Boracay Beaches

White Beach Boracay
Boracay's biggest attraction is probably 4 km (2.5 miles) long White Beach located on the western side of the island. Fine white sand and turquoise water makes this unique place to a feast for the eyes. The gently sloping seabed is being ideal for swimming and snorkeling. On the beach is numerous service providers that offer a big selection of water sport activities. A promenade with sandy subsoil runs parallel to White Beach. Plenty of restaurants, bars, clothing shops, massage studios, hotels and guest houses line the promenade. WIFI, internet access is available all over White Beach.

Diniwid Beach
Diniwid Beach is in the northwest of Boracay Island between White Beach and Balinghai. Diniwid´s fine white sandy beach has a length of about 200 meters. The turquoise shimmering water is being well suited for swimming and snorkeling. Accommodation facilities are provided in form of small hotels, guest houses, bungalows and cottages. Diniwid beach can be reached by boat from White Beach, or by tricycles following the main road in northerly direction.

Balinghai Beach
Balinghai Beach measures about 100 meters in the northwest of Boracay Island. This beach is a wonderful and exclusive place to relax in the immediate vicinity to the Philippine sea - away from tourist events. A small beach bar, which belongs with Balinghai Beach Resort, offers beverages, snacks and meals. Balinghai Bay is difficult to find, because only a small side path leads to the beach. It is best to ask local people for the exact direction. A further option to reach Balinghai is by boat coming from White Beach or Puka Beach.

Puka Shell Beach
Puka Beach is located at the northern end of Boracay. This beautiful beach reflects the most spectacular colors nature can produce. At the main path to Puka Beach some refreshment and souvenir shops are taking place. Apart from that, Puka Beach has got a settled and distinctive character.

Bulabog Beach
Bulabog Beach, in the east of Boracay Island, is a top address for kite surfing and windsurfing enthusiasts in Asia. Bulabog Beach is a shallow water lagoon that is protected by an outer reef. The period between November and April offer good weather conditions with steady winds for beginners and advanced surfers. The best and most consistent wind blows from December to February. From Bulabog Beach to Boracay White Beach it takes a 20 minutes walk.

Tambisaan Beach
Tambisaan Beach is a small stretch of beach in the southeast of Boracay Island. It has an original character nearby a small village with some local shops. Tourism has not developed as much as along the west coast. Tambissan beach is directly across Crocodile Island, which is one of the most popular diving spots around Boracay. Tambisaan has coarse sand in the south and in northerly direction sand is getting fine. It is an ideal place to snorkel between multi-colored fish and to admire some corals. Due to the strong current, snorkeling-fins are an advantage. Furthermore, Tambisaan is seasonally point of approach of ferry boats from Caticlan.

Boracay White Beach

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Boracay Nightlife / Bars & Clubs in Boracay

Club Summer Place (Station 2)
Club Summer Place in Boracay is a great place for partying until the early morning hours. Summer Place locates directly on Boracay´s White Beach with plenty of seating in and outside the club. The bar extends almost through the whole location with two dance floors in the center. DJ plays house and chart music. Clothing is casual, beach wear. Admission is free until about midnight then an entrance fee is charged up to 300 pesos. From about 1:00am it becomes usually really crowded and Summer Place vibrates.

EPIC Bar (Station 2)
Epic was opened in December 2010. During the day Epic is a restaurant. Late evening and at night Epic transformed into a discotheque with a very good sound system. The interior is decorated in light tones. Epic is located right beside White Beach next to D´Mall entrance.

Club Paraw (Station 1)
Club Paraw is located directly at Boracay's White Beach opposite to Cocomangas Shooter Bar. Paraw has two dance floors. One dance floor has a sandy bottom, the second dance floor a wooden surface. The entire club is spread over two levels. In the upper level you will find a VIP area. Admission to Club Paraw is free.

Cocomangas Shooter Bar (Station 1)
Cocomangas, established 1987, is at the main road on the right hand side driving to the north at Station 1. Actually Cocomangas Shooter Bar stands for still standing after drinking 15 different liquor shots. Who has survived this tragedy gets a free t-shirt, a point for the home country and on the wall, the name will be engraved. Shooter Bar was one of the first party bars in Boracay and it is now the oldest original running bar on the island. DJ plays hip hop, house and chart music. Cocomangas is ideal to meet local people, but it´s also visited by many tourists. Admission is free all night.

