Boracay, Tropical island in Western Visayas, Philippines
Boracay is a tropical island off the west coast of Panay in the Western Visayas archipelago of the Philippines. The island extends roughly 10 kilometers in length and sits between the Sibuyan Sea to the north and the Sulu Sea to the south.
The Ati people lived on the island for centuries before Spanish settlers and later Western travelers arrived. In the late 1970s, international travel publications brought backpackers here, marking the beginning of tourism development.
Local families run small restaurants and guesthouses along the coast, blending traditional Filipino hospitality with modern tourism. Fishermen still head out at dawn and sell their catch directly on the beach to visitors and residents alike.
Most visitors fly into Caticlan or Kalibo and then take a short boat ride to the island. The best time to visit falls between November and May when rainfall is lower and the sea is calmer.
Large parts of the island have no car traffic, and most paths run on foot or by small three-wheeled motorcycles. At night, tiny bioluminescent organisms light up in the shallow water near the shore when you wade through.
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