Boracay: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

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Boracay is a small island, about seven kilometres long and barely one wide at its waist, off the north-west tip of Panay. Its four kilometres of powdery White Beach made it the most famous beach in the Philippines, and so crowded that in 2018 the government shut the whole island to tourists for six months to rebuild its sewage and clear the shore. Two hours along the sand, best toward sunset.

A short history of Boracay

Boracay is a small island, about seven kilometres long, and its first inhabitants were the Ati people. Until the 1970s it was home mainly to fishermen and farmers, and then travellers began to arrive because of its white beach. Rapid building polluted the water, and on 26 April 2018 President Duterte closed the island to tourists for six months to clean it up.

The ten best sights in Boracay

1
White Beach, Station 1
The widest, finest stretch of the beach
2
Willy’s Rock
A rock with a Virgin Mary statue in the shallows
3
Station 3
The quieter, cheaper end of White Beach
4
Manoc-Manoc
The southern village of the island
5
Bulabog Beach
Kitesurfing from November to April
6
Mount Luho
The highest point, with a view of the whole island
7
Diniwid Beach
A small cove north of White Beach
8
Punta Bunga
A quiet cove in the north-west
9
Banyugan Beach
A hidden beach below the cliffs
10
Yapak
The wooded north of the island

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What is an audio walk?

Tours in Boracay →

A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Boracay:

Free walking tours in Boracay

White Beach

Willy’s Rock · A volcanic rock standing in the shallows off Station 1, topped by a small statue of the Virgin Mary; at low tide you can wade out to it. It is the most photographed spot on the island.
White Beach, Station 1 · The beach is divided into Stations 1, 2 and 3, named after the points where boats once landed passengers straight onto the sand, before the ports were built. Station 1 has the widest and whitest sand, made of crushed coral and shell.
D’Mall · The heart of Station 2, a maze of open-air lanes of shops, restaurants and massage stalls. Since the 2018 rebuild, the rule that keeps buildings well back from the water is enforced.
D’Talipapa · A wet market of fish, lobster, crabs and seaweed. The custom here is paluto: you choose your seafood at the stalls, then take it to one of the small restaurants around the market, which cooks it the way you ask.
Station 3 · The southern, quieter end of White Beach, with smaller guesthouses and local bars, where the sand narrows and the sailing boats called paraw pull up for sunset cruises.
Manoc-Manoc · The village of the south of the island, where many of the island’s workers live. The Ati, the first inhabitants of Panay and Boracay, were granted rights to part of the island’s land after the 2018 closure, after years of struggle.

The wild north

Behind White Beach the island has another face: a windy east coast, a hill and quiet coves in the north. Half a day by e-trike, the electric tricycles that replaced the old motorbikes.

Bulabog Beach · Just across the island from White Beach, the east coast catches the north-east wind, the amihan, from about November to April, making it one of the best kitesurfing beaches in Asia; in the other season White Beach gets the wind and Bulabog is calm.
Mount Luho · The highest point of the island, only about a hundred metres high, with a viewing tower from which you can see both coasts and the islands of Romblon to the north.
Ilig-Iligan Beach · A rocky cove on the north-east coast with small caves in the cliffs, some home to fruit bats, and clear water for snorkelling when the wind is calm.
Puka Beach · A long wild beach on the north coast, named after the small round puka shells that wash up here and were once strung into the necklaces sold all over the island. Taking shells and sand from the beaches is now forbidden.
Banyugan Beach · A small beach below the cliffs of the north-west, mostly within a resort, that shows what Boracay looked like before the hotels: a strip of white sand, rock and jungle.
Diniwid Beach · A cove just north of White Beach, reached along a path cut into the cliff above the water, with the calm of the old days and a view back along the whole beach at sunset.

Island hopping

Boats leave from the beach for the islets around Boracay and the cliffs of the mainland coast. A day; in the south-west monsoon, from about June to October, some trips are cancelled.

Cagban Port · Every visitor arrives here by boat from Caticlan, a crossing of about fifteen minutes. Since 2018 the number of tourists on the island at one time is capped, and a booking at an accredited hotel must be shown.
Tambisaan Port · The second jetty, on the other side of the island’s tip, used when the south-west monsoon makes the sea at Cagban too rough.
Crocodile Island · A small rocky islet that from the shore looks like a crocodile lying in the water, with reefs around it for snorkelling among soft corals and reef fish.
Laurel Island · Two tiny islets joined by a natural arch of rock, with coral gardens below; boats stop here to snorkel on the way around the tip of Boracay.
Ariel’s Point · On the mainland coast south-west of Boracay, cliffs with jumping platforms of several heights, the highest about fifteen metres above deep water. Day trips include the boat, lunch and kayaks.
Carabao Island · Across the strait to the north, in the province of Romblon, an island of fishing villages and white beaches with few hotels, often described as Boracay as it was in the 1980s.

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Getting to Boracay and getting around

Caticlan Airport · Five minutes from the boat to the island
Kalibo Airport · International flights; about two hours by van and boat
Cagban Port · Where the boats from Caticlan land
Tambisaan Port · The other jetty, used when the sea is rough

Cheap eats in Boracay

Boracay eats Filipino on the go: chori burgers, a Boracay invention of a spicy chorizo patty in a bun; calamansi muffins, tart with the small Philippine lime; grilled skewers of pork and chicken intestines at the evening stalls; and mango shakes from every beach bar. A snack costs one to three dollars.

D’Talipapa · Buy at the stalls, cook at the kitchens
D’Mall · Chori burgers and calamansi muffins
Station 3 · Evening grill stalls

Nature and day trips near Boracay

Coral sand, reefs, a windy coast and quiet coves in the wooded north.

Mount Luho · The view of both coasts
Puka Beach · The wild north beach
Crocodile Island · Reef snorkelling

Things to do in Boracay with kids

With children: shallow calm water at Station 1, a sailing boat at sunset, snorkelling and the view tower.

White Beach, Station 1 · Calm shallows
Station 3 · A paraw sailing trip
Willy’s Rock · Wade out at low tide

Holy places in Boracay

A Catholic island where even the most famous rock carries a statue of the Virgin.

Willy’s Rock · The Virgin in the sea
Manoc-Manoc · Village chapels

Nightlife in Boracay

Boracay is the party island of the Philippines: fire dancers on the sand at dusk, beach bars along Station 2 and clubs until late.

D’Mall · Bars and clubs of Station 2
White Beach, Station 1 · Fire dancers at dusk
Station 3 · Quieter local bars

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Frequently asked questions about Boracay

What is there to see in Boracay?

The top sights in Boracay are White Beach, Station 1, Willy’s Rock and Station 3. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in Boracay?

Three to four days are enough to see the best of Boracay without rushing, including at least one walking tour.

Is there a free walking tour in Boracay?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Boracay, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: White Beach.

How do you get to Boracay and get around?

The main ways are Caticlan Airport, Kalibo Airport and Cagban Port. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in Boracay, and for how much?

sleepntrip shows only rooms in Boracay that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.

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