20 Activities and Tips for Boracay

If there is one thing Boracay is known for, it is its postcard motif beaches. Especially the miles long White Beach makes Boracay a beach paradise for many vacationers. But did you know that the island has many more beaches that you should explore? And the best thing about it: many are still spared from mass tourism and there are one or two pearls to discover.
Most beaches are easy to find and you can visit them by motorcycle, bicycle or tricycle.

But to list them all here now would go beyond the scope of this article. In our detailed Boracay beach guide, you will find all the important beaches of Boracay.

Willy's Rock is THE landmark on White Beach. Between Station 1 and Station 2 there is a big rock with a statue of the Virgin Mary in the water. You can't miss it when you walk along the beach.

You can climb Willy's Rock and take the obligatory photo or selfie up there. You also have a cool view of White Beach and from there you can see how beautiful the beach is!

Note that it's easier to climb the rock when the water is low. But even at high tide, it is no problem to walk a few meters through the water.

The White Beach is not only known for its brilliant white sand and turquoise water. At night, White Beach turns into Boracay's party capital.

One of the most popular activities among visitors on the island is the Boracay Pub Crawl, which is very good for getting to know the nightlife and many clubs/bars and also new people. You get a t-shirt and a shot glass as a gift, and off you go: You move with many other people from bar to bar and club to club and on this tour, you get a total of 10 shots in selected locations and partly reduced prices on drinks.

Other popular clubs & bars on White Beach

• Club Paraw (Center 1)
• Sand Bar (Station 1)
• Guilly's (Station 1)
• Wave Bar and Lounge (Station 2)
• Juice Bar (Station 2)
• BomBom Bar/Pat's Bar (Station 2)
• Epic (Station 2)
• Exit Bar (between station 1 and 2, see also point 20 - beach bars)

There is also something for adrenaline junkies: On this device, you can be catapulted 60 meters into the air at 200 km/h. Whether you can enjoy the view over Boracay and White Beach from the top is another story :D.

You will find the G-Max at the promenade of station 3. 

Here’s something for the adventurous. At Ariel's Point, you can jump into the water from cliffs up to 15 meters high, among other activities. For beginners, there are also not so high diving platforms.

Ariel's Point is not located directly on Boracay but on Panay. However, from Boracay day trips are offered, which often include a 35-minute boat transfer, a barbecue buffet and afternoon snacks, drinks as much as you like, kayaking, and snorkeling.

Crystal Cove Island is a tiny private island between Boracay and Panay that you can visit for a day trip or just for a few hours. The island is open from 7 am to 5 pm, and since it is private, you have to pay an entrance fee. It is also possible to rent the entire island for special occasions.

Besides some small beautiful beaches, there are several caves and rocks with viewpoints (among other things also with a view to Boracay) to discover.

The boats to Crystal Cove Island leave from Cagban and Tambisaan. Land travel is also possible via multicab or tricycle. You can visit the island and pay only the entrance fee or avail of package tours. The package typically includes transportation to the port and back, a tour guide, the admission fee for the island, drinks, and a meal.

In addition to the caves on Crystal Cove Island, Boracay has other caves for you to explore.

Near Ilig-Iligan Beach you can explore the so-called Bat Caves. There you can see bats, flying foxes and (very poisonous) sea snakes.

Since the way to the caves leads through the jungle and the cave access is partly steep and slippery, you should never do this tour on your own. You should also wear sturdy shoes instead of flip-flops. A flashlight or headlamp is also useful.

A local who will show you the way - no matter if it is a real guide or just a boy from the neighborhood - will easily find you at Ilig-Iligan beach. Either you will be approached by someone or just ask a local yourself. But always remember to negotiate the price in advance.

Every evening at the Sea Breeze Cafe of the Boracay Regency Resort, directly on the beach promenade, there is an entertaining dance show by the dancing chefs - the dancing cooks. The whole thing costs nothing and if you want, you can also dance with them or have your picture taken with the chefs.

