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Boracay is a small tropical island situated in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines, primarily known for its breathtaking beaches and crystal clear waters. It is approximately 315 km south of Manila, the country’s capital. If you visit during the dry season, you will be greeted with some lovely warm weather reaching around 30 degrees.
We visited for two weeks in January 2023 as the first stop on our travelling adventure. There’s an abundance of activities and water sports on offer, particularly around White Beach, where it is hard to take a walk down the beach without being approached by locals trying to entice you with their offerings! The activities are all very cheap, so we decided to partake in the Paraw Sailing and Island Hopping Tour. However, if you’re travelling on a budget like us, there’s plenty of free things you can do during your stay at Boracay. Here’s our top recommendations…
1. Watch the sunsets
We’ve put this as number one as Kaylee is obsessed with sunrises and sunsets. If you too love pretty skies, you will not be disappointed by Boracay’s special sunsets! We may have lost count of how many we saw, here’s a snippet… .
If you watch the sunset at White Beach, expect to have lots (and lots) of company! Tourists and locals alike gather on the shore, waiting for the sun to dip below the sea’s edge. If you would like to enjoy a more chill, quiet sunset away from the crowds, then we recommend you head to Diniwid or Puka Beach.
2. Check out White Beach
White beach is famous for its white powdery sand and crystal clear waters. It’s around 4km long so there’s plenty of space for the sun lovers. If however you prefer to keep to the shade, make sure to get there a bit earlier as we discovered the shaded palm tree areas can become very crowded during the peak season! We always love to take some games down to the beach with us, check out this post featuring our top travel games.
White beach is divided into 3 areas: stations 1, 2 and 3. Station 1 is where the high end resorts lie, Station 2 is the centre and consists of all the bars, restaurants and shopping centre (D’Mall), and Station 3 is the quieter, less developed area. If you like to get those daily steps in, you can walk from one end all the way along to the other, or run if you’re into your fitness like Kaylee. You can walk all the way along the water’s edge, or along the main beach strip, but the latter does involve weaving between the crowds in peak season. The crystal clear waters are also very tempting for a nice splash to cool off, you do get quite a lot of boats near the jetties, but there’s still lots of space for a refreshing dip.
3. Wander around D’mall
D’Mall is a vibrant, bustling shopping and dining complex located at the heart of Boracay’s White Beach at Station 2. It offers a diverse range of shops, boutiques, and stalls to explore, as well as a variety of restaurants and eateries serving both local Filipino dishes and international cuisines. We personally aren’t the biggest foodies, we enjoyed getting rice bowls from the food stalls and taking it down the beach, as well as lots of chocolate icecreams of course!
4. Visit Willys Rock
Also known as the ‘Grotto’, this is a popular tourist attraction in Boracay, and one of the most photographed. It is a volcanic rock formation, located in the waters just offshore from Station 1. Featuring a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary perched on top of the rock, Willy’s Rock holds cultural and religious significance, drawing visitors who seek blessings and inspiration. We recommend visiting during low tide as it’s easier to walk to and climb the stairs. If going outside of low tide then be prepared to get a bit wet. As it’s a popular attraction we also advise visiting early in the day to avoid the long queues for a photo.
5. Adventure over to other beaches
Diniwid Beach
A 30 to 40 minute stroll along White Beach will take you around the narrow cliff edge and bring you to this hidden gem nestled in a secluded cove on the northern end of Boracay island. Tucked away from the bustling crowds we actually preferred Diniwid as its quieter and a lot more peaceful compared to White Beach. Along the shore you can find a handful of beachfront bars and restaurants. We highly recommend visiting Diniwid Bar & Restaurant for a cheeky cocktail or bite to eat. It has a cool backpackers vibe to it, with live music usually playing from 4pm to 8pm.
Puka Beach
A longer 1 hour 30 minute walk to the northern end of the island brings you to Puka beach. If you’re restricted on time or struggle with walking in the heat and humidity then you can catch a ride on an e-trike, which usually costs 250-300php and takes around 20minutes. Puka is less touristy and again more peaceful and laid-back than White Beach. The beach gets its name from the abundance of tiny puka shells found on its sandy shore, giving it a unique charm. You will find lots of handmade ‘Puka’ signs along the 800m stretch of beach to snap some photos, as well as a few stalls and restaurants.
Ilig Iligan Beach
If you’re up the North end of the island visiting Puka Beach, then a short 30 minute walk away you will discover Ilig Iligan Beach. Away from the bustling tourist areas, this beach is far-less visited. In fact, apart from a couple of locals, we had the beach here all to ourselves during our visit!
6. Hike to Mount Luho
Although not technically ’free’ and not a mountain as such. Mount Luho is the highest point of Boracay, offering breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding landscapes. Perched at an elevation of around 100 metres, you can easily walk to it from the centre. There is a 120 peso (£1.75) entry fee to climb the steps up to the viewing platform; unfortunately the weather wasn’t quite on our side so we didn’t have the best of views. Make sure to be careful during your visit as the platform here is not the most stable and does look like some work is needed!
7. Watch the water sports at Bulabog Beach
Bulabog beach is the water sports centre of Boracay, located on the eastern side of the island. Unlike the more popular White Beach, Bulabog Beach is renowned for its strong and consistent winds, making it a prime spot for windsurfing and kiteboarding. We didn’t partake in the watersports but did enjoy a nice relaxing walk along the 2.5km beach.
8. Visit Cujos Keyhole
Aka ‘The Durdle Door of Boracay’, Cujos Keyhole is located towards the northeast of the island and is a bit of a walk to reach, but makes for a nice adventure if you want to explore the island. If the heat and humidity puts you off the walk then you can always catch one of the e-trikes. The name “Cujos Keyhole” comes from the small opening in the rocks that leads to a hidden pool. We discovered this thinking it would be one of those ‘hidden gems’, however on our arrival we were joined by lots of tourists! It can be a bit of a battle to get a picture so we definitely recommend visiting here early in the morning to avoid the crowds.
Overall, Boracay offers a range of free activities and experiences for travellers to enjoy without breaking the bank. We hope you enjoy our recommendations and make sure to catch as many sunsets as you can 😉