Boracay's Best Beaches
Boracay’s 10 beaches may be all about the flour-fine, snow-white sand during the day. But come nightfall, the Philippine island is all about live music and partying until the wee hours. Katie Kenny checks out the best beaches, each offering very different sides of Boracay.
Lay of the land: Boracay’s Caticlan airport only operates during the day, so schedule an early flight in case of delays. Once you’ve landed, grab a motorized tricycle for a short ride ($7) to the jetty port, where you’ll need to pay an environment tax ($15) and also buy a ferry ticket ($13) to Boracay Island. As soon as you dock, walk straight out of the pier, past the “porters” (they’ll try to weasel cash out of you) and jump in another tricycle to your hotel. Depending on where you’re staying, this shouldn’t be more than PHP150 ($26) but work out the price before you start the journey. This goes for any time you use this mode of transport.
Welcome to Boracay
About the beaches: There’s everything from standup paddle boarding, kayaking in see-through boats and skimboarding during the day to pub crawls and full moon parties at night on White Beach—a long stretch of sand on the east side of the island which is split up into three stations. But while Boracay’s most popular beach is the heart of the party, the crowds can be a bit much for those looking to relax.
For a quieter, sun-kissed sandy day head up to Puka Shell Beach on the northern tip of the island. The 800-meter-long beach is sprinkled with shells and white coral, and offers a few stands selling adorable trinkets at lower prices than you’ll find on White Beach.
Summer is coming...
And for an even quieter (and perhaps empty) beach travel southwest to Tulubhan and Tambisaan Beaches, two secret spots undiscovered by most tourists. These tiny beaches have lots of shade from old trees and a number of coves to explore.