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Voykit pocket guide · Philippines
Boracay
Boracay Island
Go for 3 nights if you want a calm swim beach and nightlife; skip if you need shade, quiet or a cheap island — no loungers, chairs or umbrellas are allowed on White Beach.
Boracay is a 4 km White Beach split into Stations 1, 2 and 3, plus the windier Bulabog side and quieter Puka Beach in the north. Since the 2018 reopening the island runs on rules: a pre-booked hotel is required before you board the boat, and eating, drinking, smoking and commercial sandcastles are banned on the sand. Costs run high by Philippine standards, and the beach has no shade structures, so plan around sun and season rather than sightseeing.
- Country
- Philippines
- Local name
- Boracay Island
- Best months
- Nov–May (amihan, dry season; Dec–Mar calmest on White Beach)
- Avoid
- Jun–Oct (habagat rains, typhoon risk, rough water on White Beach)
- Stay
- 3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- PHP
- Money
- Philippine pesos (₱) in small notes for jeepneys, market stalls, tips and taxis; malls and hotels take cards.
- Daily spend
- Budget ₱2,000–3,500 excl. bed · Mid ₱3,500–7,000 excl. bed · High ₱7,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Globe and Smart sell SIMs at airports; SIM registration with passport is required by law.
- Emergency
- National emergency 911 · Caticlan airport +63 36 288 7111 · Kalibo airport +63 36 262 3264
- Plugs
- Types A, B, C · 220 V · 60 Hz · US flat pins common; check your devices for 220 V.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: 10% if no service charge.; Grab / taxi: Round up.; Boat crew: ₱100–200 per tour.; Massage: ₱50–100.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap; refill stations cheap.
- Toilets
- Called 'CR' (comfort room); bring tissue; many lack toilet seats.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Boat Caticlan–Cagban | ₱25 |
| Tricycle, short shared hop | ₱20 per passenger |
| Tricycle, individual ride | up to ₱150 per tricycle |
| Scooter rental, one day | from ₱1,200 |
| Scuba dive with equipment | about ₱1,600 |
| Bat and crystal caves entry | ₱50 |
| Kalibo airport van plus ferry to Caticlan | ₱250–300 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- MPH · Caticlan (Godofredo P. Ramos) Airport
- Closest airport, a few km from Caticlan jetty port; tricycle about ₱50 to the port, or a 10-minute walk. Jet flights from Manila, turboprops from Cebu.
- KLO · Kalibo International Airport
- About 70 km (43 mi) from Caticlan jetty; van or bus plus ferry takes 1.5–2 h, roughly ₱250–300 plus ₱175 in fees. Handles larger aircraft and international flights.About 43 mi (70 km) from Caticlan jetty; van or bus plus ferry takes 1.5–2 h, roughly ₱250–300 plus ₱175 in fees. Handles larger aircraft and international flights.
Typical fares
- Caticlan jetty → Cagban, banca
- ₱25, a few minutes, boats every few minutes
- Cagban port → Station 1, shared tricycle
- ₱25 per head
- D'Mall → Station 3, shared tricycle
- ₱20 per passenger
- Puka Beach → D'Mall, tricycle
- about ₱40
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Electric tricycles are the island's taxis and run along the Main Boracay Road. Short shared hops on busy routes are a standard ₱20 per passenger; long runs such as Puka Beach to D'Mall about ₱40; an individual (non-shared) ride is usually no more than ₱150. Drivers near hotels and beaches often open at ₱150–200, so agree the fare and the word "individual" or "special" before you get in. Scooters rent from around ₱1,200 a day (check) and mountain bikes are available along the White Beach path, which is off limits to motorized vehicles. Boats: banca ferries cross between Caticlan and Cagban every few minutes for ₱25, plus a ₱100 terminal fee and ₱75 environmental fee.
