About The Island
Boracay Island is a great place for just lazing around. Seven km long,
it is only one km wide at its narrowest point. Boracay's largest villages
or barangays are Yapak, Balabag and Manoc-Manoc. A confusing network
of paths and tracks connects them, and several smaller hamlets called
sitios, so maps of Boracay can only serve as a general guide. Slightly
more than half the 5200 population lives in Manoc-Manoc.
There is a beautiful beach on the west coast with very fine white
sand, particularly near Balabag. The water is quite shallow, however.
For snorkeling the east coast is better but beware of rips. There
are scores of little sandy bays scattered around the island; they
make an attractive alternative to the ever-popular White Beach. |
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The atmosphere on Diniwid Beach is also pleasant and peaceful,
just to the north of White Beach. There are a few places offering
inexpensive accommodation there that would cost twice as much
at White Beach. Also well worth the visit is the immaculate
Punta Beach.
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Boracay is also well known for its now very rare gleaming white puka
shells, said to be the best in the world. For years puka shells were
dug out of the beach at Yapak and then sold. It's already a fait accompli
that large masses of land are soon going to be moved in the north of
the island. The most important Philippine property developers, Ayala
Land, FiI-Estate and Primetown Property Group have bought up 205 hectares
of land. There they intend to build resorts and housing for the better
off; construction on the obligatory golf course is already well under
way.
Every day seems to be a holiday on Boracay - all you need to do
is relax and enjoy yourself. Just get up, make some coffee and decide
whether to go sailing, windsurfing or perhaps snorkeling and looking
at corals. If you're curious you may get as far as the Caves of
the Flying Dogs of Yapak' or Bat Caves (admission P20) on the other
side of the island, where there are still fishermen who have nothing
to do with tourism, except that they too have to pay higher prices
in the stores. |
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For many people, Boracay is the typical Pacific island paradise. Whether
this will change in the foreseeable future depends on how much building
development goes on. Which will inevitably change the face of the island
Out of all recognition. The new slogan seems to be 'concrete instead
of bamboo'. Fortunately, so far most architects have succeeded in designing
buildings that do not dominate their environment and fit in with the
island around them.