Caticlan (Godofredo P. Ramos) Airport

Caticlan Airport is the nearest airport to Boracay Island. Passengers can take a 10 minute van or tricycle ride to/from Caticlan Jetty Port and Caticlan Airport. Only SEAIR Airlines is currently allowed to use the Caticlan Airport due to ongoing improvements and expansions in the airport. SEAIR offers the fastest way to go to Boracay from Manila.

Airlines operating in the Caticlan Airport - Destinations

• SEAIR Airlines - Manila, Clark, Cebu, Puerto Prinsesa

Kalibo International Airport

The Kalibo International Airport is located in Kalibo, the capital town of Aklan. It is approximately one hour away from Caticlan Jetty Port by bus or van. Due to its bigger size and more modern equipments, airlines that used to service flight to Caliclan have already transferred to Kalibo Airport.

Airlines operating in the Kalibo Airport - Destinations

• Domestic
  • Cebu Pacific - Cebu, Manila
  • PAL Express operated by Air Philippines - Cebu
  • Philippine Airlines - Manila
  • Zest Airways - Cebu, Clark, Manila
• International
  • Mandarin Airlines - Taipei-Taoyuan
  • TransAsia Airways - Taipei-Taoyuan (charter)
  • Philippine Airlines - Hangzhou (charter)
  • Shanghai Airlines - Shanghai-Pudong (charter)

If you’re planning to book a flight to Caticlan or Kalibo it’s better to book months ahead to take advantage of the cheaper seat fares. ZestAir currently offers the lowest fares at just P1,000+ one way ticket to Kalibo but many passengers have been complaining about its habit of delayed flights. Cebu Pacific and SEAIR often times have seat sale promos months prior to travel dates so be sure to subscribe to their newsletter/email alerts to take advantage of those super cheap fares.

Iloilo Airport

The Iloilo Airport is also an option for Boracay bound passengers. Although it is 5 hours away from the Caticlan Jetty Port, many tourists choose to transit Iloilo to spend the night in the city and visit its local attractions, and then travel to Boracay afterwards. Airlines also generally offers lower fares to its flights to/from Iloilo compared to Kalibo or Caticlan.

For nature lovers, Bulabog Beach offers a peaceful and little isolated place, perfect for hanging out under the palm fringed white sand beach or a leisurely walk. It is best to visit during low tide when the shallow waters provide an observation area for sea life such as starfishes, urchins, small fishes, and corals. At the southern end of Bulabog Beach are stunning rock formations like Boracay Rock and Little Boracay Rock, the beach’s own version of Willy’s Rock in White Beach. To go there, it is a five minute walk from D’ Mall (take the road in front of Boracay Lying-in and Diagnostic Center) or 10 minutes walk from White Beach.

Boracay Rock and Little Boracay Rock

View of Bulabog Beach from Boracay Rock

There are also many hotels and resorts lining Bulabog Beach, click here for a list of Hotels and Resorts in Bulablog Beach.

Cebu Pacific serves to 32 domestic destinations in the country, which includes: Caticlan, Kalibo, Manila, Cebu, Davao, Clark, Iloilo, Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro, Roxas, Dumaguete, Tagbilaran, Surigao, Calbayog, Legaspi, Catarman, Siargao, Butuan, Ozamiz, Dipolog, Zamboanga, Cotabato, General Santos, Virac, Naga, Puerto Princesa, Busuanga, San Jose, Tuguegarao, Cauayan, and Laoag. If you’re interested, hurry up and make your online booking now because the promo is only available today.

Cebu Pacific is a budget carrier in the Philippines, known for offering the cheapest year round ‘all-inclusive’ fares for its domestic flight. You can book your flight online and find out more details about Cebu Pacific at www.cebupacificair.com.

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.

Years ago, Boracay Island was a well-guarded secret, almost possessively so that only a few knew of its existence.

Ati Children playing in Bulabog Beach

It was only in the 70s when, it is said, a foreign movie crew accidentally "discovered" this island paradise. Others maintain that it was the German traveler, ‘Jens Peters’ book, which included rave reviews of Boracay that changed the island’s pace from that of being a quiet secret to eventually being voted as having the best beach in the world.

Whichever story is true, it was around this time that Boracay Island slowly ceased to be a private travelers hangout and eventually became a favorite tourist destination in the Philippines. In a span of a mere 10 years, the whole world, it seemed, discovered Boracay and the once, nearly deserted stretch of beach became a teeming vacation and leisure spot for upscale tourists from all parts of the world.

The caves and rock formations at the southernmost end of Station 3 are a nice place to visit. There are also snorkeling sites there not too far off the shore. Some people go there to hang out in a more peaceful and less crowded place.

The sole gateway to Boracay Island is the Caticlan Jetty Port, which is found in the mainland town of Malay in Aklan Province. There are ferries waiting in the Caticlan Jetty Port that goes to Cagban port in Boracay Island. Passengers will have to pay P50 for the terminal fee, P50 for the environmental fee, and P25 for the ferry ride - a total of P125.

