Inside
Boracay is busy, but its sand and sunsets are still among the best in Asia, and nothing is easier.
Add Boracay to my journeyBoracay is the Philippines' most famous beach island and it knows it. White Beach is busy, lined with restaurants and hotels, and the island was closed for six months in 2018 for a clean-up that brought stricter rules on building, drinking and smoking on the sand. The result is calmer and cleaner than it was, though still far from quiet. What hasn't changed is the sand, which stays cool underfoot, and a west-facing sunset with paraw sailboats crossing it every evening. Stay at the quieter ends of the island, plan around the season, and it's an easy, happy place.
White Beach is divided into Stations 1, 2 and 3. Station 1 has the widest sand and the larger hotels; Station 2 is the busy centre; Station 3 is quieter and simpler. Away from White Beach, Diniwid in the north-west and the coves around the island's northern end are calmer, and the east coast facing Bulabog is where kitesurfers stay.
Take a paraw sail at sunset, the island's signature hour. Walk or cycle to Puka Beach in the north for a quieter swim. Snorkel on an island-hopping trip around Crocodile Island and the nearby reefs. And from roughly November to April, when the northeast wind blows, Bulabog Beach becomes one of Asia's busiest kitesurfing spots, with schools for beginners.
November to May is best: the northeast wind (amihan) keeps White Beach calm and clear. From June to October the southwest monsoon (habagat) can bring waves, seaweed and wind to White Beach, while Bulabog on the other side becomes the calmer swimming beach. Christmas, Chinese New Year and Holy Week are extremely busy.
Insider notes
13 days · Essential / Boutique / Premium / Signature
Manila • Bohol • Boracay
Two bases, one transfer day and calm beaches: Bohol's tarsiers, turtles and river, then Boracay's shallow water and sunset sailing. Built for children of all ages.
From €1,700per person ·
View journey →
15 days · Essential / Boutique / Premium / Signature
Manila • Puerto Princesa • El Nido • Bohol • Boracay
The classic first trip: the Underground River and El Nido in Palawan, Bohol's hills and turtles, then Boracay's White Beach. Four islands in fifteen days, with sensible connections.
From €2,100per person ·
View journey →Use this journey as inspiration. Change the islands, hotels, pace, activities or number of nights.
Add Boracay to my journeyCaticlan, if flights fit your plan; it's minutes from the jetty. Kalibo means 1.5–2 hours more by road.
In peak weeks, it's busy. Staying at the quieter ends, getting up early and avoiding major holidays make a big difference.
Very. Short distances, shallow water on White Beach in the dry season and plenty of food options.
Inside
A long, thin island of karst lagoons, empty beaches and slow coastal towns, stretching 450 km between the South China Sea and the Sulu Sea.
Inside
The country's oldest city and the busiest hub in the Visayas, with the best lechon in the Philippines and waterfalls, whale sharks and reefs a few hours south.
Inside
A big island of sugar country, heritage towns and grilled chicken in the north, and quiet beaches, marine reserves and Dumaguete's easy pace in the south.
Tell us when you're coming. We'll help design the rest.