Puerto Galera Part 2: Fridays, Muelle Bay And PG Yacht Cruising

Due to gasoline price hike and ship fare increase, for this year, we decided to settle here and spend my mom’s birthday in Puerto Galera. It’s three hours away from our town but it’s nearer compared to our past birthday staycations, which are usually spent in Metro Manila and nearby provinces. After all, I’ve chosen a hotel that is my as lavish as the hotels in the metro.

Fridays Puerto Galera isn’t your usual Puerto Galeran hotel because it is located in a tucked away beach in the island of Boquete. It is only accessible by a boat ride from Muelle Port.

While we waited for our shuttle boat, we roamed around Muelle Port and appreciated the beauty of the newly rehabilitated cultural park. I’m glad that they added a boardwalk surrounding the lagoon, making it more than just a port.

A life-sized replica of Spanish galleon is erected on the waterfront of the bay to commemorate and represent the history of Puerto Galera, which was previously named as Puerto de Galleon or Port of Galleon.

Fridays Puerto Galera prides on being at the perimeter of the lagoon of UNESCO-protected Muelle Bay. In case you don’t know, the Muelle Bay has been listed as one of the most beautiful bays in the world. Hence, the resort has clear blue water dancing to its powdery white sand. 

The blue and cream hues were blended with the green nature and wood theme of the Fridays. Villas, consisting of three rooms each, are lined uphill. Upon seeing this, I already knew that we’ll have a remarkable vacay at this resort.

Welcome drinks were given to us as we entered the lobby for check-in. The lobby was structured like a cabin so I was feeling the homey vibes from here already. Its interior was just simple. There were no more intricate designs except for the displays that look like collector’s items. I’m glad that they allotted an activity center for those who wish to do water activities such as snorkeling and yacht riding.

We were surprised to see how spacious the room is! It was indeed a large room with only a king-sized bed, a sofa, a television set, coffee area and an office table. My mom was joking that she can play hopscotch in the middle. Kidding aside, the room possesses old-fashioned styles. The A/C unit provides proper ventilation and the bed was soft, giving us a comfortable stay. They just missed to put one essential thing in their rooms. The WiFi!

The comfort room of our suite is undoubtedly one of the best I’ve been to! It was divided into three sections. There is a walk-in closet that is bigger than what I have in our house. It’s like they’re prepared for families who wish to stay for a month. The second part is the wash area. It has white walls and wood touches, which makes it look classy. The shower area gives the impression of being a sauna because of the stone wall tiles and the bench. There’s a bath tub, which is definitely a plus point for me.

I also love staying at the lounge area in front of our room. I know I keep saying that! Every area of the resort is just relaxing to stay. But the terrace, specifically, gives us a rewarding view of Fridays’ pool and beach. The landscape of the resort is somewhat similar to Two Seasons Coron Island Resort.

With flora around, the pool area was planned beautifully. The size of the swimming pool was just right for short swims and dips. However, I hope that there’s a life guard present at all times because their pools’ depth isn’t a joke. In fact, there’s a pool that looks like kiddie pool because of its small radius. You wouldn’t know that it’s ten-feet deep if you won’t read the sign.

The semblance of sand doesn’t differ from what Puerto Galera’s White Beach has. It’s also pearl white in color and fine in texture. Since the beach is secluded, one will find peace by just lying down on the bed of sand. There are also lounge chairs for guests to rest on.

While I enjoyed the resort’s shore, the body of water here in Fridays didn’t seem swimmable. In the large portion of the sea, the depth of water was below-knee level even at high tide. It’s hard to identify the composition of the ground beneath the water but it submerges in my every step so it’s bothering, too.

It’s nice staying at Fridays’ Cru Restaurant since it is located at the beachfront so the view of the sea is unobstructed from here. Having an elegant bar and dining design, the Cru Restaurant made the resort’s facade fancier. Perhaps, the only problem we encountered here was the slow serving time of the food at dinner.

We had their Fish and Chips, Fridays Nachos, Mais con Yelo and Mango Banana Fresh Juice for dinner. The Fish and Chips isn’t made of the usual cream dory filling. The upside of this is the fresh feels of the fish. On the other hand, the downside is the different texture, which is not as soft and melting as cream dory. The nachos has too much meat, which made the chips quite soggy. But it’s delish. The Mais con Yelo is bland. A little more sugar will make it great. The Mango Banana still has saps of fruits, which prove that the drink is juiced naturally. Although it’s tangy, I appreciate its freshness.

At morning, we had American Breakfast and Filipino Breakfast. The American Breakfast was jam-packed. Although the food items here were bought pre-packed and commercially, I’m glad that they chose the right brands of ingredients. The Filipino Breakfast was my mom’s meal so I didn’t get to taste it but it looks yummy, too.

One activity you shouldn’t miss when you’re at Fridays or at Muelle Bay is yacht riding. I won’t deny that the rent was expensive but for eight hours of experiencing luxury, I must say that it was worth it. The yacht we rented has a number of air-conditioned rooms, a grill, a bar deck and complementary meals and drinks. What a perfect way to party!

The cruising experience will allow you to dive in the middle of the ocean, do fishing, grill, eat and drink, apart from touring you around Puerto Galera. It’s my first time riding a yacht so this whole trip, including the Muelle Bay stroll and Fridays stay, is surely one for the books.