Travel guide: San Jose, Philippines (SJI)

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At a glance

Local facts

Travel essentials for San Jose, Philippines — what to expect on the ground. San Jose sits in Philippines (Asia), in a tropical climate band — tropical northern-hemisphere zone with a wet season and a dry season. Airport IATA code SJI serves the area. Local timezone is Asia/Manila, which matters for arrivals and check-ins. It sits at 12.36°, 121.05° — useful for weather, daylight, and route planning. Use the live tools below to plan around these facts.

RegionPhilippines, Asia
Climate bandtropical northern-hemisphere zone with a wet season and a dry season
Airport IATA code SJI
TimezoneAsia/Manila
Coordinates12.36, 121.05
Located in the Northern Hemisphere

SJI is the airport code for San Jose, a town in the province of Occidental Mindoro in the Philippines, on the southwestern coast of Mindoro island. For travelers, San Jose is best known as the main jumping-off point for Apo Reef, one of the largest coral reef systems in the world and a marine park famous for its extraordinary diversity of corals and marine life. Just offshore lie several islands, including Ilin, White Island and Ambulong, with beaches, reefs and fishing villages; Ilin is even known as the last refuge of a rare cloud rat once thought extinct. The town itself is a modest provincial centre rather than a resort, serving as a gateway to these marine attractions. San Jose is reached by domestic flights to its airport from Manila, and by road and ferry across Mindoro. The climate is tropical, with a dry season and a wetter monsoon.

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Frequently asked questions

What airport does SJI serve?
SJI is the code for San Jose Airport in the province of Occidental Mindoro in the Philippines, on the southwestern coast of Mindoro island. It handles domestic flights, mainly from Manila, and is the main air gateway to San Jose and the surrounding coast, including the famous Apo Reef marine park offshore.
What is San Jose, Mindoro known for?
San Jose, in Occidental Mindoro, is best known as the main jumping-off point for Apo Reef, one of the largest coral reef systems in the world and a superb diving destination. Nearby islands such as Ilin, White Island and Ambulong add beaches, reefs and fishing villages, making the area a marine wonderland rather than a resort town.
What is Apo Reef?
Apo Reef, reached from San Jose, is one of the world's largest contiguous coral reef systems and a protected marine park. It is renowned for its extraordinary variety of corals and marine life, drawing divers to its walls, lagoons and abundant fish. Trips are usually arranged by boat from San Jose and take in the reef's islands and dive sites.
How do you get to San Jose, Mindoro?
San Jose is reached by domestic flights from Manila to its airport, the quickest option, and by road and ferry across Mindoro island. From San Jose, boats reach the offshore islands and Apo Reef. Because the reef lies well offshore, dive trips there are typically organised as day or multi-day boat excursions.

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