THE PEOPLE
The natives of Puerto Galera used to live on fishing, farming and hunting. Before the Spaniards introduced to them the use of the plow, they raised animals and planted sweet potatoes, rice, corn and other crops using the slash and burn menthod.

But with the influx of tourists, most of the locals these days are into tourism-oriented livelihood with most of the men as boatman - ferrying tourist from one island or cove to another, while most of the residents with higher education working in the various hotels/resorts in the area.

With around 30,000 people comprising the population of Puerto Galera at present, 70% belongs to the age bracket of 30 years old and below.

The Mangyans also form a part of the local population these days though most of them still lives in the interior or mountain part of the island. They are among the earliest inhabitants of Mindoro who moves from place to place because traditionally they are unwarlike people who would rather lose their territory they have long occupied than go into a fight.for it.

FLORA & FAUNA
Puerto Galera is blessed with a tropical climate, fine beaches with crystal clear water, fantastic dive spots, rain forests, natural caves, waterfalls and a rare flora and fauna both above and below the water. The rugged terrain with some dense jungle. its irregular coastline and wide white-sand beaches and the cool mountain areas make it an interesting destination and a good place to start an adventure trip.

Forty two species of indigenous mammals are found in the island of Mindoro which includes among others the endemic subspecie of the Philippine Deer, Illin the hairy-tailed cloud rat, the Philippine Warty Pig the Mindoro Shrew, the golden-capped fruit bat, with Tamaraw (Bubalus Mindorensis) as the most popular among them.

The diversity of hard and soft corals, along with hundreds of species of tropical fish life makes Puerto Galera one of the most popular dive destinations in the Philippines. Pelagics, tropicals and Other fishes among the pristine coral reefs that nurture an amazing diversity of marine flora and fauna.

ATTRACTIONS & ACTIVITIES

Diving
Puerto Galera is one of the top dive destinations in the Philippines and Asia. Most professional divers have heard of Puerto Galera and in spite of its growing popularity diving here retains much of the ease and fun that has been lost in many other areas of the world. It is home to over thirty dive sites that suit all level of divers. For the more experienced, there are challenging deep dives and the high voltage drift dives plus an extensive range of nitrox and technical dives for the more advanced tech diver

Cross of Canonero De Mariveles
When Puerto Galera was made the capital of Mindoro. It was originally located in Barrio Lagundian. But the frequent Moro attacks forced the Spaniards not only to transfer the seat of government to its present site, but also to build watchtowers and station battleships outside Muelle Bay. One battleship that guarded the waters of Puerto Galera was the Canonero Mariveles, which sunk due to a violent storm in 1879.

In remembrance of this battleship a wooden cross was built at Muelle Pier with the inscription: "Ultima tierra que pesarou los tripolantes del canoneros Mariveles el 18 de Noviembre de 1879". This relic of the 19th century was renovated by the Spaniard Luis Gomez y Sotto in 1938.

Excavation Museum
Located in front of the parish church in Puerto Galera, the museum displays antique coins, jars, lamps, swords and other priceless artifacts from the early Chinese and Spanish trading period. These items were excavated from ancient gravesites and salvaged from shipwrecks and sunken vessels in the area.

Black Rice
Legend says that in late 18 th century, an old woman asked for a bowl of rice from the Spaniard guarding the rice warehouse near the wharf. Instead of giving her a few grains, the Spanish guard drove her away. Later that night the warehouse mysteriously burned down and all the rice inside burned with it. Next day, the townfolk noticed black grains at the banks of the bay and till this day, a handful of whole charcoal-black rice grains can still be found.a few on the banks of Muelle Bay, A huge glass case at Muelle Pier near the tricycle terminal, displays some of this grain and a warning for visitors is included not to collect any of these grains in order to preserve one of the historical remnants of Puerto Galera.

Mangyan Village
Visitors wishing to visit these people are advised to take a local guide with them and are requested to treat these people with respect as they are not a true tourist attraction. These semi-nomadic people are shy but friendly. Most of the women makes beautiful basket made of nito (black fern) that tourist can buy at much lower prices than the shops in town.

Mount Talipanan, Mount Malasimbo & Mount Alinbayan
Each mountain can actually be climbed on their own but because of the "easiness" of each climb, mountaineers who travel to Puerto Galera opts to scale the three mountains into one big expedition worth their time and resources in going there. These three mountain ranges cover a total of 11,755 sq.m. above Puerto Galera's coast and reaches a peak elevations of 1,400 meters above sea level. Its numerous mountain springs provide natural habitats to varities of orchids and other flora and fauna.

Among the three, Mt. Talipanan is the most climbed by climbers who only has a day to spare - in fact, it just need two to three hours to scale the mountain. A local guide is needed and if the three mountains are to be scaled, three days is recommended to do it. Trail is light but uncovered by trees which makes the heat of the sun unbearable and adds difficulty in exploring the mountain. The views from the trails are awesome which includes Puerto Galera bay and beaches, Verde Island, Mindoro mountain ranges and Batangas.

Ponderosa Golf Club
Situated in the mountain southwest of Puerto Galera , this challenging 9 hole fun course at 400mts above sea level provides a breather from the beachest the beach. It has a breathtaking view of Puerto Galera's Cove set against a background of the surrounding islands of Batangas.

Tamaraw Falls
About 14 kilometers outside Puerto Galera on the road to Calapan this 423-ft. waterfalls can be found alongside the road. It has a picnic area and a man made pool at the base of the falls. A good stop after a day trek or excursion and have a soak in its cool all natural spring water.