 As a holiday destination, the island of Boracay is among the Philippines’ most popular. Picture trendy bars, sophisticated restaurants and luxury hotels set on an idyllic island and you begin to scratch the surface of what this elite destination has to offer. Only partially developed, mass commercial tourism is confined to just a single area, meaning opportunities to enjoy peace, tranquillity and solitude, are also available.
Situated approximately 195 miles south of the Philippine capital city of Manila, Boracay is an island in the archipelago’s western Visayas region. People come here for the excellent beaches and water sports, but also for the luxurious resorts and trendy nightspots.
 White Beach is Boracay’s chief tourist resort and is home to a good selection of accommodation options as well as an abundance of other amenities including ample dining outlets, places for shopping, internet resources and currency exchange facilities. The beach itself, while fairly crowded in the high season, is exceedingly beautiful and an ideal place to enjoy lazy days soaking up the sun or energetic ones engaged in sand or sea sports and activities.
Within easy driving distance of White Beach are quieter spots where visitors can escape the masses and enjoy the kind of scenery that is usually only seen on travel documentaries or the front of postcards. A minimal presence of vendors is sufficient to provide beach-goers with food and refreshments without spoiling the nature of the setting.
 Boracay offers visitors an abundance of activities and leisure options with everything from lazy beach massages to island hopping tours. Water sports of every kind are available at White Beach including swimming, snorkelling, jet-skiing, parasailing and scuba diving. The big hotels often have spas and games rooms, giving visitors the chance to escape the heat and enjoy air-conditioning in the heat of the day.
The island is reached relatively easily with small domestic air facilities located at Caticlan and Kalibo serving flights from Manila and several other regional destinations. International flights to Manila are available from a variety of overseas destinations including various major UK and US cities. The island is also accessible by boat, and visitors can make use of regular ferry services from the port at Caticlan.
Boracay offers a solid visitor infrastructure which stops short of overdevelopment. Hotels and resorts offer the best in luxury with accommodation typically upmarket. Some of the country’s most exclusive hotels are located in Boracay. The island’s natural attractions draw visitors as much as the manmade draws here. This combination of natural beauty and good visitor facilities makes Boracay the perfect tropical island destination for anyone looking for a holiday based on sun, sand and scenery.
History
Little is known about the island’s early history. The earliest settlers on the island of Boracay were the Ati tribe. For a long time, the island was home to little more than a few villages and was merely a dot on the map as far as most tourism was concerned.
Backpackers were among the first to discover the beauty of this tropical paradise in the early 1970s. Allegedly, however, it was the arrival of a foreign movie crew that initially drew publicity to the island as well as a number of positive references in a travel work written by German writer Jens Peters.
Once the world caught wind of this well kept secret, the island changed from being a secluded budget traveller’s retreat to a popular holiday destination, attracting investments by large private firms and leading to the creation of a plethora of tourist resorts.
While the island still has some secluded, tranquil spots where mid-range travellers might enjoy some cheap and serene holidaying, these areas are at the far end of the island and gradually diminishing. Primarily Boracay is known as an exclusive destination boasting some of the country’s most luxurious and expensive resorts.
Weather
Boracay experiences two distinct seasons known as Amihan and Habagat respectively. Amihan is the more favourable season of the two, beginning in November and bringing pleasant cooling winds which last until about February. The temperatures are high during this season, ranging from 25ºC to 32ºC.
Following February, things get hotter during the period from March to June, which sees temperatures ranging from 28ºC to 38ºC. Habagat begins in late June and is the island’s wet season, which lasts until the end of October. Although rainy spells can see heavy rains, showers rarely last long and are invariably replaced by sunny spells. Temperatures during Habagat are high, as are the relative humidity levels.
The high season runs from November through May, although April and May are often very hot. November to February is a better period in which to book a holiday, when temperatures are more bearable. Hotels get very busy at this time of year and advanced booking is essential.
It’s feasible to visit Boracay during the rainy season and as it’s officially the low season, prices can be cheaper and resorts a lot quieter. Rainy spells can be inconvenient, but since they are only usually short and interspersed with sunny spells they are unlikely to cause much disruption to your plans.
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