A Weekend with the Sands: Boracay Island

Summer was fast approaching its peak. If you would ask young me how I spent my summer, the answer might have been on a beach, towing in with other relatives who planned the trip themselves. Several years down the line, I started exploring the outside on my own. I have been to the caves of Sagada, the islands of Marinduque, the mountains of Batangas, and the reefs of Bohol. Sometimes though, it is good to go back to the basics. I thought to bring my family, my parents at least, in my own capacity to a nice vacation, away from the monotony of the city.

April came fast and thus, I decided to visit the sands of Boracay along with my parents and brother.

The Island of Boracay

Boracay is a small island that lies at the tip of the larger Panay island in Visayas. It is under the jurisdiction of the municipality of Malay in the province of Aklan. The island has long been popular among tourists all over the world for its white sand beaches and as an overall relaxation and night party mecca. However, as time went on, the island suffered from neglect and the ill effects of over tourism that in April 2018, it was temporarily closed for six months for rehabilitation.

The original natives of Boracay are the Ati people although other local groups settled in the island, outnumbering the native Atis. The etymology of the name Boracay is a subject of debate. Some say it came from the word borac meaning white cotton, an allusion to the white sands of the beach. Others say it came from boray (seed) and sigay (shell). Another theory says it came from the Ati word bora meaning bubbles in reference to the foam of the ocean waves. Whatever the origin is, there is no doubt it takes from the nature of the island's beaches.

Travelling To and Around Boracay

Today, you can reach Boracay via plane which will touch down on either Kalibo International Airport (KLO) or Godofreo P. Ramos Airport (MPH) more commonly known as Caticlan/Boracay Airport. From the airports, tourists must go to the Caticlan Jetty Port for the boat ride that will take them to the island across a narrow strait.

While Boracay is famous for its resorts and beaches, it is still a bustling barangay for locals. Tricycles ply the roads of the island as its main public transport. Travel agencies also offers the so-called Hop-On Hop-Off shuttle services transporting tourists over its designated drop off points. Finally, boats litter the shores of the island, offering tours across different destinations around Boracay.

We deferred to the travel agencies for all travel needs during our stay. We landed at Caticlan Ariport at close to eight on a Saturday morning after a close to an hour ride from Manila. Through Klook, we've managed to arrange a pickup from the airport that would take us to the Caticlan Jetty Port. The fifteen minute minivan ride was comfortable enough. It was a sunny Saturday morning after all and everyone can agree we can reserve the sunburns for the island later. 

Aboard the van to Boracay Jetty Port

At the port, we were just told to wait while the agents arranged for the bookings to the boat. As such, we didn't have to queue up along with the numerous passengers that day, which was a good thing because we might have waited for close to twenty minutes before we were called up to the pier to load the boats.

Caticlan Jetty Port Terminal

Boats along the jetty port

The barge that took us to Boracay was large enough to accommodate close to sixty passengers, the seats are comfortable enough and there were life jackets for emergency. We had a good view of the blue sky and sea from our seats and it was a smooth sailing as the water was calm that morning. Our traverse to reach Boracay Jetty Port took fifteen minutes. From there, we waited for not quite a short time before our arranged service shuttle picked us up, along with other tourists, to take us to our accommodation.

Boracay Stations

The check-in time at our hotel was still at 2:00 pm. It was about 9:30 in the morning when we arrived. Thankfully, the people at the reception allowed us to leave our luggage at their protection. After taking a sip of the lemonade proffered to us, we headed out to take a stroll along the beach.

At Boracay Station 2

I first visited Boracay several years back. Compared from before, the beach seemed less crowded to me. Nevertheless, tourists, local and foreign, still bask in the white sands of the beaches, taking a dip in the shallow waters or paddling on surf boards. Local guides are everywhere offering tour services. We have not made tour arrangements prior this day as we were betting that we could get offers immediately. Sure enough, as we stepped into the sandy beach, we were immediately greeted by one of the locals and proceeded to offer their guided tour to several spots in the island. We judged the deal to be good and we accepted his offer. We already have an itinerary for the next day 😄.

However, the beach is far from perfect. It seems we arrived in the midst of algae season and it was apparent with the green algae that lines the beach, tainting the white sands. Algae bloom seems to correlate with high nutrient levels in the water and might be related to the sewage issue that haunts the island for a long time. While not entirely harmful, the appearance of algae mars the pristine view of the beach.

We walked past the coconut trees to survey the beach and find a place to have a lunch. The beach is divided into three stations. I've read the different stations characterized as follows: Station 1 is where the luxury hotels are situated with wider beaches. Station 2 is the busiest part and center of activities with its midrange stays and major shopping areas are located, including D'Mall. Station 3 is where the budget accommodations are and would typically get more crowd on its beach.

Shopping and Dining in

It was still about 10:30 in the morning but with the heat rising up, we settled to have lunch on Don Vito's. We still haven't had a meal for the day that we ordered a platter of seafood, vegetables, and meat. Boy, my family was not a big eater that in the end I have to finish, albeit unsuccessfully, the rest of the platter.

With a lot of time to spare, we started walking around looking for places where we can buy souvenirs for later. Since we are at Station 2 already, D'Mall is just close by. As the name suggests, D'Mall is a complex of multiple restaurants and shops for different needs, ranging from convenience stores, to fruit stalls, swimming gears, clothing, and anything you might need during your stay in the island.

A section of D'Mall

My brother recommended to us the calamansi muffin from Real Coffee and Tea Café where we also had a sip of cold coffee to beat the afternoon heat. The café had a rustic ambiance with its mostly bamboo interior. We had a seat facing the sea and it was a good light meal, the muffin is OK though I first confused the flavor to that of lemon rather than calamansi.

At Real Coffee and Tea Café

Finally at 1:00 pm we we're finally able to check in at our hotel where I finally had a refreshing shower and ample time to recover my lost sleep from the early morning flight.

We headed out again at around five in the afternoon just as the sun is starting to set. The tide had already started to recede and more people were bathing now. We were content with just walking along the sandy beach taking in the view of the beautiful sunset, along with the many people who were starting to record the setting sun.

Dusk came and soon the restaurants were starting to become packed with diners. The music of live bands and performance were beginning to fill the air. Our feet brought us to Globy Travelling Chef where there was also a live performer serenading the diners and where we helped ourselves to a serving of rice, sisig, kare-kare, and grilled squid.

Up Next

We mostly walked around and ate for the day but for the next day, we would soon hit the sea and explore the other beaches and the reefs around the island.