Juice Bar (Station 2)
The Juice Bar in Boracay is found directly opposite White Beach, in walking distance to Club Summer Place. With its colorful lights and relaxed atmosphere visitors can either chill out on floor cushions, or dance to R&B and Club music. Flaming cocktails, barbecue meals and beverages are being offered. Juice Bar is open all night and frequented by local and foreign tourists. No entry fee is being charged.



Guilly's Island (Station 1)
Guilly's is a bar with ample seating and large dance floor. Guilly's Island is located in the north of White Beach. It is in walking distance to Club Paraw and Cocomangas. Visitors are locals and tourists. Admission is free all night.

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Boracay Activities / Things to do in Boracay

Boracay offers a variety of activities to entertain yourself. Activities can be many different kinds of water sport, for example: scuba diving, snorkeling, windsurfing, kite surfing, jet skiing, para sailing, cliff diving, fishing, banana boat riding or a Glass bottom boat cruise. Windsurfing, kite surfing and scuba dive equipment can be hired if required.

Island hopping tours are a good alternative to explore Boracay from seaside. Traditional outrigger and sailing boats can be rented at White Beach. Crocodile Island and Crystal Cove Island are just a short drive away. These islands are also ideal for snorkeling. Recommended is a day trip to Carabao. Getting to Carabao Island takes 40 minutes by boat. Travellers with more time should not miss to visit Tablas Island. Tablas is much larger as Boracay and impresses through its beautiful nature.

If you want to see the entire island of Boracay from its highest point, then you might trek up the peak of Mount Luho. With just about 100 meters over the sea level it is easy to reach the top. Mt. Luho is located in the northeast of Boracay. Visitors on the peak will have spectacular views over the island and surroundings with its beaches and the deep blue ocean around. In the north of Mt. Luho is the 18 holes and 72 par designed golf course (Fairways Bluewater Resort Golf and Country Club) of Boracay. The entrance fee to Luho is 50 pesos per person.

In the northwest of Boracay, directly beside the main road, it is possible to charter buggy cars. These unique vehicles can be rented for a whole group, as well as for single drivers. A buggy car offers space for a maximum of two people. It is also possible to rent bikes or motorcycles in Boracay.

Who likes excessive shopping, should not miss to visit D´Mall. It is the main Shopping Centre in Boracay located right in the middle of the tropical island. D´Mall extends from White Beach up to the main street between Station 1 and Station 2. Numerous small shops offer beachwear, casual wear, shoes, bags, sarongs, handicrafts, arts, jewelry, accessories, souvenirs, seafood, fruits, vegetables and much more. In addition, there are travel agencies, money changers, pharmacies, dive shops, delicatessen shop, supermarkets and a lot of restaurants. Fast food is available at Andoks and McDonald´s. In most of the shops it is possible to pay with credit card.

After an eventful day, when it becomes dark and the sun has sunk into the Sulu Sea, enjoy Boracays great culinary delights from around the world and its amazing nightlife in bars and clubs full of atmosphere.

Boracay beaches are perfect to relax from the stressful job at home. Reading a book under palm trees in the warm breeze of the tropics, or visiting a massage parlour will make the holiday to a re-creative stay beyond the equator.

Banana boat in Boracay

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Boracay Dive Sites

This is a listing of dive sites in Boracay. Diving spots are listed clockwise starting in the southwest of the island.

Angol Point

Location: in the southwest of Boracay | Access: about 15 minutes by boat | Experience: beginner, training dives, advanced diver | Depth: 5-15 meters | Visibility: 10-30 meters | Current: low-moderate | Best months: November-May | Characteristics: reef with see grass, soft corals, hard corals, stony corals, leather corals, sea cucumbers, anemones | good for night dives and snorkeling

Coral Garden
Location: in the southwest of Boracay | Access: just a few minutes from white beach | Experience: all divers | Depth: 5-12 meters | Visibility: 30 meters | Current: low | Characteristics: reef, shoals with plenty of colourful fish (are used being fed there), soft corals, hard corals | excellent place for snorkeling

Camia Wreck

Location: opposite White Beach, Station 2 | Access: about 10 minutes by boat from White Beach | Experience: advanced divers | Depth: 18-29 meters | Visibility: 10-25 meters | Current: low | Characteristics: artificial reef by a 30 meters ship wreck | good for photography and night dives

Virgin Drop

Location: opposite White Beach, Station 2 | Access: about 10 minutes by boat from White Beach | Experience: advanced divers | Depth: 18-36 meters | Current: moderate-strong | Characteristics: wall, reef dive with soft corals, hard corals, sea fans, nudibranchs, moray eels

