Boracay

Not to be confused with Bora Bora.
Boracay
Boracay Island white sand beach
Boracay is located in Visayas
Boracay
Boracay
Location of Boracay
Boracay is located in Philippines
Boracay
Boracay
Boracay (Philippines)
Geography
Coordinates11°58′8″N 121°55′26″E / 11.96889°N 121.92389°E / 11.96889; 121.92389
ArchipelagoVisayas
Adjacent to
Area10.32 km2 (3.98 sq mi)
Highest elevation302 ft (92 m)
Highest pointMount Luho
Administration
RegionWestern Visayas
ProvinceAklan
MunicipalityMalay
Barangays
  • Balabag
  • Manoc-Manoc
  • Yapak
Largest settlementManoc-Manoc (pop. 14,810)
Demographics
Population37,802 (2020)
Pop. density3,663/km2 (9487/sq mi)
Ethnic groups

Boracay ([bɔˈrakaɪ]; often locally shortened to Bora) is a resort island in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines, located 0.8 kilometers (0.50 mi) off the northwest coast of Panay Island. It has a total land area of 10.32 square kilometers (3.98 sq mi), under the jurisdiction of three barangays in Malay, Aklan, and had a population of 37,802 in 2020.[2]

Boracay was originally inhabited by the Tumandok and Ati people, but commercial development has led to their severe marginalization since the 1970s.[1][3]

Boracay island from space

Apart from its white sand beaches, Boracay is also famous for being one of the world's top destinations for relaxation.[4][5] As of 2013, it was emerging among the top destinations for tranquility and nightlife.[6]

International travel magazine Travel + Leisure ranked Boracay as the Best Island in the World in 2012.[7][8] In 2014, the resort island was at the top of the "Best Islands in the World" list published by the international magazine Condé Nast Traveler.[9] In 2016, Boracay headed the magazine's list of "Top 10 destinations to watch".[10]

In April 2018, the Philippine government,under President Rodrigo Duterte, decreed a six-month closure of the island for tourists to undertake major renovation works, especially of the sewage system, which had become obsolete and insufficient.[11] The island was administered by the Boracay Inter-agency Task Force during the closure.[a] It reopened in October 2018, with a new set of rules meant to address a variety of issues.[14][15]

The Boracay Ati-atihan in January 2024 witnessed a record-breaking number of tourists, with 36,741 people participating in the event. This festival, which celebrates the cultural heritage of the Ati indigenous people, has been a major draw for tourists and is set to be elevated as a major tourism attraction for the island starting next year.[16]

  1. ^ a b Resabal, Cooper (October 27, 2018). "After cleanup, Atis in Boracay hope to reclaim land". VERA Files. Archived from the original on October 27, 2018. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  2. ^ "Municipality of Malay: Philippine Standard Geographic Code". Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  3. ^ Angan, Joseph (June 21, 2013). "Beyond the beach: The untold story of Boracay's Ati tribe". GMA News Online. Archived from the original on August 16, 2017. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  4. ^ "Boracay is top place for relaxation: poll". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
  5. ^ "Boracay beats Asian favourites to take crown as top destination". Good News Pilipinas. Archived from the original on October 30, 2013. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
  6. ^ "Relaxation, nightlife both more fun in Boracay". Yahoo! Philippines. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
  7. ^ "Boracay named 2012 worlds best island". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
  8. ^ "BORACAY named 2012 No.1 World's Best Island". Boracay Beach Live. Archived from the original on January 24, 2013. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
  9. ^ "The Best Islands in the World". Conde Nast Traveler. October 20, 2014.
  10. ^ "TOP 10 DESTINATIONS TO WATCH IN 2016". Conde Nast Traveler. Retrieved November 18, 2016.
  11. ^ "Philippines approves six-month closure of Boracay from April (VIDEO) - Malay Mail". www.themalaymailonline.com.
  12. ^ "Executive Order No. 115" (PDF). Office of the President of the Philippines. May 11, 2020.
  13. ^ "Boracay task force seeks one-year extension". Philippine News Agency. March 19, 2021.
  14. ^ "The new-Boracay opens with a whole new set of rules". thethaiger.com. October 28, 2018.
  15. ^ "PNP: ALL SYSTEMS GO FOR BORACAY REOPENING". League Online News. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  16. ^ G, Herbie (January 19, 2024). "Boracay Ati-atihan 2024 sees record-breaking number of tourists". RAPPLER. Retrieved February 14, 2024.


Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).