Shopping
The color of Boracay can be fully experienced by visiting the numerous colorful bazaars with souvenirs, local delicacies, handicrafts and exotic
curiosities. A lot of shops and markets, shopping centers of all sizes – here you can spend hours looking, watching and wondering. The island’s largest shopping street, D’Mall, runs between White Beach and the main street. There are boutiques, sports shops, antiques and
art dealers, jewellers, gourmet shops and bakeries, as well as gourmet shops selling Swiss chocolate and French cheese, among others.
Restaurants
Restaurants and cafes in Boracay, of which there are a total of more than two hundred, impress with a variety of local and international delicacies for every taste and budget. Traditional Filipino cuisine is presented here along with Mexican, Italian, German or French. And, of course, a huge assortment of dishes from freshly caught fish and seafood! Where to enjoy them – on the beach under palm trees or in a tastefully decorated restaurant – it’s up to you.
Under the starry sky
Do you want not only daytime, but also nighttime activity? Then you have the opportunity to plunge into the vibrant nightlife of Boracay! Beneath a myriad of stars high above a cloudless tropical sky, as dusk falls, the endless lights of the island’s beach bars, nightclubs and discos light up. As the sun goes down, local restaurants transform into trendy clubs where popular Manila DJs play hip-hop and techno. Beach parties feature live music, karaoke and, of course, folk shows.
On weekends, clubs and bars are open until dawn and live their own, very special life, reminiscent of one big party.
Romantics
Boracay itself, as well as the archipelago of small islands surrounding it, offers many secluded corners – havens for those who are tired of the bustle and romantics. Become the discoverers of lost coves and beaches – on foot or by boat!
Filipino hospitality
Filipinos are incredibly open and friendly people. You will be convinced of this anywhere in Boracay: in a hotel, restaurant
or on the beach – you will always be greeted with a sincere smile. “Mabuhai” is translated from the local dialect as “Welcome” and this should be taken literally!
Excursions to Panay
Panay Island is literally a stone’s throw from the southern tip of Boracay and, with its beautiful rainforest reserves teeming with life, as well as treasures of culture and history, undoubtedly deserves your attention.
Waterfalls and mountain springs
To the south of Caticlan there are three beautiful waterfalls: Agnanga, Tigis and Javili waterfall. All of them exude coolness, so necessary for visitors on a hot day. The latter is especially tempting: Javili cascades as many as seven water pools formed by falling water in the rock “baths”, in each of which you can plunge. The natural pools of the Basang and Khurom-Khurom springs will also be pleasant on a hot day.
Walking through the jungle
The Panay Peninsula National Park occupies a vast area in the northwest of the island and is the largest relict rainforest in the western Bisai Islands. Traveling through the park, you can see rare endemic, i.e. common only here, animal species, such as the hornbill. Another paradise for hikers is Campo Verde, located northwest of Kalibo at an altitude of more than a thousand meters and covered with green pines, giant mahogany trees and acacias.
Historic churches
There are several churches worthy of attention on the island of Panay, among them the church of the same name, seven kilometers east of Panay Town in the northeast of the island. The most beautiful island church, Myagao, is located near Iloilo. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 1973, this amazing structure tells the story of the spread of Christianity in the Philippines.
Port city of Iloilo
The bustling port town of Iloilo, Panay’s largest city, was one of the first Spanish settlements in the Philippines. Filipino Catholicism originates here, as evidenced by numerous ancient churches and the Iloilo Museum, as well as its traditional festivals.
Ati-Atihan Festival
Once on the island of Panay at the end of the third week of January, you can witness one of the most significant and spectacular holidays in the Philippines. This is the legendary Ati-Atihan festival in Kalibo on the northern coast of Panay: a roaring performance full of colorful costumes and unbridled dancing to an uninterrupted drum beat.
