Place
Boracay, Philippines
Location
Boracay is an island in the central eastern Philippines, about 315 km south of Manila.
Closest Town/City/Village
Boracay is a small island covered to a large extent by tourist facilities, so one is never far from amenities here.
Climate and Geography
Boracay is a small narrow island 7 km long and in places less than 1 km wide. It’s located in the central eastern Philippines, and is part of the Western Visayas island group. The island has 400 hectares of preserved forestland and one fairly impressive cave. The two most appealing parts of Boracay’s geography, however, are the white-sand beaches and the wind. The Amihan wind blows across the island from November to April at speeds of 10 – 30 knots. December and January are the best months for wind sports on Boracay.
Boracay has two main seasonal patterns: Amihan and Habagat. The Amihan season generally begins in early fall and ends in late spring, and the Habagat season stretches from late spring to early fall. The Amihan season is characterized by wind from the east, moderate temperatures (25 – 32°C), and little rainfall. The Habagat season, in contrast, sees wind from the west, higher temperatures (28 – 38°C), frequent heavy rains, and occasional typhoons.
Description
People who are looking for travel deals and cheap Boracay hotels for their beach holidays, but still want to be served their drinks in coconut shells on world-class white sand beaches are looking for Boracay. Voted one of the best beach destinations in the world the BMW Tropical Beach Handbook, and the world’s best tropical beach by TV Quick, Boracay is the place to go if you want to relax on the beach on a budget.
Boracay also has plenty of activities to satisfy wind and water sport lovers. With strong winds year-round Boracay is a brilliant destination for windsurfing, kiteboarding, and sailing. For this reason the Asian Windsurfing Tour usually stops here, and Boracay also hosts the Boracay International Funboard Cup every year in January. Those who prefer to delve below the surface of the ocean will find abundant diving and snorkeling facilities around the island.
Activities
- Diving (reefs, cave, wreck)
- Snorkeling
- Windsurfing
- Kiteboarding
- Skimboarding
- Sailing
- Cliff jumping
On a Budget?
- Beds in shared dormitories can be found for less than $5 USD per person per night and private rooms can be found for less than $20 USD per night.
- Food on Boracay tends to be more expensive than other places in the Philippines, with many tourist-oriented restaurants serving meals for upwards of $5-10 USD. However, if you look around, you will be able to find all your meals for just a few dollars each.
Photos
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Photos courtesy of (in order of appearance) Anthony Alger, Eric Lindholm, Anthony Alger, and Anthony Alger from Wikipedia, and The Wandering Angel, Flair Candy, and Hulivili on Flickr.
Map
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