What Travelers Say About Boracay
Boracay is a small island, only about ten square kilometres, off the northwest tip of Panay in the central Philippines. For its size it carries an outsized reputation, mostly thanks to White Beach: a four-kilometre run of fine white sand and shallow blue water that has sat near the top of world-best-beach lists for years. The island was home to the indigenous Ati people long before backpackers found it in the 1980s, and it grew from a quiet hideaway into one of Asia's busiest beach resorts. In 2018 the government closed it for six months to fix overdevelopment and sewage problems, and it reopened cleaner, with building setbacks and a ban on beachfront parties and drinking.
White Beach is split into Stations 1, 2, and 3. Station 1 has the widest sand and the pricier resorts, Station 2 is the busy middle full of restaurants and nightlife, and Station 3 is quieter and cheaper. The windy far side at Bulabog is a well-known kitesurfing and windsurfing spot. Away from the main strip there are calmer coves like Puka Shell Beach and Diniwid, island-hopping boat trips, cliff jumping at Ariel's Point, and a short climb up Mount Luho for a view over the whole island.
Days here are easy: swim, eat, nap, repeat. Evenings bring sunset sailings on the local paraw boats, seafood and fresh mango shakes, beach bars and fire dancers. It is sociable and sometimes crowded rather than secluded, but the water and the sand really are as good as the photos.