Boracay Island Packages/Deals & Travel Agents Near Me

Overview

Introduction

An island resort just off the northwestern tip of Panay Island 195 mi/315 km southeast of Manila, Boracay, Philippines, is a fast-growing beach destination.

Boracay boasts white-sand beaches and offers a range of accommodations from simple bamboo huts to resorts.

Travelers enjoy sailing, windsurfing and snorkeling (the area has fabulous coral formations and reef fish) in the surrounding sea. Along with the influx of tourists and Manila jet-setters, Boracay also sees its fair share of glittering nights and beach parties. Thankfully, guidelines for sanitation as well as capacity controls on tourism allow things to run smoothly.

Visitors can reach the island in a few hours from Manila by flying to Kalibo on Panay and continuing by bus, tricycle (tuk tuks) and banca (local fishing craft). Have cash to pay the necessary tourist fees when continuing to Boracay; the boats arrive at Station 3 (the beach is divided into three stations).

Kalibo has international flights to cities such as Chengdu, Seoul, Shanghai, and Taipei among others. It can handle larger aircraft; the airport supports numerous domestic flights, including low-cost options. There are also flights from Manila and Cebu to Caticlan, which is closer to the jetty port than Kalibo.

The high season in Boracay is October-January and April-May, especially during Holy Week. June is a very rainy month with storms common in the months that follow. Most tourists come from across Asia.

Geography

Boracay is one of a cluster of islands that together form the nation of the Philippines. The island is small, just 4 mi/7 km in length. It tapers to a width of just 1 mi/1 km at its narrowest point. The area is covered by white sandy beaches, forests and mountains.

Boracay is located on the Sulu Sea, which is a part of the Pacific Ocean. Though it has many beaches, the two major ones are the White Beach and the Bulabog Beach. Most of the year, the island experiences a warm tropical climate.

Boracay's beaches are spread across three divisions: stations 1, 2 and 3. Most of the relatively high-rated resorts are in Station 1. This is in the northern part of the island, and occupies most of the beachfront.

The main commercial outlets are located in Station 2. The presence of bars, restaurants and shopping venues makes this the most happening area.

As the least developed part of the island, Station 3 is relatively quiet. It is the southernmost section.

History

The original inhabitants of the island were native aborigines called Negritos or Atis. Their livelihood depended on farming and fishing for several centuries. In the middle of the 20th century, the people started trading in copra with business travelers from Aklan, buying foods and other goods from them.

The island was discovered in the late 19th century by Sofia Gonzales Tirol and her husband, Lamberto Hontveros Tirol. They took keen interest in the island and started developing it. Later, a book on Boracay was written by Jens Peter, a German writer who introduced the island to the world. After that, Boracay started becoming a favored and popular tourist destination. The locals came to be known as Boracaynons.

The name Boracay is derived from two words: borac, which means "bubbles," and bocay, meaning "white" in the local Ati dialect. It is believed that the locals chose this name because the white sand resembled water bubbles.