Casalay Boutique Villas and Dive Resort

Casalay Boutique Villas and Dive Resort is a beachfront dive resort located in Puerto Galera, Mindoro, Philippines. Positioned away from the busier Sabang dive strip, it provides direct access to a broad range of dive sites while maintaining a quieter setting.

The resort combines boutique hillside villas with an on-site PADI Dive Center, allowing guests to base their entire diving itinerary in one location. With multiple daily departures and short boat travel times to nearby sites, it functions as a practical base for recreational dive holidays.

Facilities & Meals

The resort features a beachfront restaurant serving local and international dishes throughout the day, along with a bar operating from late morning onwards. Facilities include two swimming pools, one of which is used for dive training, a beachfront lounge area, spa services, and organised island or inland tours. Complimentary boat transfers are provided to and from Muelle Port on arrival and departure.

Activities

The area sits within the Verde Island Passage, recognised for strong marine biodiversity and varied underwater topography. Dive sites range from shallow coral slopes and macro-focused sandy areas to drift dives and deeper wrecks. Puerto Galera supports year-round diving, with calmer sea conditions typically between November and May. Verde Island day trips are arranged when sea conditions allow.

Non-diving activities include snorkelling, use of crystal kayaks and paddleboards, island hopping tours, inland excursions to Tamaraw Falls and Mangyan Village, and general beach relaxation. The beachfront provides shore entry access for casual snorkelling.

Staying Connected

Wi-Fi is available throughout the resort. Mobile signal is generally stable in Puerto Galera, though connectivity may vary depending on weather and network provider.

We Think . .

Casalay Boutique Villas and Dive Resort suits recreational divers seeking efficient access to Puerto Galera’s varied reef, muck, drift, and wreck sites while staying outside the busier Sabang nightlife area. The on-site dive centre and structured daily departures support straightforward multi-day dive planning, making it appropriate for divers prioritising site access and schedule consistency.

Getting Here

From Manila, travel is via Batangas Port. Guests may take a private van to Berberabe Port followed by a private water taxi directly to the resort, or travel by public bus or private vehicle to Batangas Port, then ferry to Balatero Port. From Balatero, transfer to Muelle Port by tricycle or van, where the resort boat completes the final short transfer. There are no commercial flights directly to Puerto Galera.

Casalay Boutique Villas and Dive Resort offers 12 hillside villas with a total capacity of approximately 52 guests. Villas are accessed via stairs due to the sloped terrain. All villas include air conditioning, Wi-Fi, hot shower bathrooms, refrigerator, coffee and tea facilities, safety deposit box, refillable drinking water, and either a balcony or outdoor lounge. One-bedroom villas feature a queen bed, while two-bedroom villas are arranged with one queen bed downstairs and two single beds upstairs.

1-Bedroom Garden Villa (Vanda)

Located mid-level on the hillside, this villa accommodates two guests and includes a private outdoor lounge with garden views.

2-Bedroom Garden Villa (Bougainvilla)

Also mid-level, this two-bedroom configuration accommodates up to four guests and includes a shared bathroom and garden-facing seating area.

1-Bedroom Sea View Villa (Dahlia)

Positioned mid-level, this villa includes a balcony with sea views and accommodates two guests, with optional loft sleeping space.

2-Bedroom Sea View Villa (Champaca)

Located higher on the hillside, this two-storey villa accommodates four guests and includes sea-facing balcony views.

2-Bedroom Hillside Villa (Magnolia)

Set at the upper level of the property, these villas include two bathrooms across two levels and accommodate up to four guests.

2-Bedroom Premier Villa (Camia)

Located near the pool area with easier access compared to upper hillside villas, this two-level villa accommodates four guests and includes garden frontage with partial sea views.

Puerto Galera offers over 30 established dive sites within short boat distance. Topography includes coral slopes, small walls, sandy muck areas, artificial reefs, wrecks, and drift sites. Depth ranges vary from approximately 5 metres to beyond 30 metres depending on site selection. Biodiversity includes reef fish, macro subjects such as nudibranchs and frogfish, and occasional larger pelagic species at current-exposed sites.

Dive Services

Casalay Boutique Villas and Dive Resort operates a PADI Dive Center with four scheduled daily dives (morning and afternoon) and one night dive option. Many dive sites are within 5–10 minutes by boat. Facilities include an on-site classroom, training pool, compressor, Nitrox availability, 12L DIN and INT tanks, and rental equipment. Courses are available from beginner certification through to advanced and specialty training. Group sizes are managed per departure, and guiding is provided by the in-house dive team. Shore diving is available on the house reef when conditions permit.

Alma Jane, Puerto Galera, Philippines

Sabang Wrecks, Puerto Galera, Philippines

Verde Island Drop-off, Puerto Galera, Philippines

Puerto Galera offers a dense concentration of dive sites within short range of Casalay Boutique Villas and Dive Resort. The variety allows divers to mix shallow reef dives, macro-focused sandy sites, wrecks, and current-driven walls within the same trip.

Local Reef & Beginner-Friendly Sites

Sites such as Big La Laguna, Small La Laguna, Coral Garden, and Sabang Point feature gently sloping reefs between 5–20 metres. These areas are suitable for entry-level divers and refresher dives, with hard and soft corals, reef fish, anemones, and occasional turtles. Many of these sites can also be dived as night dives depending on conditions.

Macro & Muck Diving Areas

Montani Bay, Shipyard, Giant Clams, and sections of the House Reef are known for sandy bottoms and mixed substrate, supporting macro subjects including nudibranchs, frogfish, pipefish, cuttlefish, seahorses, and crustaceans. These sites are often selected for underwater photography due to their slower pace and critter density. Night dives in these areas typically reveal additional nocturnal species.

Wreck Diving

The Alma Jane Wreck (approximately 25–30 metres) is a purpose-sunk steel cargo vessel now functioning as an artificial reef and commonly used for deep or specialty training dives. Sabang Wrecks consist of multiple smaller wrecks in 18–22 metres of water, supporting marine growth and suitable for advanced recreational divers. Additional artificial structures such as Dry Dock provide deeper profiles with increased fish activity when currents are present.

Drift & Advanced Sites

For experienced divers, sites such as Canyons, West Escarceo, Kilima Drift, Sinandigan Wall, and Dungon Wall offer stronger currents and multi-level wall profiles ranging from 20–40 metres. These dives often attract schooling jacks, trevallies, snappers, barracuda, reef sharks, and larger pelagic movement depending on season and conditions. Currents can be variable and are typically timed to tide cycles.

Verde Island Day Trip

The Verde Island Drop-Off, accessed by day trip when sea conditions allow, features a steep reef slope descending beyond recreational depths. The site is known for high coral density, gorgonian fans, schooling fish, and pelagic encounters in stronger current. This dive is generally recommended for experienced divers comfortable with drift conditions.

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