The Bay

Puerto Galera, located on the northern part of the island of Mindoro, was named 2005’s Most Beautiful Bay by the Paris-based Les Plus Belles Baies Du Monde (The most Beautiful Bays in the World) club. A popular vacation spot, known for its beautiful beaches and proximity to the nation’s capital, joins 29 other bays from different countries in the prestigious list.

Puerto Galera, which means “Port of the Galleon” is a series of landlocked coves. The bay’s formation makes it an ideal and safe docking area for seafaring vessels. Its past is riddled with stories about Chinese and Spanish ships that traded with the native Mangyans and sheltered in the bay. A gold and marble mining industry provided income throughout the centuries. It’s great diversity of marine life perfect for scuba diving, its protected mangroves and rainforest mountains are testament to the island’s unique ecosystem.

The club, a UNESCO-supported, non-government organization, bestowed the title to Puerto Galera last April 2, 2005 during its general assembly in Na Thrang, Vietnam. The chosen bays worldwide are known for their natural beauty, diverse marine life, rich cultural heritage and important contribution to the local economic activity. These factors are in line with the club’s aim to promote, protect, and enhance the world’s most beautiful bays and to enhance the area’s sustainable economic development through preservation of its natural resources. The protection and conservation of these identified assets are for the benefit of future generations.