
Crystal Blue Resort
Mabini, Batangas, Philippines

Number of Rooms
17
Wifi
Yes, free
Nitrox
Yes
Dive Center
On-site
Restaurant
Bar
Crystal Blue Resort, Anilao, offers spectacular diving, amazing macro photography, knowledgeable guides, incredible cuisine,and comfortable ocean-view accommodations.
How To Get There
Crystal Blue Resort is located in the heart of Anilao known as Bagalangit, Mabini, Batangas, Philippines. Transfer from Manila to Crystal Blue Resort is easily arranged. The land transfer from Manila to the resort will take about 2-1/2 hours. Pickup can be from either of the two Manila airports (International or Domestic).
Dive Overview
Anilao is a world-renowned scuba diving destination known for its incredible biodiversity and stunning underwater landscapes. The area boasts an abundance of marine life, including over 90% of the world's known species of hard coral and countless fish species. Scuba divers of all levels can enjoy diving in Anilao, with shallow reefs for beginners and deeper sites for advanced divers. With its warm waters, excellent visibility, and unmatched underwater beauty, Anilao is truly a scuba diver's paradise.
[Read More: Anilao Dive Travel Guide]
Accommodation Overview
The resort offers deluxe rooms, superior rooms, and a large family villa.
Food & Drinks
- The chef's specialties are seafood, continental, oriental and Filipino cuisine, prepared in a professional-grade kitchen.
- The food is served buffet-style and includes two to three choices for every lunch and dinner.
- Coffee, tea and free-flowing water from our fresh water filling stations are always available in the dining room.
- Hot water kettles are available in the office.
Dive Information
Dive Overview
In a tropical, oceanside setting, Crystal Blue Resort finally offers a finer quality of lodging perfectly placed to experience Anilao's excellent scuba diving and underwater photography opportunities.
Crystal Blue Resort is conveniently located in front of Arthur's Rock Marine Sanctuary where scuba diving enthusiasts can have their once-in-a-lifetime underwater adventure.
You as our guest can enjoy the unparalleled beauty right under the Anilao sea.
The dive boats go out in the morning for two dives. After lunch, a single-tank afternoon dive is offered, with the option of a night dive. Most of the diving is to 70 feet or less, and dive times of 70-minutes or more per dive are common.
Marine Life
The reefs in Anilao are very rich - home to abundant marine life. Anilao is not a place to visit if you're looking for pelagics, but is heaven for macro photographers.
Divers can expect to find more nudibranchs than they could ever photograph in a single trip along with common sightings of blue-ringed octopus, frogfish, Ambon scorpionfish, pygmy seahorses, lionfish, hairy squat lobsters, mantis shrimp, harlequin shrimp, boxer crabs flamboyant cuttlefish and many more reef creatures.
There is a wide variety of hard and soft coral, sponges and reefs patrolled by schools of anthias.
Wide-angle photographers will find stunning, colorful reef-scapes, a wreck, batfish and even resident school of jacks.
Those who are lucky will find some of the rarer critters, including bobbit worms, hairy frogfish, wonderpus octopus, pipefish and even rhinopias.
Dive Center Information
Diving with Crystal Blue is a pleasure. Their valet-style approach means you don't need to handle your gear - the crew will have it on the boat ready to go for each dive.
Dives are made from the traditional Filipino bangkas (double outrigger boats) that accommodate 4 divers plus a guide, driver, and crew member. All dives are conducted as guided dives at Crystal Blue and our sought-after guides are the
best in Anilao. Professionally trained to find critters, assist photographers, and coordinate dive sites throughout the day and are trained to current PADI standards.
The dive locker is large with ample space for the staff to rinse dive gear daily and hang wetsuits. It also has an outdoor hot and cold water shower as well as dedicated camera rinse tanks.
Practical Information
- Electricity: 220 volts
- Time zone: UTC+8
- Languages: Filipino & English
Photo & Video Gallery
Resort Features
Resort Activities
MORE Philippines
explore even more your favourite destination
What's included when you book?

