Often referred to as the “crown jewel” of the Philippines, Boracay Island has evolved from being an unassuming provincial fishing island in the 1960s to the backpackers’ paradise retreat that it was in the 1980s to the internationally known island resort destination that it is today. Hailed by Travel + Leisure magazine in 2012 as the world’s best island, Boracay has captured the love and interest of millions of domestic and international tourists. Despite the escalating number of visitors and subsequent structural development, the island’s natural beauty remains beyond compare.
The four-kilometer stretch of White Beach is loved for its clear turquoise waters, gently rolling waves, fine white sand, and a great expanse of sky whose brilliance shines both in clear sunlit blues as well as starry moonlit nights. A row of tall, healthy coconut trees divide the beach from an unpaved footpath that leads to a plethora of accommodations, restaurants, and shops. In addition to White Beach, the island’s tourist hub, other beaches boast a splendor of their own: Bulabog Beach on the island’s sunrise side is hailed as the best watersports beach in Asia; serene Diniwid Beach offers a more secluded beach with resorts high up on the cliffs or just footsteps from the water; pristine Puka Shell Beach appears to glisten when the sun shines on the puka shells on the sand; Balinghai provides a secluded enclave that offers the visitor a piece of peaceful Boracay.
Aside from a rich variety of hotels, restaurants, and shops which add an essence of cosmopolitan sophistication to the island, what makes Boracay truly special are the people. Many travel from the far reaches of the earth to share the beauty of this island with those who call it home. Locals, residents, workers, and visitors interact to form a lively and ever-changing community. Here you’ll find bachelors and honeymooners, party animals and soul searchers, artists and musicians, photographers and models, adventure seekers and people watchers, tour groups and solitary wanderers, divers and sailors, business travelers and backpackers, sunbathers and pub-crawlers, entrepreneurs and retirees, families and friends … the list goes on. The island shares itself to anyone who cares to visit, and many who visit share the commonality of caring about the island.
Next: How To Get There
This Boracay Guest Guide is authored by Camilla Collings for Boracay Magazine, copyright 2014. All rights reserved. No part of this section may be copied-and-pasted into any Boracay promotional material, or altered to hide traces of plagiarism, without permission from the copyright owner. This article may be shared as long as links kept intact, and proper acknowledgements made.
Boracay Magazine 