The Beach that is Puerto Galera

Puerto Galera is one of those super famous beaches we know in the country. As a matter of fact, it is one of the only two beaches I knew (the other one being Boracay) when I was still an innocent child. How pitiful, akala ko dati Boracay at Puerto Galera lang ang beach sa Pilipinas, I was so clueless that we got so much more, even better beaches to choose from.

Despite being tagged as an overrated beach by many blogs and write ups online, I actually still want to feel and experience Puerto Galera. And this interest to visit this beach is heightened by the presence of Mt. Malasimbo, the highest and prominent peak in the area. Para sa mga ngayon lang nagawi sa blog ko, there's an intimacy going on between me and the Philippine mountains, so don't be surprised if I would express my fondness to mountains all of a sudden.

For some reason, it was only January of last year (2014) that I finally decided to see the beach for myself in the hope of climbing Mt. Malasimbo as well. A mountain-beach combo trip has always sounded a very good plan to me.

Mt. Purgatory | An Endless Moss and Pine Trail 2

It is not difficult to fall in love with Mt. Purgatory range, especially that it will let you experience what a Cordillera mountain has to offer. The balance between intense mossy trails, and paths lined with tall pine trees makes it one of the best hiking destinations in the Cordilleras, let alone its trails, which are mostly very manageable. No wonder, there was no second thoughts when I got invited to hike again the Purgatory range. I was too excited, almost one year, I came back to do the exact same thing—a Mangisi Traverse, aka Purgatory Mountain Range traverse via the six peaks.