By the way, there is also a Steak All You Can Eat buffet where you can eat as much delicious steak fresh from the grill as you want. There is also a large buffet with many other delicacies. But we're more likely to come for the steaks, right?

The D'Mall is, so to speak, the tourist center of Boracay. In this open-air mall, you will find several restaurants and bars, souvenir stores, ATMs, a market, supermarkets, and fast food stores (McDonald's), and much more. It is located at the end of Station 1 and Station 2 and is directly adjacent to White Beach.

The D'Mall is one of the biggest and most important stops for tricycle riders and also the transfer buses of many resorts take guests there and pick them up again.

Especially on Boracay, as a newcomer, you will often look in vain for cheap food, as the prices are usually of an extremely tourist level. But if you're looking for tasty and comparatively cheap food, make sure to check out Smoke Resto - in our opinion, the most delicious restaurant on Boracay Island!

There are even 2 Smoke restaurants in the D'Mall. Since the rather small restaurant is often very crowded and you sometimes even have to wait for seats, you can switch to the other one if necessary.

You can also eat well at Andok's, a fast-food chain that offers mainly meat dishes. Very popular with the Filipinos.

The somewhat smaller Smoke Resto is located in a small round alley in the middle of some souvenir stores behind Andok's (which you can't really miss when you walk along the D'Mall). The other Smoke Resto is located on the parallel "main street" of the D'Mall, so it's on the other side of the D'Mall.

Do you like delicious seafood? Then this small fish market is the right place for you! First of all, the seafood here is one of the freshest you can get on Boracay, secondly, the choice is extensive, and thirdly it is much cheaper than going to an expensive seafood restaurant on White Beach. The special thing about it is:

You buy the seafood at the market in the middle and have it prepared for you in the surrounding restaurants. The locals call this "Paluto". The prices for this cooking service depend on the type and weight of the seafood and are usually hung outside the restaurant.

The D'Talipapa market is located between station 2 and station 3, a must for all foodies!

By the way, you can also buy souvenirs and clothes at D'Talipapa. The prices there are a bit cheaper than in the D'Mall.

Beach and water sports fans will get their money's worth on Boracay. Whether parasailing, kayaking, jet-skiing, Stand Up Paddling (SUP), "Fly Fish" or Banana Boats - the possibilities are endless.

Especially popular, Bulabog Beach during the wind season, where the strong winds come from the northeast (north-east monsoon, about from September/October to May/June, also called "Amihan") and offer perfect conditions for kitesurfers. You don't even have to be a professional for this, because there are several schools on Bulabog Beach that offer you a course. Once you get the hang of it, it will be a lot of fun!

A very cool way to explore the underwater world, I think - especially for non-water rats. A Crystal Boat is a completely transparent canoe boat for a maximum of 2 persons, which has additional sun protection that you can attach if necessary.

Also, the typical island activities like diving and snorkeling are of course possible on Boracay.

One of the best diving and snorkeling spots on Boracay is the area around Crocodile Island in the southeast (in front of Tambisaan Beach). Ilig-Iligan Beach is also very popular for snorkeling, but only if the sea is calm. The White Beach has crystal clear water, but there are not so many exciting things to see and therefore it is not necessarily the best place for snorkeling.

Another option is Helmet Diving for people who cannot or do not want to dive right away. Following the principle of a diving bell, you will go to the bottom of the sea, where you can move between the fishes, accompanied by professional divers. The price for such a Helmet Diving Tour starts at 1500 Pesos per person, good for about 10 minutes of a close-up encounter with the colorful aquatic marvels. Included in the price is of course the boat trip to the dive site.

What would vacation in a Southeast Asian country be without the obligatory massage.
On Boracay, there are several spas where you can pamper yourself. But you can also find outdoor massages directly on White Beach at every corner. If you walk along the White Beach promenade, you will hear the sentence "Yes Sir/Yes Ma'am, massage?" at least once.

