There’s a rhythmic swoosh and slap of waves beneath my feet. Out on the estuary, fractals of bright golden spots shimmy on the water’s surface throwing fluid, reflective patterns up onto the straw-thatched roof of my hut. The traditional nipa hut style restaurant juts out into the cove, fighting the scrawly mangroves that gurgle and whisper in the ebbing tide.
A slender wooden walkway leads to the cove, carefully suspended above the tangled mangrove roots that twist into the damp sand like elongated fingers, clinging to the shore. It leads to a private jetty where the dive boats bob and clack, slapping against the gentle swell and tugging at their buoys, waiting for our next island-hopping adventure.
It’s so quiet and tranquil except for the odd low drone and put-put of a diesel engine pushing wobbling wooden hulls out into the bay. This and the occasional squeal of my 3-year-old daughter, Lilly, in the pool seem to be the only sounds not generated by the landscape itself.
The cove is calm and flat before it drops off after a distant line of the deeper blue ocean. I can see the white caps of wild, windswept waves in the distance, beyond the mouth of the cove but from here, I’m protected by coral reefs that shelter the bay from the annual barrage of typhoons in monsoon season.
I’m waiting to fly my drone to get perspective of how the resort sits on the edge of the bay, but I don’t want the insect-like buzz from the small propellers to startle the few folks dozing on beach chairs by the water… I’ll wait until later.
Day One
I’m at Fishermen’s Cove Beach Resort and Dive Centre in Puerto Galera. It’s a relatively easy and short journey yet feels like worlds away from the gritty, concrete chaos of Manila, surging with bodies and traffic.
I’ve been to Puerto Galera once, yet I’m now on the opposite side of the island. The many coves, cliffs and estuaries shift the coastline throwing up an eclectic landscape from white-sand ocean beaches to mangrove-laden coves and dramatic mountains. The centre of the island bursts with dense jungle and tall volcanic peaks that overlook the coastline shrouded in a tropical mist. Such is the beauty of Puerto Galera.
Fishermen’s Cove Resort is the perfect, quintessential small oasis with manicured lawns, bright blue pools, and straw hammocks that swing between the tropical palm trees bulging with coconuts. All food is cooked fresh every day with deep respect and passion from the Italian owner Giuseppe. We devoured juicy prawns, tender fish and BBQ squid for lunch. The quality of the food was superb as the flavours burst from our seafood kebabs and onto our moreish brown rice mixed with olives, cucumbers and spice. We absorbed bold, fruity olive oil and sweet balsamic vinegar with our homemade, crusty Italian bread and washed it all down with a cold glass of crisp white wine.
There’s no menu as such here, yet you can be guaranteed a delicious, fresh and enormous meal every day as Giuseppe and his team curate the meals to be eaten on wooden tables, overhanging the lapping waves.
The view from our room takes in the sharp blue horizon of the cove, interrupted only by the delicate fronds of the tall palms. Overlooking the gardens, you realise how quiet this place is as the crisp chirps from small birds punctuate the breeze.
The view from our private balcony
Today we were taken out on the barca boat from Fishermen’s cove as it pushed beyond the deep blue horizon and took us to hidden coves, flaunting shy white sand beaches and emerald-blue water. We slid into bays of glass-like water before piercing its surface in an exaggerated plunge as we jumped from the boat’s outriggers. We anchored in quiet coves and ate fresh fish barbecued on board as we chatted and sipped cold San Miguel beer.
This is indeed a one of a kind experience in the Philippines. After travelling here for years, back-and-forth, I’ve never experienced such a unique resort. Fishermen’s Cove Resort provides an experience where you’re entirely taken care of and can solely focus on relaxing, diving, snorkelling and hundreds of other activities Mindoro Island offers. It’s an environment void of all the usual hassle that the Philippines can bring such as dealing with touts for the best tour, meal after meal of rice and Filipino food and the chaos that can come with south-east Asian beaches lined with drunken backpackers and vendors trying to sell their wares. Fishermen’s Cove is truly the ultimate oasis for foreign tourists as well as expats in Manila.
Nearby ‘White Beach’ is a more touristy experience with beach vendors, roaming ‘masseurs’, and bars along the beach. Fishermen’s Cove is a world away from the touristy beach experience, yet close to White Beach if you feel inclined to check it out.
Of course, it also suits locals, yet the type of food and personalised experience tends to encourage international tourists and ex-pats rather than locals looking for a quick, cheap getaway for the weekend. Make no mistake, this is a premium, custom experience but, for a fraction of the price you’d pay for the same paradise in other countries.
Day Two
On day two, we’re taken out on the speedboat for more coastal exploration. The speed of the bow bouncing off gentle waves with a repetitive thud is a very different experience to the slow barca boat that lazily pushed us out of the bay, throwing up spray from its exaggerated outriggers the day before.
Our first stop is the Giant Clams. One of the twenty-seven dive spots easily accessible from Fishermen’s Cove. I’m not diving on this occasion but watch the group descend slowly and silently below the blue surface. It looks so peaceful, only interrupted by the odd air bubble that breaks through the clear ocean.
