Overview

People come to Boracay for the beaches and the sea, and its iconic White Beach is the undisputed star of this island. Not only is it fully qualified to grace postcards, but there is also a fun but mellow commercial strip in the form of a footpath running along it. Other natural features worth checking out include the Bat Cave, the Dead Forest and Mount Luho. It's all about nature on Boracay, and this island rarely fails to impress.

White Beach

Unquestionably one of earth's most postcard-perfect tropical beaches, even the commercial side of White Beach doesn't detract from its beauty. The powdery white sand is separated from a pleasant strip of cafés, bakeries, bars, and shops by a grove of coconut palms. You can rent reclining chairs and umbrellas or just chill out on a sarong.

Puka Beach

The sand at this quiet stretch of beach on the northern end of Boracay isn't quite as soft as White Beach, but the turquoise sea, dazzling water and relative lack of people makes Puka a top choice. The locals come here to collect the puka shells used in native jewellery, and you can hire a tricycle to ferry you here from White Beach in about 15 minutes. There aren't really any facilities at Puka so bring your own food and drink.

Bat Cave

If you need a bit of adventure to balance lounging on White Beach, make the trek out to this cavern on the western end of Boracay where thousands of bats make their home. It's a rather rugged walk in and the cave is slippery with guano, but there are some nice geological features and the huge bats emerging each evening are quite a sight.

Dead Forest

Another interesting feature on Boracay is this dead mangrove forest that was killed off when a dam broke, flooding the area with saltwater. It's a large area with nothing but dead tree trunks poking out of brackish water, but that's the eerie beauty of it. There are dozens of local folk tales and ghost stories related to this place, and it is actually quite photogenic, especially at night under a full moon.

Mount Luho

Boracay's highest point is Mount Luho, an extinct volcano that towers a vast 100 metres above sea level. It may not sound very high, but the views from the summit are incredibly scenic and offer a full 360 panorama. There's a steep dirt road leading to the peak at the northern end of Bulabog Beach that can be walked or mountain biked if you're energetic enough.

White Beach path

Boracay's main drag is an unpaved footpath that connects Boat Station 1 and Lorenzo South. It basically follows White Beach, and contains the majority of the island's commercial activity. The area around Boat Station 3 is referred to as downtown, and is where most of the partying takes place. Uptown, near Boat Station 1, is much quieter. Wandering back and forth along the path, soaking in the montage of island life, is an essential part of every visit to Boracay.

Kar-tir Seashell Museum

This small but interesting museum in Iligan is dedicated to both locally collected seashells and the handicrafts native to Boracay and the Philippines in general. The shells are certainly magical, but the hand-woven articles, pottery, woodcarvings and traditional costumes are an excellent complement.

Boracay Butterfly Garden

It's hard not to appreciate the delicate beauty of tropical butterflies, and this special garden at Bulabog Beach is filled with rare and colourful species that flutter about in the wild. Visitors can also learn about the life cycles of butterflies through an educational tour and purchase decent handicrafts onsite.

Overview

Although most of the action on Boracay involves the sea and the sand, there are plenty of inland options if you need a break from the stunning beaches. There are many caves to explore, mountain biking, hiking in the hills and trekking up to the summit of Mount Luho. But the water sports are king here, with jet-skiing, sailing, scuba diving and kiteboarding all big hits. If you enjoy sports, you'll find ample options on Boracay.

Beaches

There are several excellent beaches to enjoy on Boracay if you find that the four kilometres of White Beach start to feel crowded. Puka Beach, named after the ubiquitous shell used in local jewellery, is another gem, as is tiny Baling Hai Beach, which is as quiet and romantic as it gets. Cagban Beach is reputed to have buried treasure under the sand and in its caves, and Bulabog Beach is where windsurfers and kiteboarders go to do their thing. Other smaller beaches wait for those intrepid enough to get on a bike and find them.

Caves

Boracay has a lot of caves scattered around the island, and many of them are developed enough to explore. The most touted, and popular, is Bat Cave and its huge bats with wingspans up to four-feet long. But lesser visited caves like Kalikugan Cave, Crystal Cave, and Buslugan Cave are just as interesting. Most locals are happy to be your guide for a small fee.

Scuba diving and snorkelling

There are around 20 dive shops lining White Beach path that can take divers of any level to a number of amazing underwater sites off the shores of Boracay. Whether you want to learn the sport or tackle the hardest of dives, there's something for everyone. Yapak, a deep headwall, is the most difficult dive but Angel Point and Crocodile Island are both popular, moderate dive sites.

Sailing

If you're a sailor, Boracay will provide an ideal environment for you to use your skills. It takes just three hours to circumnavigate the island in a traditional wooden outrigger boat known as a paraw. There are dozens of places to stop off at along the way, and there are always plenty of local boatmen willing to be your captain if you want to spend a pleasant afternoon on the sea.

Water sports

The sea is the focus of activity on Boracay, so you will find a full range of activities at your disposal. You can rent nearly everything by the hour, from catamarans to jet-skis. Speedboats can take you waterskiing, and the banana boat rides are a particular favourite for frivolous fun. Windsurfing is also big on Boracay, with good sites on both sides of the island.

Land sports

The mountain bike is the most common form of transportation on Boracay, even if you don't use it to pound the singletracks. The island's terrain is just hilly enough to provide plenty of exercise and excitement. Motorised vehicles like ATV four-wheelers and motorbikes are also popular and fun ways to explore the dirt roads that crisscross the island.