Prices vary greatly depending on whether you want a simple beach massage or a luxury spa. An hour at White Beach usually costs around 350 pesos, half an hour at White Beach costs around 250 pesos.

The Boracay Explorer offers with its large charter boat, the "Maruja", different tours to the surrounding islands of Boracay. There are whole Island Hopping day trips, trips with fantastic sunsets and beach parties, tours of several days including diving possibilities, etc.

One possibility would be a day trip to Carabao Island, an island north of Boracay. It is a bit bigger than Boracay, but much more quiet and untouched, so you can enjoy a barbecue, snacks, fruits, and free drinks on a dream beach all day long. In the evening just before sunset - which you can watch from the "Maruja" - you will return to Boracay.

Furthermore, there is among other things another tour with a Sunset Beach Party on Carabao Island, also a perfect tourist island destination for beach lovers who seek peace and tranquility.

An exciting activity especially for kids - but also a fun chance for the adults!

In a huge rubber ball, you can let yourself roll down the slope. There are different types of "Zorbs" and with 2 persons you can also get in. If you are traveling with a larger group and not all of them fit into one Zorb, the others can also lie down on the track and let it roll over them.

Boracay offers one of the most insanely beautiful sunsets in the entire Philippines, particularly on Puka Beach. You can also go extra by watching the sunset as you go sailing on a paraw sailboat.

Mount Luho is the highest point of the small island with just over 100 meters. There are 360° viewing platforms (a newer and an older one) from which you can see the whole island and Boracay's neighboring islands from above.

A trip there is definitely worthwhile and can even be combined with other activities, for example, the above-mentioned points 16 and 17. You can also take a tour with an ATV to Mount Luho. For the very sporty ones, a bike tour is also a great alternative.

Just before the View Deck, there is a small zoo where you can see a monkey, eagles and other birds, snakes, and some other animals. But this is absolutely no highlight and some vacationers even reported that the animals did not look very healthy. That didn't seem so to me when passing by quickly, but the cages were partly not very big, which of course is not possible and a big minus point!

Nevertheless, Mount Luho is worth a visit just because of the cool view. A tricycle there costs, depending on your negotiating skills, about 150 Pesos and the ride takes 10-15 minutes. Additionally, you have to pay a small entrance fee for the observation deck of 120 pesos.

Everywhere on White Beach - from Station 1 to Station 3 - you will find them: the famous Boracay sandcastles built by the locals. Some of them are real works of art and for a small tip, you can of course take pictures of them or have your picture taken with them.

The few pesos are definitely worth it and every time a cool photo motif!

The Philippines is probably one of the cheapest countries in South East Asia when it comes to drinks! In Boracay, you will find several beach bars where you can enjoy a delicious cool "SMB" (San Miguel Beer) or "SML" (San Miguel Light). Most of them are on White Beach, of course, but also the other beaches like Puka Beach have great little beach bars.

The special thing about these bars is that almost all of them offer a happy hour where the drinks are either really cheap or you can get several for the price of one.

For instance, a San Miguel beer, a Caipirinha or a Rum-Cola starts at 30 Pesos each. Of course, the mixes are not necessarily the biggest, but there is no saving on alcohol, and even a Mai-Tai, where the glasses are a bit bigger, you get for a ridiculous 1.78$!

The ideal place to enjoy a tasty drink (or even several) directly at the beach while watching the beautiful sunset. You can also eat there at any time of the day.

Even if not directly on the beach, but definitely worth a visit: The Exit Bar between the Bom Bom Bar and the Red Coconut (about between stations 1 and 2). There is no happy hour here, but the drinks are still cheap and the staff is very cool! The Rum-Coke mixes consist of about 70% rum and 30% coke ?

In the small Exit Bar, there is live music and regularly cool parties with our own DJ, who plays really good music. Definitely one of our favorite bars on Boracay.

So, there you have it! 20 things to inspire you during your Boracay trip or vacation. And that was by far not all, because the island offers even more exciting activities waiting for you to discover!