Manila is one of the better-placed cities in Southeast Asia if diving is your reason for being there. Without catching a domestic flight, you have three distinct underwater environments within 3–4 hours: the muck slopes of Anilao to the south, the mixed-reef diving at Puerto Galera across the channel, and the WWII wrecks of Subic Bay to the north. Add a day trip to Verde Island Passage and you’ve covered four completely different types of diving on a single trip out of the city.
This isn’t a complete list of everything diveable from Manila — it’s the four that actually belong on a serious shortlist, with a clear read on what each delivers and who each suits.
1. Anilao (Mabini, Batangas) — Best for macro photography and critter density
Anilao sits on the Mabini peninsula in Batangas Province, roughly 140 km south of Manila. The drive from NAIA typically takes 2.5 to 3.5 hours depending on SLEX traffic, and most resorts run Friday-afternoon-to-Sunday-evening packages that fit a Manila-based weekend without any flights involved.
The macro case for Anilao is well established: it’s widely considered the nudibranch capital of the Philippines, and the muck slopes at Secret Bay, Basura, Twin Rocks, and Mainit Point produce critters that serious photographers fly specifically to Manila to see. Rhinopias frondosa, Hippocampus pontohi (Pontoh’s pygmy seahorse), hairy frogfish, flamboyant cuttlefish, mimic octopus, blue-ringed octopus, and ornate ghost pipefish are all regulars. A productive macro dive can yield 10–15 species you won’t find in the same concentration anywhere else within a day’s drive.
What’s often undersold is the range. Sombrero Island has wall diving with respectable fish life. Caban Island has coral gardens that work for any experience level. Mainit Point and Cathedral Rock have outer wall sections that see pelagic action on the right tidal windows. Anilao isn’t only about nudibranchs — it’s just that the nudibranchs are so good they tend to define the conversation.
For the full site and operator breakdown, the Anilao Dive Guide has everything. Booking through the resorts directly is the standard approach — most offer fixed packages that cover accommodation, meals, and guided dives.
2. Puerto Galera (Sabang, Oriental Mindoro) — Best for variety and a longer trip
Puerto Galera is the other anchor on the Manila diver’s short list, and the travel case is only slightly more involved than Anilao: drive 2–3 hours south on SLEX to Batangas Pier, then take a 1-hour fastcraft or bangka to Sabang or White Beach. Book the ferry in advance for Friday evenings and long weekends — it fills up.
Puerto Galera has 30+ named sites across walls, drift dives, macro/muck, shallow coral gardens, small wrecks, and seagrass beds. That range makes it a better fit for a group with mixed experience levels — or for a diver who gets repetitive-destination fatigue over a longer trip. The strong currents at Canyons or Manila Channel give experienced divers real work to do. The calmer sites at Coral Garden and Fantasea Reef suit beginners or anyone mid-certification.
Puerto Galera is also the most practical training hub near Manila. Multiple operators run PADI and SSI courses from Open Water through Divemaster, and the infrastructure — multiple resort tiers, ferries, nightlife, restaurants — suits a 3–5 day trip better than a quick weekend.
The Puerto Galera Dive Guide covers sites in detail. The Mindoro dive guide connects Puerto Galera to the island’s broader options, including Apo Reef for a longer liveaboard trip.
3. Verde Island — Best for when you want the highest-biodiversity dive on the trip
Verde Island sits in the Verde Island Passage between Batangas and Mindoro. Despite being technically part of Batangas province, it’s most practically accessed as a day trip from Puerto Galera — the crossing from Sabang runs around 45 minutes to 1 hour by banca and is the route most operators offer. The crossing from the Anilao side of the Batangas coast is considerably longer and rarely run. It’s not typically a standalone base — most divers slot it in as an add-on day during a Puerto Galera stay.
The draw is The Drop Off: a near-vertical wall from the shallows to below 40m, covered in soft coral and sea fans, with fish life that’s noticeably denser than most surrounding reef. Researchers at the California Academy of Sciences describe the Verde Island Passage as the “center of the center of marine shorefish biodiversity” — the specific phrase from peer-reviewed literature for the highest-density marine species zone on the planet. That’s not marketing copy — it’s why fish density at Verde consistently surprises divers who’ve spent time elsewhere in the region and assumed they’d already seen the full range.
Current is the main factor. On the wrong tidal window it gets serious. The right approach is to book through an operator who runs Verde regularly and chooses timing based on conditions rather than a fixed schedule. Don’t push for a Verde day trip when the forecast looks rough — it’s not worth the crossing.
The Verde Island Dive Guide has dive site detail and access notes.
4. Subic Bay — Best for WWII wrecks and a different kind of weekend
Subic Bay is the outlier geographically — it’s north of Manila rather than south, roughly 3 hours via SCTEX, and it attracts a different type of diver than the Batangas corridor. If WWII wrecks are on the agenda, Subic is the only answer near Manila.
The bay was a major US Navy base and holds a significant collection of American and Japanese vessels from the Second World War, including the USS New York (a pre-dreadnought battleship, partially salvaged but still diveable), the El Capitan, the Oryoku Maru, and several others. Most wreck dives sit in the 18–30m range and are accessible to Advanced Open Water divers. Penetration diving on some wrecks is possible for trained divers with appropriate overhead experience.