Friday`s Rock

Location: opposite White Beach, Station 1 | Access: about 10 minutes by boat from white Beach | Experience: all divers | Depth: 7-18 meters | Visibility: up to 25 meters | Current: low-moderate | Best months: November-May | Characteristics: two dive sites fridays rock and fridays reef with many fish species, soft corals, hard corals, sea cucumbers | good for photography while fishes are being fed

Balinghai

Location: in the northwest of Boracay | Access: about 15 minutes by boat from White Beach | Experience: experienced divers | Depth: 8-40 meters | Visibility: 10 meters | Current: can be strong | Characteristics: two walls, reef with a wide diversity of fish, possibility of tuna and sharks; soft corals, leathery corals, hard corals

Punta Bunga

Location: in the northwest of Boracay Island | Access: about 15 minutes by boat from White Beach | Experience: all divers | Depth: 7-24 meters | Visibility: up to 20 meters | Current: low | Characteristics: series of walls which are connected to Yapak with sea cucumbers, sea stars, soft corals, stone corals, moray eels, stingrays

Yapak

Location: north, northeast of Boracay | Access: about 25 minutes by boat from White Beach | Experience: advanced divers and technical divers | Depth: up to 70 meters | Visibility: 10-30 meters | Current: strong | Characteristics: 3 dive sites - Yapak I and Yapak II, two different reef walls begin at 30 meters and drop down to 70 meters at Yapak III, wide diversity of fish, tuna, barracuda, snapper, jacks, sharks, and manta rays have been seen, sea turtles, sea snakes, sponges, nudibranchs, corals

Bat Cave

Location: in the north of Boracay, easterly from Puka Beach | Access: either by land, or underwater | Experience: experienced divers | Depth: 6 meters | Current: moderate-strong | Characteristics: series of small caves followed by the actual bat cave with sea snakes, soft corals, hard corals, tropical fish | good for photography (with flash)

Laguna de Boracay

Location: about 600 meters easterly of Bulabog Beach | Access: only a few minutes from Bulabog Beach by boat | Experience: all divers | Depth: 5-20 meters | Visibility: up to 25 meters | Current: usually low | Best months: June - October | Characteristics: relaxing drift dive with rock formations, plenty of soft corals and hard corals, clams, nudibranchs, feather stars, sea squirts, tropical fish | good for underwater photography

Tulobhan Reef

Location: about 600 meters opposite to the southern end of Bulabog Beach | Access: either by boat or from the shore | Experience: all divers | Depth: 5-20 meters | Visibility: up to 20 meters | Current: low-moderate | Characteristics: reef drift dive with sea snakes, sea cucumbers, sea stars, moray eels, nudibranchs, anemones, soft corals, hard corals

Crocodile Island

Location: in the southeast of Boracay | Access: about 20 minutes by boat from White Beach | Experience: all level | Depth: 5-24 meters | Visibility: 10-30 meters | Current: moderate-strong | Best months: November-May | Characteristics: wall, reef with a wide diversity of fish, sea snakes, sea stars, sea cucumbers, nudibranchs, anemones, soft corals, leather corals, stony corals | good for snorkeling with fins

Laurel Islands

Location: southeast of Boracay, in the Tabon Strait | Access: about 25 minutes by boat from White Beach | Experience: advanced divers | Depth: 5-20 meters | Visibility: up to 30 meters | Current: strong | Characteristics: 2 dive sites (small Laurel and big Laurel) with walls, tunnel, reef, many fish species, sponges, sea cucumbers, sea stars, sea snakes, nudibranchs, soft corals, hard corals, black corals, leathery corals | good for photography

Channel Drift

Location: south of Boracay, between Boracay and Aklan in the Tabon Strait | Access: about 30 minutes by boat from White Beach | Experience: advanced divers | Depth: 10-35 meters | Visibility: 5-10 meters | Current: very strong | Characteristics: drift dive with canyons, rock formations, shark caves, sandy seabed, stingrays, shoals of fish, beautiful corals, sponges

Dive sites around Boracay Island on Boracay Map

Return from Crocodile Island

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Boracay Immigration / Visa / Visa Extension in Boracay

Tourist visa extensions can be done on location in Boracay.
In principle, citizens with valid passports and outbound ticket of e.g., Germany, Switzerland, Austria, South Korea, United Kingdom, Australia, United States, citizens from a nation with diplomatic relations to the Philippines are given with entry into the Philippines a free of charge tourist visa for 30 days. (Visa on arrival)

A visa extension until maximally 59 days are possible with the Bureau of Immigration or in a regional office. For this a valid return flight ticket is necessary. The fee for the first visa extension amounts 3,040 PHP. Each additional month of visa extension after that 59 days will cost 500 PHP.

