Portulano is a small owner-run resort with excellent family-style service. The staff are all accommodating and professional. There is plenty of space to relax outside the room. The best draw for this resort however, is the fact that the house reef is truly stunning. Highly recommended!
I rented a single room for 6 days. It was my treat to myself. There was virtually no one there as far as divers were concerned. Three days I had the resort to myself. Elmer was my dive master. He really took care of me since I am partially crippled . My friend Niko Santos stayed there for two dives. He is also a dive master. Every one was terrific helping me get dressed for my dives. The water was so warm that I did not need a suit. So much better diving there compared to Puerto Galera. I saw most of the critters on my bucket list here. Then there was the restaurant crew. They treated me like I was the Owner of the place. Now I am a very picky eater so some I did not or could not eat. Allergies to sea food. The one complaint I had was lack of desert. Another suggestion is to set up a small store that you could buy snacks.
It was expensive for me to dive as I was the only diver in the whole resort. The beds, ac where great. If you want quiet , this is the place for you. No phones, no TV, but the internet worked most of the time.
This place is lovely. The owner has beautiful taste and decorates it very well. This is not 5-star hotel, but you will find it cozy, comfortable, cute. The whole atmosphere is warm. Every person is welcoming and friendly. I feel very safe there and keep coming back.
The rooms are different sizes and you pay per person, not for the room. Please choose wisely and count the exact number of people including kids who will travel. They need to know to accommodate you all. It's a diving resort, you can take a trial lesson and learn how to dive or you can take a whole 3 days course. They also have a kayak and paddle board.
It's a best kept secret, so go and don't tell anyone else.
My husband and I stayed at Portulano Dive Resort for two nights in November. There was ample parking provided and we were picked up by their small boat. The boat trip is only 5 to 10 minutes up the coast line. The moment we arrived we felt welcomed and at home, the check in procedure was seamless.
The room we stayed in was clean and a generous size, with a very comfortable bed and a beautiful sea view. We chose a room with no air conditioning and were pleased to have the doors wide open all night, enjoying the fresh sea air. Mosquito netting was provided, which we used, but we didn’t notice any mosquitoes at all. There are also rooms available with air conditioning.
The rates include 3 meals a day. The food is delicious and there is enough of a selection to please everyone. On the first night there was a seafood barbecue which was a delicious surprise! Breakfast is cooked for you, while you wait. The kitchen staff were friendly and helpful, they let me know what the gluten free options were and took care with my food! Much appreciated!!
The resort has many cozy nooks to curl up with a book or have a nap. There is also a pool table, dart board and children’s toys in the open air, recreation area.
The salt water pool is a decent size on the waters edge. The dive staff are extremely professional and the equipment was good quality. You can dive and snorkel right in front of the resort, if you choose to.
We were pleased to meet the friendly owners/operators of the resort and must compliment them on how well run and clean the resort is. We have just booked a second stay and are excited to go back!
I booked a last minute getaway from Manila, literally last minute, like I was already on the 3 hr bus ride who U sttarted contacting dive resorts. Portulano respondd promptly. The resort is vertically bult into a hill so there is a lot of up and down steps, especially being on the top floor. But the room was a great value for te money and the view was stunning. The service was gracious and my dive guide Toi was well-versed wit the dive sites.
I only was there 2 nights and the meals were fine, but they really never inched into delicious threshold. If I had to stay there much beyong a couple of nights, I think I would have been a bit stifled by the lack of menu choices, and the only other option being a boat ridde to the village. So, to be clear, the food was more than satiisfactory but not worty oof all the oter 5 star aspects of the resort.