Getting to Boracay by Plane

There is no airport in Boracay because the island is too small to accommodate one. There are two main airport in the mainland that tourists transit to go to Boracay: The Caticlan Airport and the Kalibo Airport

• Caticlan Airport also called the Godofredo P. Ramos Airport is located within the town of Malay, so it’s just 5 minutes away from the Caticlan Port. The airlines (and destination route) that operate in the Caticlan Airport include: PAL Express (Manila, Cebu), Cebu Pacific (Manila, Cebu), Zest Airways (Manila), and South East Asian Airlines (Busuanga, Clark, Manila, , Puerto Princesa). Since the runway of the Caticlan Airport is short it can only accommodate small planes, the bigger airplanes from local and international flights land in Kalibo instead.
• Kalibo Airport is located in Kalibo, the capital town of Aklan Province, approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes away from Caticlan port by road. The airlines (and destination route) that operate in the Caticlan Airport include: Cebu Pacific (Manila), Philippine Airlines (Manila), and Zest Airways (Manila), Mandarin Airlines (Taipei)

Getting to Boracay by RORO

The Roll-on Roll-off (RORO) ferry system allows travelers to hop from one island in the Philippines to the other in the convenience of their own car or in a bus/van, which in turn is boarded on inter-island transport vessels. Buses that ply the RORO route include Philtranco, Alps, Dimple, Ceres, and Radasco. The whole trip lasts around 13-15 hours and the cost is around P1000+.

Getting to Boracay from Iloilo City

Many tourists travel to Boracay from Iloilo City, the prime urban center of Panay Island. There are many air conditioned buses and L300 vans bound for Caticlan stationed at Tagbak Terminal in Jaro District of Iloilo City. The trip from Iloilo City takes 5 hours and the fare is P180+.

SEAIR offers the fastest flights to Boracay using their German built jetprops as well as shortest queues and check-in procedures at the airport, fastest baggage claim. Passengers of SEAIR also enjoy complimentary transfers from Caticlan airport to Boracay and vice versa.

Cebu Pacific (CEB) Airlines is offering a three day seat sale from June 5 to 7, 2009 with "Go Lite" fares for as low as P388 on selected domestic flights. The travel period should be within July 1 to August 31, 2009.

The P388 "Go Lite" promo is available for Manila to Bacolod, Boracay (Caticlan), Busuanga (Coron), Cauayan (Isabela), Kalibo, Puerto Princesa, and Tacloban; and Cebu to Siargao. Cebu Pacific is also selling P988 “Go Lite” fare for its Manila-Cagayan de Oro and Manila-Davao flights.

Cebu Pacific is a budget carrier in the Philippines, known for offering the cheapest year round ‘all-inclusive’ fares for its domestic flight. You can book your flight online and find out more details about Cebu Pacific at www.cebupacificair.com.

Getting around Boracay Island is never a problem since the island is very small and there are a lot of transportation options available. Pedicabs/ motorized tricycles are the main means of transportation along the main road of Boracay to take passengers to their destinations.

Upon arrival of visitors to Boracay in Cagban Jetty Port, you will be greeted by tricycles waiting in queue for incoming passengers. In the Philippines, when we refer "tricycles" to a motorcycle with a side car attached to it. It can carry a maximum of 3 - 4 persons depending on your luggage. The rate is P20 per person )or P100 to have the whole thing to yourself) to take you to Cagban Port to most points in White Beach.

If you’re already in White Beach the fare is only P7 to ride the tricycle and go to a nearby point. If you want to go further down the main road in will cost more. There are also many pedicabs or trisikads in the main road, they are basically just pedal-powered bicycles with a sidecar attached. They are slower and cannot travel long distances but they can take you to the side streets, alleys, and pathways in White Beach. Cars and Trucks are not allowed in Boracay except for Government and Hospital use.

Since Boracay is just a relatively small island and the shops in white beach are huddled together, most people there just walk to go places especially if it’s just in White Beach.

There are also shops for people who would want to explore boracay by bike, a motorbike, or even an ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) /Buggies. Bike rentals costs around P50-P100 per hour, while motorbikes are from P300 per hour up. The ATVs for rent are mostly parked at Mt. Luho and at the entrance of Fairways and Blue Waters Resort/Golfcourse, the price is around P1000 for a single-seater and P1,500 for a double seater.

If you want to go around Boracay Island by boat. There are a lot of tourist tour groups going around White Beach inviting people to go for a boat tour around the Island via a motorized outrigger boat called a "pump boat". There are also sail boats locally called "Paraw," for rent in White Beach

There are many transportation options awaiting at Cagban Jetty Port to take passengers to their destinations or hotels. Tricycles or motorized pedicabs are the main type of transportation on the main road of Boracay Island from the port. The regulated fare is P7.00 to travel to boat stations 1, 2, or 3 in White Beach per person and P50-P100 to occupy the whole tricycle (6 passengers maximum). There is an terminal fee of P50 when you exit Boracay Island from Cagban Port.