The Bureau of Immigration in Boracay is located next to Nirvana Beach Resort at Station 2. The office entrance is directly at the main road, driving in northerly direction on the left hand side. (about 300 meters before "Crafts" and "D´Mall" area) Staff require the passport, a photocopy of the passport including a copy of the entry stamp to the Philippines, plus a processing fee. Then, the extended visa can be picked up on the same day. Visa extend at least one or two weeks before expiration date.

Boracay Immigration Office is open from Monday to Friday.
Office hours: 7:30am - 05:30pm

Contact:
Bureau of Immigration Boracay Field Office
Villa Camella, Boracay, Malay, Aklan
Melita C. De Asis - Acting Alien Control Officer
Phone: +63 (036) 2885267

Bureau of Immigration Kalibo Field Office
Muncipal Bldg. Office, United Veterans Ave, Kalibo, Aklan
Melita C. De Asis - Acting Alien Control Officer
Phone: +63 (036) 5007601

Extension of Non-Immigrant Visa

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Money & ATMs in Boracay

The currency of the Philippines is the Philippine peso (PHP).
Bank notes are circulating in following denominations: 20 Peso, 50 Peso, 100 Peso, 200 Peso, 500 Peso, 1000 Peso. Coins: 1 Peso, 2 Peso, 5 Peso, 10 Peso.

1 U.S. dollar = 44 PHP (March 2014)
1 EURO = 62 PHP (March 2014)

In Boracay is a large number of ATMs of following banks:
Allied Bank, Metrobank, BPI (Bank of the Philippine Islands), PNB (Philippine National Bank) and BDO (Banco de Oro). In all these banks it is easily possible to get money with common credit cards. VISA Card, MasterCard, American Express, etc., partly Cirrus and Maestro are being accepted. ATMs in Boracay are almost all along the main road (Manggayad, Balabag Road), some at D´Mall area, or at the beachfront in front of White Beach. The current maximum amount per withdrawal is 10,000 Pesos. Banks are charging a fee of 200 Pesos per withdrawal at ATMs.

In addition there are numerous exchange offices in Boracay where foreign cash like Euro, Korean Won, Japanese Yen, U.S. Dollars and other currencies can be exchanged into Filipino pesos. Travelers checks are also accepted.

In order to carry out money transfers to a Philippine bank account it needs SWIFT code, account number and the international routing number of the recipient. Remittances from the U.S. or Europe will take about five to ten days until the amount is credited to the Philippine recipient. For money transfer from a Philippine bank account to a European, it needs SWIFT code and IBAN code (International Bank Account Number). Furthermore, money transfers are possible through Western Union and Palawan Pawnshop, of which there are several branches in Boracay.

Below the SWIFT codes of resident banks in Boracay:
Allied Bank: ABCMPHMM
Metrobank: MBTCPHMM
Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI): BOPIPHMM
Philippine National Bank (PNB): PNBMPHMM
Banco de Oro (BDO): BNORPHMM

Philippine Peso

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Boracay Climate / Weather in Boracay

Boracay has a tropical climate. Temperature and humidity are high throughout the year. The weather in Boracay is divided into two main seasons:

The South-West monsoon (Habagat) from June to October is characterized by rainy weather. In the Habagat season hotels offer lower rates for their accommodations in Boracay. On the other hand, the North-East monsoon (Amihan). It occurs from November to May and is dominated by little rainfall or no rain. This is the peak season in Boracay.

The best time to visit Boracay is from end-November to April. Temperatures are between 25°C and 32°C and it is mostly dry apart from some rain showers. During this period wind comes from easterly direction. The hottest time of the year in Boracay is from May until about mid-July. Temperatures can reach up to 38°C.

The phase between June to October is known as the rainy season in Boracay. It does not mean that it must rain consistently in these months, but prolonged heavy rain is likely. The temperatures and humidity are high with strong winds to blow from the west over the island.

Sometimes typhoons and tropical cyclones (bagyos) move across the Philippine archipelago. From June to November tropical storms and typhoons can afflict the island of Boracay.

The Climate chart below contains the average monthly temperatures and precipitation amount in Boracay, Western Visayas.

Climate Chart - Boracay	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dez
Daytime Temperatures °C	29	30	31	32	33	33	31	30	30	31	30	30
Night-Time Temperatures °C	22	22	23	24	25	24	24	24	24	24	24	23
Ø Rain Days / Month	5	3	3	5	8	15	15	16	15	14	11	9

Thunderstorm in Boracay

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