Boracay, Philippines
Boracay is a small island, measuring roughly 7 km x 1 km and is located just off the coast of Panay in the Philippines. Although the island is small, it ticks many boxes in terms of natural beauty, nightlife, hotels, restaurants, resorts and climate. Part of the charm of Boracay lies in it’s small size, because you are never far from any of the island’s many attractions, whether that be a beautiful beach to relax, or a place to dance the night away.
Clean up and improvements
The island is currently (2019) undergoing a transformation and clean up, following government intervention in 2018. The main road running along White Beach is being resurfaced, sewers replaced and some buildings are being demolished and others being constructed.
There is a large development of hotels and apartments being constructed on the East side of the island as well called Newcoast, complete with golf course. It will be interesting to see what the impact of this development will be on the island over time.
As previously mentioned in the post ‘How to get to Boracay’, you must have a hotel reservation prior to arriving in Boracay, otherwise you will not be allowed to travel there. Documents to show hotel reservations are being requested at airports and the ferry port, so make sure you bring this proof with you.
In 2018, the island of Boracay was assigned a ‘carrying capacity’ of 55,000, which means that after deducting workers and residents, only 19,000 tourists are currently being allowed onto the island.
Despite all the ongoing construction work, Boracay still maintains it’s magnificence and crown as one of the most beautiful islands in the world.
A lot of the ongoing construction works are improvements to the island’s infrastructure and were long overdue. Previously, some businesses were polluting the sea with sewage, which was having a negative impact on the sea life. Since the clean up, there have been more sightings of whale sharks and turtles again, which can only be a good thing.
Stations on White Beach
The main beach in Boracay is called White Beach and is approximately 2 km long. White Beach is divided into three sections – Station 1, Station 2 and Station 3.
Station 1 is a quiet station and has some of the most stunning sections of beach. It is the best of the three stations for a luxurious and relaxing stay.
Station 2 is the busiest of the three stations and here you will find most of the restaurants, bars and nightlife. There is also a shopping area called the D’Mall, where you will find more restaurants and shops. There are some very good food outlets in the D’Mall as well, and you will find Arabic, Mexican, Greek, Chinese, Thai, Filipino, Japanese, Spanish and American restaurants here.
Station 3 is a relaxed, laid back section of White Beach and has the least foot traffic of all three stations. The accommodation is cheaper than Station 1 and the beach here is not as packed as Station 2. You can easily find a quiet spot here on the beach to relax.
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