Included
- Full board, including water, tea, coffee, snacks between meals and after dives
- Diving and dive guides
- Island tours
- Transfers on departure and arrival days between San Cristobal Airport
- Up to 4 dives daily
- Weights, weight belt & SMB

Excluded
- Mandatory: US$100 Galapagos National Park Fee (payable on arrival at San Cristobal Airport) & US$25
- Ingala Transfer Card (payable on arrival at Guayaquil Airport or Quito Airport)
- Equadorian departure taxes (between US$28 -41) if not included in your flight ticket
- Full dive equipment rental (from US$45 per dive day)
- Nitrox (US$150-200)
- Alcoholic beverages (prices vary)
- Satellite internet
Find a Room in Crystal Blue Resort
Family Villa
Air Con
Fan
Shared Bathroom
Hot Water Shower
Wifi (free)
Ocean view
Garden view
Towels
Toiletries
Daily housekeeping
Room Service
Laundry Service
Safe
from $2493
Superior Rooms
Air Con
Fan
Shared Bathroom
Hot Water Shower
Wifi (free)
Balcony or Terrace
Ocean view
Garden view
Towels
Toiletries
Daily housekeeping
Room Service
Laundry Service
Safe
from $2318
Deluxe Rooms
Air Con
Hot Water Shower
Wifi (free)
Balcony or Terrace
Towels
from $2318
More information about Philippines diving
Anilao, in Batangas, is a premier destination for macro photography, featuring diverse muck diving and vibrant coral reefs. Secret Bay and The Pier are top spots where divers can find rare critters like mimic octopuses, frogfish, and seahorses, while Twin Rocks and Beatrice offer a mix of macro and wide-angle opportunities with pristine corals and schooling jacks. Anilao’s close proximity to Manila makes it an accessible choice for both serious photographers and casual divers, providing year-round diving with a variety of underwater experiences.


Fellow traveler's reviews






smcpartlan
1164 Reviews




I stayed a week at Crystal Blue Resort in May 2024. Once I arrived, everyone knew my name. The entire staff wanted to make sure my stay was a good one. The accommodations were simple yet very clean. There were many choices for each meal and the food was quite delicious. Of course the highlight was the diving. even with 4 dives a day, I was never bored. There was only 3 in our group with the DM. He was great to dive with and pointed out everything! I also did 2 Black Water dives that were incredible. It was a great choice in location and hotel.
Divebiddie@gmail.com
1164 Reviews




Attended two back-to-back spring workshops. It was my third visit to Crystal Blue, and am making plans to return in 2023. That tells the story right there!Trying to think of my favorite aspects, I’ll say sweet-natured, helpful staff, excellent dive masters, highly competent photography expert (Mike Bartick is usually there), best camera room I’ve used, clean comfy beds with nice pillows. The buffet always has something good for everyone.They make everything easy (pretty soon you forget all the steps, and enjoy the views).
Old Salt I
1164 Reviews




Crystal Blue Resort is perhaps the best place anywhere for amazing macro photography. The inimitable Mike Bartick not only manages the resort but also offers amazing advice and help with every guest's photography. He is at the cutting edge of macro and blackwater photography, and the resort, located in Anilao, the Philippines, is rich in subjects. The diving operation is very well organized, the guides are excellent, and the camera room is amazing. Every detail has been thought out.The resort offers nice rooms, well air-conditioned and clean. The food is very good and healthy. It could use more variety, but overall it is fine. The facility is set up against a rather steep hill, and the steps up to the rooms can be a bit tricky, so care must be taken. It's a pretty easy trip, non-stop from LAX to Manila, overnight in an airport hotel, and a 3 hour drive to the resort the following morning.It's a great place, and I hope to return soon!
gtm1959
1164 Reviews




Crystal Blue should be on everyone's bucket list. My wife and I have been to Crystal Blue twice. The staff is well trained and tend to all of the divers needs. The accommodations are well maintained and when we reported some issues with our air conditioner and water heater they were repaired immediately. The meals are plentiful and delicious. The resort offers a good selection of items at each meal and the servers make sure all of your needs are taken care of. The dive staff is amazing. The divemasters can find things so small you cannot see them with a magnifying class. They are geared to assist photographers and knowledgeable of all the local marine life. On one of our night dives our divemaster found a pair of harlequin shrimp and I think he was more excited than I was. The dive deck offers plenty of space for everyone and the equipment is very well maintained. The photo room offers spacious work stations in a climate controlled environment. Mike Bartick, the resort photographer, is an excellent resource with all photographic questions. He can assist with composition, equipment, and shooting techniques. I have made several dives with him and he is a major asset to the resort. I have plans to return to Anilao and Crystal Blue once the COVID restrictions have lifted.
Leanne
1164 Reviews




A well-oiled machine from pick-up at the airport to the diving operations. Tanks are filled and waiting for you at the pre-determined times. Dive guides take into account what critters guests would like to see.The photo workshop offered by Blue Water was top notch. The camera room is the best set-up I have ever seen. Everyone has their own cubby area for charging and cleaning.The resort is built into the side of a hill, so be prepared if you have mobility issues. Lots of stairs from the diving area up to the rooms.Food was buffet style and there was lots of different selection for each meal.