Hiking

There are dozens of walking trails on Boracay that can be traversed in just a couple of hours. The most popular hike is from Angel Point to the summit of Mount Luho, the highest point on the island, but there are plenty of other paths, and you can always hire a guide for the afternoon if you don't want to go at it alone.

Kiteboarding

The relatively new sport of kiteboarding is a hot thing on Boracay, which is regarded as the best place in Asia to kitesurf. Bulabog Beach is the premier kiteboarding destination on Boracay, especially from November through March. Even if you don't try this extreme aerial sport, watching others kiteboard can be a thrill.

Dining and shopping

In spite of its small size, Boracay has a surprising range and number of places to eat. There's nothing better than enjoying a freshly barbecued fish and cold beverage along the beach as the sun goes down. The walking path along White Beach is where the majority of the restaurants, little cafés and beer bars are clustered. It's the main eating site on the island, and visitors will find both international cuisines as well as local Filipino-influenced menus.

In addition to the White Beach Path, most resorts have at least one in-house restaurant. These are often perfectly fine places to eat, as all the mid-range resort menus tend to be similar. But if you want to splash out one evening, Boracay boasts a few fine dining options where a Havana cigar and glass of brandy are standard post-meal affairs.

Asian and European food dominate most menus on the island, and the eateries range from simple beachside cafés to places where there's more emphasis on the cuisine and the ambiance. You won't find any Western chains on Boracay. Most restaurants are small and cosy, with friendly staff that will probably remember your name after just one or two visits.

Apart from the many restaurants that focus on Western fare, Filipino cuisine fills in whatever gaps are left. Seafood is also a major feature in most restaurants, with daily catches keeping the options diverse and as fresh as it gets.

People don't really come to Boracay for the shopping options, so don't expect to find more than typical tourist-town souvenirs, sundries and a handful of local crafts. All things related to the beach are naturally prevalent items on Boracay. White Beach path is lined with little shops selling t-shirts, sarongs, flip-flops and other various beachwear and water sport gear.

The few boutique shops along White Beach path offer a more unique take on fashion accessories, locally made handicrafts and local artwork. Some of these shops are even high-end, focusing on upscale clothing, artwork and decorative items. In addition to White Beach Path, D'Mall is the most modern shopping venue on the island. Prices are usually fixed at the nicer shops, but haggling is okay at more humble stores.

Boracay's central market, known as Talipapa, is another fun place to shop for the usual array of goods plus a few extras. Talipapa is the island's main shopping hub, with myriad stalls lining both sides of the road. Everything from fresh food to antiques, native woodcarvings and puka shell jewellery is sold here. But outside of the White Beach area, visitors will be hard-pressed to find any decent shopping scenes.

You will also quickly discover that there is a small army of beach hawkers who bring the shopping right to you. Though they can easily be dismissed, sometimes they sell something a little different from the usual puka shell jewellery or sarongs in the shops. Credit cards are rarely accepted in Boracay's shops, so always carry cash when you go out to shop.

Most first-time visitors to Boracay are shocked at the quantity and range of restaurants available on this tiny island. Plenty of Westerners have relocated to this piece of paradise and brought their culinary traditions with them. Great Italian, German and Asian food complements the wealth of local Filipino dishes and fresh seafood available at most restaurants.

Overview

Visitors to Boracay must fly into either Caticlan (which is closer but smaller) or Kalibo (larger but a 90-minute bus ride to the port at Caticlan) as there's no airport on the island. In Caticlan, boats ferry people from the tiny port every few minutes for the 15-minute journey to Boracay's jetty port. On the island, you can walk anywhere. Motorised tricycles are the only taxi service. Otherwise, you can rent bikes or scooters to get around on your own.

Airports

Most visitors to Boracay fly into the airport at Caticlan, which is a short boat ride from the island. Several airlines provide regular service to Caticlan, most of them originating in Manila. It's a tiny airport with a short runway, so all the planes are either propeller-driven or small jets.

The flight between Manila and Caticlan takes about 40 minutes. Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Asian Spirit and South East Asian Airlines (SEAir) are among the main carriers providing daily service to Caticlan. You can also catch a flight from Cebu City to Caticlan on a couple of regional carriers.

If you don't fly into Caticlan you'll fly to Kalibo, which has a larger airport, then take a 90-minute bus ride to the ferry port at Caticlan where the boats leave for Boracay. Caticlan is the preferred destination of seasoned Boracay travellers, so check where your flight is landing. Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific are the two carriers that run jet planes to Kalibo.

From Caticlan Airport you can either take a tricycle taxi to Caticlan port or walk the 10-minute stroll if you're travelling light. Minivans and 40-seat buses run the 90-minute drive between Kalibo Airport and the port at Caticlan from where you'll catch boat to Boracay.

Public transportation

If you aren't flying, you can take an MBRS ferry from Manila to Caticlan. These boats depart once or twice a week depending on the time of year. Boats also run between Roxas on Mindoro and Caticlan, as well as Coron, Palawan and Puerto Galera, Boracay. You can also take a Philtranco bus from Cubao, Manila to Caticlan along the Strong Republic National Highway. This journey takes 12 hours.

Boracay is small enough to walk to wherever you want to go in a couple of hours. Public transport is provided by tricycles, which are basically motorbikes with sidecars. They are the dominant form of transport, serving as Boracay's taxis. They are inexpensive, if somewhat polluting, and can be hired for the entire day.

Most resorts rent bicycles by the hour or the day. Bikes are a good way to get around short distances because there's little other traffic on Boracay except tricycles. Scooters are another fun way to cruise around the island. They are cheap and can usually be rented through your resort. You'll need an international driving license to legally drive a scooter.