The divers descending below the bright blue surface.
I take to the bow of the small boat and set up my drone for take off. I watch the drones live video feed on my phone and I’m Immediately taken aback by the clarity of the ocean from above. Our boat looks like it’s suspended on glass, not floating on water. The colours and visibility are just striking. I stand awkwardly, knees bent to absorb the boat’s rocking, as I fly over bright blue and green coral reefs, headlands bursting with trees and small crests of white sand beaches at the foot of rocky cliffs, peppering the coastline.
Flying my drone above our speedboat, taking in the clear, bright blue water.
After landing my drone, I duck back inside the cool shade cloth of the speedboat before sliding myself over the edge with a snorkel mask. I plunge into the blue with a bubble and fizz, and I’m immediately surrounded by hundreds of colourful fish.
I once wasted a lot of money on a very expensive marine aquarium. After thousands of dollars spent and hours trying to adjust the water levels and stop my bright, expensive marine fish from dying, I’d occasionally get a moment to just appreciate the colour of the few tropical fish I’d bought. Now, here I am, recognising all the fish I had (and the ones that I desperately wanted but they were too expensive!)… Now, I’m surrounded in abundance with every vivid colour nature can produce.
I’m suspended in motion, gliding along the blue surface, looking down, observing another world. One I’ve only seen in National Geographic documentaries and sampled through the thick glass and fluorescent lights of my home aquarium. It is unbelievable.
A grab from my underwater GoPro video as soon as I jumped off our dive boat.
We head back into the cove early afternoon before the wind has picked up enough to turn the blue bay into white-capped turbulence. It’s refreshing to have the staff here take you out regularly and still have the afternoons and evenings to yourself. I’m used to the package tours where you follow a strict agenda, following hundreds of other boats around the same all-day itinerary. These other tourist-laden tours are so static, they even have common names shared across all tour operators like ‘Tour A’ and ‘Tour B’. This is different… this is a personal, intimate experience where days are spent in the perfect and delicate balance of exploration and relaxation combined with superb food and wine… fresh meals fit for royalty.
Even our 3-year-old daughter was taken care of as if she was an adult. The friendly staff served her the same portions of food we ate, from fish carpaccio, homemade pasta, wood-fired pizza, seafood and of course deserts.
Our evenings always ended in the restaurant next to the mangroves with a small glass of limoncello and sweet pannacotta or cheesecake as the evening storm surged through the mouth of the cove with brief flashes of lightning and a blast of warm evening wind that gave the waves a voice, as they thrashed against the jaded, rocky shoreline. The perfect end to a perfect day at Fishermen’s Cove.
After years of travelling the globe and weeks lost in different resorts and beach experiences, I have to say that this will be perhaps the most memorable experience. Taking the ‘road less travelled’ is about finding authentic experiences that are different in nature to regular tourism. When you find such experiences, it stays with you. It gives you context of your world and the collective consciousness of people across cultures, landscapes, nations and continents.
My experience at Fishermen’s Cove Resort was one that I won’t forget and one that I’ll treasure and smile about when I recall memories of the time we spent exploring hidden beaches and coves. A time when I lay by lapping water, ate homemade pasta and drank good wine next to the whispering mangroves as the blue ocean swallowed the sun and lightning storms circled as if to cleanse the sky to prepare for another morning of bright sunshine, emerald-blue water and unique experiences I’ll remember for life.
Details
How to get there
The team at Fishermen’s Cove can organise everything for you. The trip involves a van from Manila to Batangas Pier which takes approx. 2 hours. The cost is PHP 3,300 one way.
From Batangas pier, you need to take a boat with Minolo Shipping Lines which is PHP 300 per person, plus a terminal fee of PHP 30 per person. The driver will help you buy tickets and get you into the waiting area for the boat. Minolo Shipping Lines operates a free shuttle to Fishermen’s Cove or the staff from the resort can meet you at the pier.
When to go
We went during ‘wet season’, and the weather was still beautiful. There was a late afternoon storm that rolled in on cue but otherwise, the days were beautiful. Fishermen’s Cove and surrounding bays are calm for 8 months of the year which does not include the wet season. However, this shouldn’t deter you from going off-season, especially if you want to escape Southern Hemisphere winter.
What to do
Fishermen’s Cove Resort offers every activity possible in Puerto Galera from island hopping beach experiences to waterfalls, mountain hiking and tribal culture experiences. Here’s a sample of what’s on offer:
- Diving & snorkelling
- Island hopping & beach tours
- Hiking and canyoneering
- ATV tours
- Hill tribe tours
- Waterfall tours
- Kayaking
- Restaurants, bars and live music on the beach
- Parasailing, jet skiing, water activities
Accommodation
Fishermen’s Cove offers a variety of rooms from standard to deluxe. All rooms are modern, fresh and clean with quality decor, WIFI internet, modern bathrooms and more.
How much
Fishermen’s Cove is an all-inclusive, intimate and personalised experience. Contact Giuseppe and his team to get a quote for your stay today.