Tourist Attractions in Oriental Mindoro

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
IN ORIENTAL MINDORO

The major attraction in Oriental Mindoro is Puerto Galera. It is a town that is famous for its beautiful and natural harbor. The town has a number of the finest white beaches that are still undiscovered by the rest of the world. Puerto Galera is situated along Verde Island Passage which is said to be the center of marine biodiversity in the world. The islands and coves of the area are rich in marine life and have a wide stretch of coral reefs which makes it a major destination of divers from the area.

But that’s not all. The land also abounds in other natural beauty in its lands. Here are some of them:

Target or Alibatan Island

Mindoro Oriental Alibatan Island Photo from: http://mindorocapturedmoments.blogspot.com/2015/12/must-see-destinations-in-oriental.html

Also known as Alibatan Island, Target Island is a stingray-shaped island named so after Americans used the island for “target” bombing practices during the World War II. Exploring the island, you’d see bomb sites and jagged rocks broken into pieces. Privately owned, Target Island has cemented walkways that loop around it. The cemented pathway follows the coastline of the island, around its limestone cliffs, and towards a lake at the center of the island. The lake is teeming with mangrove, and serves as a breeding area for seagulls and sea turtles. From the top of the limestone cliffs, you’d see panoramic views of the lake, the island itself, and its beaches. According to its owner, visitors are not allowed to take photos and stay overnight on the island. Together with Aslom Island and Silad Island, Target Island makes a memorable island hopping activity in Barangay Milagrosa, Bulalacao. Read More: https://explora.ph/attraction/193/target-island-alibatan-island

Buyayao Island

Mindoro Oriental Buyayao Island Photo from: http://mindorocapturedmoments.blogspot.com/2015/12/must-see-destinations-in-oriental.html

Buyayao Island is a 206-hectare forest reserve at the southeastern tip of Oriental Mindoro. It has seven pristine white beaches, limestone formations, and about 500 species of flora and fauna. Some of the animals found on the island include large snakes (called sobre cama), bearcats, dears, and squirrels. The island has a sparse population of less than 100 residents. Activities that can be done here include scuba diving and snorkeling (bring your own gear), spelunking in Buyayao Cave, camping, and beach hopping. While you can ask one of the residents to tour you among the island’s beaches, beachhopping is best done by boat. This is because the structures inland, such as the road networks, now lay in ruins. Read more: https://explora.ph/attraction/189/buyayao-island

Tukuran Falls

Mindoro Oriental Hidden Paradise Photo from: www.videolux.org

Tukuran Falls is a series of gentle cascades and turquoise-toned swimming holes accessed from the village of Calsapa, about 45 minutes south of Puerto Galera. They are refreshing and photogenic, but go early in the morning or late in the day to avoid the tour vans that frequent the place, thanks to a newly sealed access road to the trailhead. A paid guide is mandatory for the 30-minute walk from the trailhead. Read More: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/philippines/puerto-galera/attractions/tukuran-falls/a/poi-sig/1573219/357311

Mangyan Tribes

Mindoro Oriental Mangyan Photo from: http://www.ourawesomeplanet.com/awesome/2015/03/the-malasimbo-music-arts-festival-2015.html

Mangyan is the generic name for the eight indigenous groups found on the island of Mindoro, southwest of the island of Luzon, the Philippines, each with its own tribal name, language, and customs. The total population may be around 280,000, but official statistics are difficult to determine under the conditions of remote areas, reclusive tribal groups and some having little if any outside world contact.

The ethnic groups of the island, from north to south, are: Iraya, Alangan, Tadyawan, Tawbuid (called Batangan by lowlanders on the west of the island), Buhid, and Hanunoo. An additional group on the south coast is labelled Ratagnon. They appear to be intermarried with lowlanders. The group known on the east of Mindoro as Bangon may be a subgroup of Tawbuid, as they speak the ‘western’ dialect of that language. Read More: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangyan

Mt. Halcon

Mindoro Oriental Mt. Halcon Photo from: http://discovermimaropa.blogspot.com/2014/10/10-au-naturale-attractions-in-mimaropa.html

Mount Halcon is a mountain located in the island of Mindoro in the Philippines. Its height of 2,586 meters (8,484 ft) makes it the 18th highest peak in the Philippines. Its steep slopes have earned it the reputation of being the most difficult mountain to climb in the country. The first documented ascent was made in 1906 by botanist Elmer Drew Merrill and a party of forestry and military personnel.

