Puerto Galera has always been a preferred destination for those looking for a weekend away from Manila. The fact that it's only three to four hours away from the city, coupled with its stunning white beaches and quiet atmosphere all make Puerto Galera so popular.

Lately, the town has seen a rise in popularity among foreign tourists as well, which is a good thing as resorts and tours become even better developed. While still primarily a quiet beach town, Puerto Galera now has a lot more activities and attractions it can offer. It's still a perfect location to relax at the beach and forget about the hassle of urban life, but that doesn't mean you can't also get a taste of the unique style of the area.

Here are what we believe to be the top five attractions to try in Puerto Galera for those who are looking to get away from the beach.

The pool’s water was warm to my skin. I swam a quick lap and dove all the way down, breath held tight, my skin touching the pool tiles. Rising for air, I felt tiny droplets pelting my already wet face. It’s starting to drizzle again. We were at Puerto Galera’s El Cañonero Resort and what’s supposed to be a weekend of sunny beach action is marred by strong winds and unceasing rains.

Our story started at the Batangas Port. Taking the early morning bus to the pier, we were greeted by bystanders telling us that the trips heading to Puerto Galera’s White Beach were cancelled due to the coming storm. There’s an alternate route though, they continued. We can still go via the larger RORO ferries to Calapan and ride a van to Puerto Galera from there. Now would we want a van ride for an x amount of pesos, they offered.

We did get on board the RORO and traveled all the way from Calapan’s port to Puerto Galera but not by van. We did it the backpacker’s way—we hailed a jeep waiting for Korean tourists and haggled for the cheapest price.

►BOOK DISCOUNTED MANILA-PUERTO GALERA BUS-FERRY

I swore off going back to Puerto Galera’s White Beach. It was more than six years ago since my first and last visit but I still recall the heavy and rowdy crowd, the unsightly shoreline filled with docked passenger boats and the chaos of the resorts fronting the beach.

But for some reason, here I am again. I guess one shouldn’t really base things on first impressions. Gone were the crowds and the docked boats, the resorts are still in disarray but it somehow looks better than what I remember. I never thought I’d say this, but Puerto Galera’s White Beach can be beautiful too.

Ryan Adams -- no B on Ryan, yes -- sang to me the whole night from Vigan City to Manila about love being hell and self-notes about not dying. I woke up at the back of a van and morning light streamed in through the plastic windows. Half an hour later and I’m back home, throwing dirty shirts to the laundry bin from my backpack and putting a fresh batch of clean ones in.

I tried to relax but can’t seem to. A few hours from now would be the second leg of my trip. From Northern Luzon, I was now bound to Northern Mindanao; and I ain’t gonna take no plane to get there.

Five hours after unloading my bag down from my two-day trip in Ilocos, it was quickly refilled and I’m on the road again, this time to Dipolog to attend the Hudyaka Zanorte Festival. Low on cash, together with C of JuanderfulPinoy, we decided to do a more exciting route by land and sea. From Batangas Port, we’ll be crossing to Calapan by ferry, then Roxas by van, cross to Caticlan, bus to Iloilo, then Bacolod, Dumaguete, Dapitan and finally Dipolog. This is gonna be one interesting trip.