Visibility in Subic typically runs 3–8m, lower than Anilao or Puerto Galera. The bay’s sheltered geography traps sediment, and the combination of active commercial shipping traffic through the port and the lingering substrate disturbance from Mount Pinatubo’s 1991 eruption keeps conditions consistently murky. But low visibility on an intact WWII wreck can add atmosphere rather than detract — the outline of a hull materialising at 6m viz is its own kind of experience.
Beyond the wrecks, Subic has decent reef diving at Dungaree Beach and around Camayan Point, with resident sea snakes that frequent the Pinatubo wreck’s anchor chain area. The Subic Bay Freeport Zone has resort-grade accommodation and restaurants that make it a proper weekend destination rather than a day trip.
The Subic Bay Dive Guide covers this in detail.
Which destination is right for your trip?
| Your situation | Best pick |
|---|---|
| First dive trip from Manila, want simple logistics | Anilao — closest, no ferry, book the resort and go |
| Mixed group, some divers some non-divers | Puerto Galera — beach town works for everyone |
| Underwater photographer, camera rig in hand | Anilao, then Verde Island as a day trip |
| Want to get certified or do a course | Puerto Galera — most instructor options near Manila |
| WWII wreck diving, don’t mind lower viz | Subic Bay |
| Only have a Saturday and want to dive | Anilao day trip from Manila — tight but viable with an early start |
| 5 days, want to combine two destinations | Anilao + Puerto Galera — banca hop between them is possible via some operators |
A practical stacking note: Cebu is a 1-hour flight from Manila and puts Moalboal and Malapascua inside a 5-day trip. Dumaguete is the same. If your threshold is “within a long weekend,” the four destinations above are your realistic options.
If you can add a domestic leg, the Philippine Dive Guide covers other options.
Getting there
Anilao — Drive SLEX south toward Batangas, exit at Bauan or Mabini junction, follow resort signage. Google Maps handles the final navigation well. The drive from NAIA typically runs 2.5–3.5 hours depending on SLEX congestion and your resort location on the peninsula.
Puerto Galera — Drive 2–3 hours south on SLEX to Batangas Pier (Batangas City), then take a fastcraft or bangka to Sabang or White Beach (~1 hour). Book ahead for Friday evenings and holidays. 12Go and Bookaway both list Batangas–Puerto Galera crossings with schedules and advance booking.
Subic Bay — Take SCTEX north from Manila toward Subic Bay Freeport Zone, roughly 3 hours. Most dive operators cluster around Waterfront Road inside the Freeport Zone. No ferry required.
Verde Island — Not independently accessed from Manila. Coordinate a day trip through your Puerto Galera operator — most departures are from Sabang and the crossing takes around 45 minutes to 1 hour. The crossing from the Anilao side is considerably longer and not commonly offered. Weather and tides determine whether operators run the crossing on any given day.
Plan the logistics before you go
Dive insurance is the one thing to sort before any of these trips — not after. DAN and DiveAssure are the two specialist dive insurers. Get covered before you dive with DAN or DiveAssure. If you’re on a longer trip and want general travel coverage alongside dive-specific protection, SafetyWing covers the broader trip.
For accommodation, Agoda has strong Philippines resort inventory for both Anilao and Puerto Galera options if you’re not booking through the dive resort directly. For transfers, day trips, and a Philippine eSIM that works from arrival, Klook handles most of what you’ll need.
The Manila Dive Guide covers in-city diving options and local dive shops if you need a shakedown dive or gear rental before heading out to any of these destinations.
Frequently asked questions
What is the closest dive destination to Manila?
Anilao in Mabini, Batangas — roughly 2.5–3.5 hours by road from the south of Metro Manila. No ferry required. Most operators run Friday-to-Sunday packages that fit a Manila-based weekend.
Can I do a day trip for diving from Manila?
Anilao is the most viable day trip — early departure, a couple of dives, back by evening. Puerto Galera is tighter because of the Batangas Pier ferry, though some divers manage it with a pre-booked early Saturday crossing. Subic is doable as a long day trip north.
Is Anilao or Puerto Galera better for beginners?
Both work. Anilao’s shallow, calm sites and resort-based guiding make it very accessible for newer divers. Puerto Galera has more operators running Open Water and advanced certification courses if learning is the primary goal.
When is the best time to dive near Manila?
October through May is the main season for both Anilao and Puerto Galera — calm seas, better visibility, drier weather. Subic Bay dives year-round; January to April generally gives better conditions. Typhoon season (June–October) reduces options but doesn’t make diving impossible, especially at sheltered sites.
Do I need a certification to dive near Manila?
For scuba fun dives, yes — Open Water minimum. Discover Scuba Diving introductory experiences are available at most operators in Anilao and Puerto Galera for uncertified divers. Snorkeling is accessible at Anilao’s shallower coral gardens without certification.
How much does it cost to dive near Manila?
Fun dives run PHP 1,800–3,500 (~USD $30–58) depending on destination and operator. All-in dive-and-stay packages at Anilao resorts run PHP 6,000–12,000 (~USD $100–200) per day. Puerto Galera packages are typically PHP 4,000–8,000 (~USD $67–133) per day with accommodation and two dives.
