Boracay

Boracay is a small island in the province of Aklan, in the central Visayas of the Philippines, and the country's most famous beach destination. Barely 7 kilometers long, it owes its reputation to White Beach: three kilometers of sand as fine as flour, lined with coconut palms and washed by water in every shade of turquoise and azure. The strip is framed by Stations 1, 2 and 3, three numbered zones with very different personalities — quiet luxury in the north, lively dining and shopping in the middle, backpacker energy and value in the south.

After years of unchecked development, the Philippine authorities took the radical step of closing the island for six months in 2018 for a full clean-up: rebuilt sewage system, illegal beachfront structures torn down, daily visitor capacity capped. Boracay reopened in October 2018 in a state widely judged better than before the shutdown. The rehabilitation has been a clear success — the water is clearer, the beaches are cleaner, and tourism is now framed by strict environmental rules. The small environmental fee of PHP 75 (about US$1.30) is collected on arrival and funds ongoing maintenance.

Boracay also has Puka Beach at the northern tip, wild and lightly visited, and Bulabog Beach on the east coast, a world-class kitesurfing and windsurfing arena thanks to the steady amihan winds from November to May. For divers and snorkelers, the reefs around Crocodile Island and Laurel Island reveal exceptional marine life. In the evening, Station 2 comes alive with beachside bars and restaurants where you sip a passion-fruit shake while the sun drops into the Sulu Sea — a ritual that on its own justifies a stop on the island.