Explore Anilao

Diving in Anilao is an enchanting experience for divers seeking a unique underwater adventure. Nestled in the Batangas region on the island of Luzon, Anilao was once a hidden gem known mainly to local Filipinos. Its close proximity to Manila makes it a convenient weekend getaway, drawing divers to its warm, calm waters teeming with marine life. Although lacking in pristine white beaches, Anilao more than compensates with its vibrant coral reefs, diverse critters, and world-class macro photography opportunities. The waters of Anilao are a treasure trove of biodiversity, with around 40 dive sites including renowned spots like Sombrero Island, Maricaban Island, and Cathedral. These sites are easily accessible via short boat rides, offering divers the chance to explore stunning underwater landscapes. The region is famous for its rich reefs and unexpected critters like nudibranchs, shrimp, and the elusive blue-ringed octopus. Anilao is a paradise for underwater photographers and offers dive courses for all levels. Whether you're a beginner or an advanced diver, Anilao promises captivating night dives and thrilling drift dives.

Top Dive Sites Map

★★★★★ Anilao Bo Hotel House Reef

The house reef right in front of the Anilao Bo Hotel is a great dive spot for finding macro life at any time of day. There are so many macros inhabiting this place that you shouldn’t have to struggle to find them. It is the best site in Anilao that photo divers love because there is no current.

★★★★★ Aquaventure Ship Wreck

Opposite Aquaventure Reef Club. A blue buoy shows the line. Huge amount of fish living inside the wreck. The wreck sits at 35 mts. 2 other wreck heading back to the shore. One is an SUV and the other is an old helicopter. Follow the white buoy. The staff at Aquaventure are really helpful.

★★★★☆ Dive n Trek

Dive-n-Trek consists of natural rock and sand. The distance from Anilao Pier is only 10 minutes. All divers, from beginner to advanced, can enjoy diving here. There is little to no current at this site.

★★★★☆ Ligpo Pinnacle

Located just off Ligpo Island, Ligpo Pinnacle is protected by the Bauwan Marine Sanctuary. Most divers use the diving operation conducted at Anilao Pier to reach this dive site. The site is 20 minutes away from Anilao Pier by Philippine traditional boat. This is a great wall dive with depths of 12 to 35 meters.

★★★★★ ARC Tamaraw FX Artificial Reef

SUV / wreck .Ideal training site for all kinds of courses: scuba, freediving and snorkelling. Easy swim out from ARC lower parking lot. Beach access with booties recommended, possible only during Amihan, not Habagat. Gentle sandy slope.

Scubapro, Stephen Frink

★★★★☆ Dari Laut (Wreck)

Considered as the only real wreck dive in Anilao. It is an open wreck that used to be a barge that was turned into a floating resort that operated in the area during the 1970s.

★★★★☆ Mainit

For experienced adventurers, the current-swept reefs of this site form a triangle abundant in large fish, sea fans, and corals. Its unique geography makes it accessible all year round but can be challenging due to the strong currents, down currents, upwellings, and depth.

★★★★☆ Twin Rocks

A favorite among local divers, this site is named after the twin rocks that are found here. It offers a great reef that houses a good number of critters and marine life.

Mares, Predrag Vuckovic

★★★★☆ Bahura

Bahura Kanto, one of the popular advanced sites in Anilao, is a must-go. It features a sloping reef with a tip/corner where current is usually strong. One must be familiar with managing currents and drift diving. On the other side of the corner, there is a small hole in the wall at 15m.

★★★★★ Batok

Behind Sombrero Island, Batok features a sloping reef and a wall that starts at 12 metres, both decorated with lush corals and diverse marine life.

★★★★☆ Beatrice Rock

Situated at the back of Sombrero Island, this site is an underwater hill that has an abundance of vivid colors and schooling fish. Aside from the blue water ascent, divers may also experience the roaring current that it is known for, making this site a bit challenging.

★★★★★ Eagle Point, Anilao

Sanctuary dive site with wall diving, fast currents depending on time, tide and season. Deep dive.. turtles are very common at this area. Many different species of anemone and clown fishes.

★★★★☆ Cathedral

This dive site is home to an underwater landmark cross that was installed by none other than former Philippine president Fidel V. Ramos. The cross is situated between two big rocks at around 18m/60ft. and is decorated with soft corals.

★★★★★ O2 Dive Resort House Reef

The real name if this site is Bagalangit Wall Reef. Descend and keep ther wall on your right and you can surface right outside Aquaventure Reef Club.

★★★★☆ Pier Uno House Reef

This dive site is on the reef right in front of Pier Uno Dive Resort. Starts with a sandy bottom; then as you move to the northeast, there are some corals and rocks. Further northeast is a sunken jeepney and a guardhouse beside it.

Diving in Anilao

Anilao diving is famous for its muck diving. Muck diving is a bit of a misnomer, usually the seabed is not “mucky” as such, but it can be sandy or silty and it can refer to almost any dive where you spend your time with your head buried in the seabed rather than looking up! One of the things that makes Anilao muck diving so impressive is the warm, volcanic sands which are very nutritious. Something that muck diving lovers will love about Anilao is the biodiversity. Nudibranch, shrimp and interesting fish and other beasties like bobtail squid and stargazers can be found burrowed in the seabed here.

Reef diving is also popular here as the corals are so healthy and so varied. They have such vibrant colours, even 30m below, that you will scarcely believe your eyes. Some of the sites provide moderate to strong currents if the conditions are right, so you can drift serenely over the reefs, enjoying the abundance at every turn.

The ocean conditions are usually calm here. This makes the area perfect for beginner dive courses from one of the many dive resorts. Liveaboards also commonly pass this way and moor for several days. These trips often take in other local sites like Coron, Apo Reef and Puerto Galera.

The best Months to dive in Anilao

Diving in Anilao is available all year round. However, due to its location in the typhoon belt, it is subject to seasonal changes in the weather which can affect your holiday and the diving conditions.

The dry season is from November to June; rainfall is minimal and the winds are low. This means that diving conditions are generally good due to calm waters. May and June tend to be the warmest months with water temperatures regularly hitting 29oC.

December to February are the coldest months, with water temperatures sometimes reaching 25oC and necessitating a full length 3mm at a minimum for most divers. Though this is distinctly chilly, it does create the best conditions to see all the rare macro critters, not only do they thrive in the cold, but rarer creatures come up from deeper waters.

The rainy season runs from July - October. Though there can be long spells of fine weather, there can also be prolonged storms and typhoons which can disrupt diving. Directly following a storm, macro life may spend a few days hiding from the turbulent conditions in the shallow water. It tends to be quieter too - the dryer months have many tourists, especially at weekends and on holidays like New Year and Easter.