Mount Halcon is home to the indigenous Alangan Mangyans. Its thick vegetation contains much flora and fauna, including the critically endangered Mindoro bleeding-heart which is endemic in the area,and the stick insect Conlephasma enigma, which was first described in 2012.

The mountain was also the location of a possible World War II Japanese holdout. Isao Miyazawa found evidence that his comrade Captain Fumio Nakahara was living there in 1957. Another search in 1977 was called off due to Miyazawa contracting malaria. In 1980, Miyazawa found Nakahara’s hut, and the natives talked to him extensively about the foreigner. However, Nakahara himself has never been spotted. Read More: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Halcon

Naujan Lake

Mindoro Oriental Naujan Lake Photo from: http://www.psdn.org.ph/wetlands/wetland_naujan.htm

Naujan Lake, the fifth largest lake in the Philippines, is a sanctuary to Oriental Mindoro’s rare fish species, and is a source of livelihood to fishermen in the surrounding towns, including Socorro, Victoria, Naujan, and Pola. Some of the catch harvested here are ayungin (silver perch), dalag (mudfish), bangus (milkfish), biya (goby), hito (catfish), managat (red snapper), tilapia, simbad, tarpa, paros, shrimps, and clams. Read More: https://explora.ph/attraction/208/naujan-lake

Pandan Grande Island

Mindoro Oriental Pandan Island Photo from: www.tripadvisor.com

Pandan Island Resort is your tropical island retreat and gateway to Apo Reef!

Pandan Island is for people who like to spend time in tropical surroundings without cars and television. A place where you are woken up by the singing of colorful birds, where there is only a palm tree between you and the sea, where you still know your neighbors and where you may even meet a sea turtle before having your breakfast .

We offer a wide range of activities to choose from, which means you can have more than just spending your day in a hammock! You can explore the few secluded beaches. Scuba Diving in the coral gardens around Pandan or around the nearby Apo Reef is the most popular and exciting activity to engage in for our visitors. With us, you can also explore the jungle rivers of nearby Mindoro by kayak or, visit the small coastal town of Sablayan to meet its friendly inhabitants. Read More: https://www.pandan.com/

Puerto Galera

KONICA MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERA Photo from: http://creativelunatics.com/puerto-galera-beach-oriental-mindoro-philippines/

Puerto Galera is a first class municipality in Oriental Mindoro, about 130 km south of Manila. Although occupying the northernmost tip of another island (Mindoro Island), it can be easily reached from Luzon. This accessibility from the capital and CALABARZON, the country’s most populous region, made it one of the most popular beach destination for decades.

Puerto Galera faces the Verde Island Passage, which is described by a 2007 Smithsonian Institute study as the “center of the center” of the world’s marine biodiversity citing the high concentration of marine species. In 1973, it was declared a UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve. Read More: https://www.thepoortraveler.net/2019/05/puerto-galera-oriental-mindoro/

Talon Falls

Mindoro Oriental Talon Falls Photo from: http://www.matetreyes.com/2015/08/the-unadulterated-paradise-called_22.html

Talon Falls is a short, trekking adventure in the forest of Barangay Calima in Pola, Oriental Mindoro. The falls is about 5 meters high, and 4 to 5 meters deep. It is shaded by trees and walled in by limestone rocks.It is advisable to get a guide from the Barangay Hall in Calima, which is just about 5 minutes away from the falls’ jump-off point. While there is no guiding system to the falls, you could get a guide at around P150, for a group of less than 10 visitors. Read More: https://cutelynblog.wordpress.com/2016/04/19/best-tourist-spot-at-oriental-mindoro/

Tamaraw Falls

Mindoro Oriental Tamaraw Falls Photo from: https://groupmindorawan.wordpress.com/2015/03/10/geography/

Tamaraw Falls got its name from the word “tamaraw”, a water buffalo endemic to the island of Mindoro. One of the more popular destinations in Puerto Galera, Tamaraw Falls is a twin waterfall about three storeys high. The waterfall lies next to Nautical Highway, runs under a bridge, and cascades through man-made pools below. Tamaraw Falls faces the mountainside, where one can enjoy a refreshing view of the forest. While it is free to hangout at the bridge and take photos of the waterfall, swimming in the area has a fee. Other facilities in the area can be rented out. These include kiosks, tables, barbecue grills, and an assembly hall. While the management of Tamaraw Falls does not sell food items, snacks and drinks are sold along the highway. Read More: https://explora.ph/attraction/228/tamaraw-falls

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