companies featured in this post.
P.S. Any idea on how much the bus would cost if you decide not to bring your own car?
We will be in Puerto Galera next week. Do you think Minolo is the safest to take if we have kids?
Try to get into the biggest boat of Minolo. That would be relatively the safest.
anton
thanks for the info sir anton, kudos to you!
this helps a lot!
really helpful! thanks:)
You're welcome!
Anton
May I ask, what if we don’t have a private vehicle… How can we get to Batanggas port? and How much would it cost?
What is much advisable for 10-12 person travelling… to commute? or rent a car/jeep going to Batanggas port?
Please advise.
There are buses that goes directly to the Batangas Port.
Anton
Thanks for the very detailed post. Helped a lot in planning for our office outing.
Puerto Galera’s White Beach is the mindoro white beach,. right?
Not sure, maybe different.
Anton
san po kayo nag stay na hotel or house and how much po rate?
thanks 4 ur very helpfull info,my whole family are going there this holy week…
hindi n ako matatakot n magpnta dn. sinulat ko lahat ng dapat gawin at puntahan para hindi kmi ma stress kktanung dn … thanks a lot
Do you have any idea on how much is the fare from Alabang to Batangas Port?
Your post is very interesting and informative. Helped me a lot. Thank you for sharing your experience! You really made a nice job. Very nice pictures.
hi pede magdala ng mga pagkaen like hilaw ng baboy manok isda sa biyahe papuntang puerto? julie anne
Very helpful travel guide po. Thanks for sharing. Sana makapunta kami jan.
Hello i would to ask if somebody know, what shipping line going to sabang Beach accepting cargoes using ferry boat batangas to Sabang Beach.
Ask kolang po kung may tel. No. Ang park nd sail.. inquire lang po sna tnx.
hi jovi 🙂 ‘coz i have the same question with yours, ask ko lang po if may binigya na any contact details? thank you so much…
I just came from Puerto Galera and wished I have read your post before going. My friend and I took Father and Son Lines and the experience was beyond horrible! It seems they have no concept of time or customer service. We arrived in Batangas Port around 10am and was immediately ushered by someone doing a last call. He said the 1030 departure is accepting last min passengers and if we want to get on to hurry. So, we did. Only to find waiting in the boat for 1.5 hrs as they ushered more passengers they could stuff in the boat! The experience was the same during return. We were told the earliest back was 630am in white beach. Only to find on the day that we had to board a shuttle to a different port area! We got on the 730am ferry instead bec of this and yes, we had to wait about an hr before we departed. The ride was also very rough despite the morning schedules on both trips.
I hope this post helps future passengers.
Pwd po mg tanong? Mag kano po aabotin pg ng commute lng? Punta po kmi ng puerto galera. Salamat s sasagot.
Bus ride from jac liner buendia to batangas pier is P167/person
You’re the Man, Anton!!!