About Boracay Island, Philippines

Boracay is a palm fringed tropical paradise known throughout the world its white, powdery beaches, balmy weather, crystalline waters, diverse marine life, and easy lifestyle. Every year, hundreds of thousands of foreign and local tourists come to this tiny island to divulge in its alluring beauty.

Locating Boracay on the Map

Boracay Island is located in the Philippines, a country of 7,107 islands situated off the coast of mainland Southeast Asia. Boracay  island lies two kilometers off the northwest tip of the island of Panay in Western Visayas Region or an hour plane flight south of Manila, the capital and primary international gateway of the Philippines.

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Geography and Areas of Boracay

Boracay Island is seven kilometers long, butterfly shaped with the narrowest spot being less than one kilometer wide, and has a total land area of 10.32 square kilometers. Boracay Island hosts more than a dozen beaches, the longest and most famous of which are White Beach and Bulabog Beach located on opposite sides of the island’s narrow central area. White Beach, the main tourism area of the island, is a five kilometer stretch of powdery fine sand, widely known as one of the best beaches in the World . Both ends of Boracay are characterized by hilly elevations with small beach coves, these areas are the more exclusive parts of the island. As a whole, Boracay is divided into three little communities called barangays: Yapak in the north, Balabag in the middle, Manocmanoc in the south. The main entry/exit point of Boracay is the Cagban Jetty Port located in the southern tip of Boracay.

Geographic Map of Boracay Island, Philippines

Getting to and around Boracay Island

Whether you go by plane or by boat, the main gateway to Boracay Island is the small town of Caticlan on mainland Panay. Outrigger boats or “pumpboats” leave every few minutes from Caticlan’s jetty port to Cagban Port in Boracay (depending on the seasonal conditions, pumpboats may dock in Tambisaan Beach).

Caticlan Jetty Port

Caticlan has a small airport, served by several airlines mostly flying from Manila, the primary gateway to the Philippines. Flight times to/from Manila range from 35 to 45 minutes. Many tourists also opt to land in larger airports nearby such as the ones in Kalibo (due to expansions to Caticlan Airport, only SEAir Airline is using Caticlan Airport, other airlines are temporarily using the Kalibo Airport)  and Iloilo because these are larger and better equipped than Caticlan Airport. By sea, Caticlan is connected through the “Nautical Highway,” a combination of overland highways and roll-on, roll-off (RoRo) vessels that allow passengers to travel and transport vehicles to different islands in the Philippines. Assuming good connections, the total journey time by road-ferry from Manila is around 12 hours.

Planes Bound for Boracay parked at the Airport Runway of Manila

The main mode of transport along the highway in Boracay Island is the  tricycle. Though, walking along the beach is still a preferred way of moving around Boracay, especially in White Beach, because it is such a short distance to get from one point to another. Pedicabs are also available for transport along the beachfront path. Other means of transportation include mountain bikes, quadbikes and motorbikes, all of which are available for rent.

How it all started

Formerly undiscovered, it wasn’t till the 1970s that tourist began to start going to Boracay. The island became popular with backpackers in the 1980s. It was around this time that Boracay Island slowly ceased to be a private travelers hangout and eventually became a favorite tourist destination in the Philippines. In a span of a mere 10 years, the whole world, it seemed, discovered Boracay and the once, nearly deserted stretch of white sand beach became a popular vacation and leisure spot for upscale tourists from all parts of the world.

Ati children having a dip in the waters of Boracay

There are several folklore tales to how Boracay got its name. According to one, Boracay got its name from the local word bora (meaning bubbles) and bocay (meaning white). The original inhabitants of the island, known as the Atis, combined the two words together amazed at how the pristine white sand looks much like water bubbles. Another version says that the name Boracay was derived from the term Borac (meaning cotton) because of the cotton-like appearance of the sand of Boracay’s beaches.

Boracay Hotels and Resorts

Discovery Shores Boracay Hotel in Station 1

Accommodation standards vary, with top of the line hotels and resorts to a simple bed rented from a resident. As such, whatever your budget, you could easily find a suitable place to stay in Boracay Island. Click here to visit our Boracay Hotels and Resorts section for a comprehensive list of place to stay in Boracay Island, Philippines.

Boracay Travel Guide

Need help planning your trip to Boracay? Be prepared and visit the Everything Boracay Travel Guide. To read important tips and insider info to make the most of your vacation to the island paradise, click here.

Massage Tables at the beachfront of White Beach

Boracay Directory

There are a lot of Government and business establishments available to assist tourists visiting Boracay Island. Visit our Boracay Directory to know important place to go to or people to call when you’re in the island by clicking here.

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