Boracay is a tropical island located approximately 315km (200 miles) south of Manila and 2km off the northwest tip of the island of Panay in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. It is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations. The island comprises the barangays of Manoc-Manoc, Balabag, and Yapak (3 of the 17 barangays which make up the municipality of Malay), and is under the administrative control of the Philippine Tourism Authority in coordination with the Provincial Government of Aklan.

 

 

The island was originally home to the Ati tribe. Boracay is part of Aklan Province, which became an independent province on April 25, 1956. Formerly undiscovered, it wasn't till the 1970s that tourism began to develop in Boracay, and the island became popular with backpackers in the 1980s. 

 

 

Boracay Island is located off the northwest corner of the island of Panay, and belongs to the Western Visayas island-group, or Region VI, of the Philippines. The island is approximately seven kilometers long, dog-bone shaped with the narrowest spot being less than one kilometer wide, and has a total land area of 10.32 square kilometers.

South-facing Cagban Beach is located across a small strait from the jetty port at Caticlan on Panay island, and the Cagban jetty port serves as Boracay's main entry and exit point during most of the year. When wind and sea conditions dictate, east-facing Tambisaan Beach serves as an alternative entry and exit point.

 

 

The quickest way to travel to Boracay Island, is to take a plane from Manila domestic terminal and fly to the island of Panay in the Visayas. The two flight options you have, is to fly directly to either the cities of Kalibo or Caticlan on Panay Island. The flight time to either city is 1 hour. The airlines that travel to either Kalibo or Caticlan are Philippine Airlines, Asian Spirit, Cebu Pacific or Air Philippines.

 

The best flight is via Caticlan. The planes are smaller, maybe not so good to some, but the flip side is the planes do not fly quite as high and the view is absolutely awesome! The other benefit is that Caticlan is the jump off port to catch a ferry or banca boat to Boracay Island, so the short transfer time from plane to ferry is minimal, no more than 10 minutes. Flights to Kalibo are by Boeing 737 aircraft. From Kalibo you have a 1 ½ to 2 hour trip by air conditioned bus or private mini van, which will take you to Caticlan.

Once you have reached Caticlan, you have a twenty minute banca trip to Boracay Island. The banca trip will drop you off at one of the three Boat Stations on White Beach, which is on the west coast of Boracay Island. The 3 Boat Stations, known as Boat Station 1, 2 or 3, line White Beach and are the points that designate where you will be dropped off, depending on where your resort or accommodation is. Boat Station 1 is the furthermost north, whilst Boat Station 3 is the closest to Caticlan, with Boat Station 2 is in the middle.

 

Boracay's two primary tourism beaches, White Beach and Bulabog Beach, are located on opposite sides of the island's narrow central area. White Beach faces westwards and Bulabog Beach faces eastwards. The island also has several other beaches. White Beach, with its blindingly white and powdery sand, is the main tourism beach. It is a bit over four kilometers long and is lined with resorts, hotels, lodging houses, restaurants, and other tourism-related businesses.

 

In the central portion, for about two kilometers, there is a footpath known as the Beachfront Path separating the beach itself from the establishments located along it. North and south of the Beachfront Path, beachfront establishments do literally front along the beach itself. Several roads and paths connect the Beachfront Path with Boracay's Main Road, a vehicular road which runs the length of the island. At the extreme northern end of White Beach, a footpath runs around the headland there and connects White Beach with Diniwid Beach.

 

 

The Ati Atihan Festival, Boracay takes place during the third week of January every year. It is popularly known as the Kalibo Ati Atihan Festival. There are roughly three Ati Atihan festivals in Boracay—the Ati Atihan Festival along Boracay’s White Beach, the world famous Ati Atihan Festival in Kalibo and the Tribal Ati Atihan Festival in Ibajay. The days of the Ati Atihan Festival are filled with immense merrymaking and a lot of street dancing.

 

To be there at Boracay during this time is really a lifetime experience. This traditional fiesta is carried out in the celebration of the Feast of Santo Nino or the Holy Infant Jesus. Behind the celebrations and revelry of the Ati Atihan Festival, Boracay, lies a silent history. It dates back to 1521 when an image of Infant Jesus was first presented to Juana, Queen of Cebu. Down the years, the Ati Atihan Festival, Boracay has become a queer mixture of Catholic ritual, social activity, indigenous drama and a tourist attraction.

The beginning of the great festival, the Ati Atihan Festival, Boracay is marked by drumbeats which are extremely rhythmic and highly intoxicating. Everywhere on the streets you will find people dancing merrily. The following day is marked by a long procession beginning at dawn and ending with a community mass. The last day of the festival is marked by a competition among groups representing different tribes.

 

They dress up in colorful costumes of warriors. The costumes and the headdress are made up of various things like abaca fibers, shells, feathers, bamboo, plant leaves, cogon, sugar cane flowers, beads, trinkets and an assortment of pieces of glass, metals and plastics. At the end of the festival, the church members make a procession and carry bamboo torches and images of Santo Nino.

Apart from honoring the Santo Nino, the Ati Atihan Festival, Boracay is also a celebration of harvest thanksgiving and a friendship pact between the native areas and the Malays of the 13th century. It is also considered to be the Mardi Gras of the Philippines and a popular nickname of this festival is “The Filipino Mardi Gras”.