See and do
Known for
- White Beach and its three stations
- Kiteboarding at Bulabog Beach
- Paraw sailboat and banca island tours
- Puka Beach and Baling Hai cove
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Puka Beach | Tricycle along the Main Boracay Road to its northern end, 10–15 min from central White Beach | About 20 min |
| Baling Hai Beach | Tricycle north past Diniwid, then a short walk down to the cove | About 30 min |
| Bulabog Beach | Tricycle across the island from White Beach | About 15 min |
| Kalibo | Van or bus from Caticlan jetty port, 1.5–2 h | 2–2.5 h |
| Malay, Aklan | Boat to Caticlan, then tricycle or jeepney on the mainland | About 1 h |
Sleep
- Station 1 (north White Beach)
- Northernmost section with the widest beachfront and the prime resorts; accommodations are pricier and quality is generally the best. Walk to Station 2 is about 15 min.
- Station 2 (centre)
- Commercial and geographical centre around D'Mall: shopping, eating and nightlife, and the most crowded and noisiest stretch.
- Station 3 (south White Beach)
- Southernmost section, least developed and lowest priced; quieter than Station 2. Walk to D'Mall is roughly 20–30 min.
- Bulabog Beach side
- East coast across the island; kitesurfing base in the Nov–Apr season, calmer water on this side in the rainy months.
- Diniwid and Baling Hai (northwest)
- Small coves north of Station 1; fewer services, so arrange tricycle pickups.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| How much to Station 2? | Magkano papuntang Station 2?mag-KA-no pa-pun-TANG Station Two |
| Individual ride, please | Individual lang, pleasein-di-vi-DYAL lang |
| Thank you | Salamatsa-LA-mat |
| Where is the boat to Caticlan? | Nasaan ang bangka papuntang Caticlan?na-SA-an ang BANG-ka pa-pun-TANG Caticlan |
| No, thank you | Hindi, salamathin-DI, sa-LA-mat |
| Can I pay by card? | Pwede bang card?PWE-de bang card |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Smile, handshake; 'po' to elders; avoid: Loud confrontation
- Beckoning: Palm down, wave; avoid: Palm up (used for animals)
- Invitations: Accept food offered or decline politely; avoid: Refusing bluntly
- Time: Expect 'Filipino time' socially; avoid: Lateness for flights and boats
- Churches: Covered clothes; avoid: Loud tours during Mass
Scams and watch-outs
- A pre-booked hotel is required before you can board the boat to the island.
- No eating, drinking, smoking, fire dancing or commercial sandcastles on White Beach; no chairs, loungers or umbrellas either, so there is no shade on the sand.
- Expect offers every few steps along the beach path — massage, island hopping, parasailing, kite lessons, henna. Agree the price first.
- Jun–Oct brings the habagat, typhoon risk and waves that can make White Beach unsafe for swimming; the calm side flips to Bulabog.
- The Bat Cave is steep, slippery with guano and has snakes inside; entry is about ₱50 to the landowning family plus a guide fee that can run to ₱2,500 if you do not bargain.
- Sewage pollution in the Bulabog kite lagoon is a known problem: smell and infected cuts are reported.
Boracay is a busy resort island and generally safe for tourists; the real risks are sun with no shade on White Beach, strong surf and typhoons in the habagat months, tricycle fare disputes, and polluted water in the Bulabog kite lagoon.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Boracay yet. Suggested stay: 3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- White Beach and its three stations
- Kiteboarding at Bulabog Beach
- Paraw sailboat and banca island tours
- Puka Beach and Baling Hai cove
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Philippine Airlines: www.philippineairlines.com
- Cebu Pacific: www.cebupacificair.com
- Wikivoyage: Boracay, revision 5258747 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5258747
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
BoracayBoracay Island
Dito po, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- National emergency911
- Caticlan airport+63 36 288 7111
- Kalibo airport+63 36 262 3264
No embassies on the island; the US, UK, Canada and Australia have embassies in Manila (check addresses).
Carry small notes: tricycles, boats and fees are cash-first.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/boracay). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.