Are you going to travel to the Philippines and include Boracay in your travel itinerary? Then you’ve come to the right place. As we tell you in What to do in Boracay, on the most famous island in the Philippines you’ll find stunning beaches such as White Beach. Today we want to show you, step by step, how to get to Boracay.
We’ll tell you in advance that it’s one of the most accessible islands in the archipelago, so follow our tips and you’ll soon be enjoying the so‑called “Ibiza of Asia”.
Where is Boracay?
Boracay is a small island a little over 10 square kilometers in area located in the Visayas region. More specifically, Boracay belongs to Western Visayas and sits just 2 kilometers from the northwestern tip of the island of Panay.
The island itself doesn’t have an airport, but there is one nearby on this end of Panay. Caticlan Airport is just 2.5 kilometers from Boracay and is therefore the easiest way to reach it.
There is an international airport, Kalibo International Airport, located 70 kilometers from Caticlan. Flights there are usually cheaper, so, as we’ll discuss later, it’s also a good and inexpensive way to get to Boracay.
Boracay also has a small jetty (Cagban Jetty) where boats arriving from Caticlan dock. The nearest and most important port is Caticlan Port, which receives boats from other parts of the Philippines such as Manila, Carabao or Tablas (Romblon).
How to get to Boracay by plane
The easiest and fastest way to get to Boracay is by plane. As we’ve just mentioned, there are two airports near Boracay; the closest is Caticlan. As soon as you arrive, you can walk to the port and take the boat to Boracay there. There are flights to Caticlan from Manila for around €23, but keep in mind that during peak demand (Christmas, Holy Week, Chinese New Year, May Day weekend and other holidays) and if you book late, prices are considerably higher.
A budget-friendly way to reach Boracay is by flying to Kalibo Airport and then taking a bus/van to Caticlan and a boat to Boracay. Note that this journey will take about 2–3 hours. We’ll talk about it below. Flights to Kalibo are usually much cheaper and more frequent than to Caticlan, so it’s also an option to consider.
Flights to Caticlan to get to Boracay
There are direct flights from Manila, Cebu, Clark and El Nido to Caticlan Airport. The airlines operating these routes are AirAsia, Cebu Pacific Air (and its subsidiary Cebgo), Philippine Airlines, AirSWIFT and Sunlight Air.
If you want to go from El Nido to Boracay easily, you can take one of AirSWIFT’s daily flights. Prices are around €70–€100. In How to get from El Nido to Boracay we tell you more.
Flights from Manila to Boracay (Caticlan)
Flights from Cebu to Boracay (Caticlan)
Flights from Clark to Boracay (Caticlan)
Flights from El Nido to Boracay (Caticlan)
Although there are no direct flights, you can also combine flights to reach Boracay from other destinations in the Philippines such as Bohol or Coron. We explain it in detail in How to get from Coron to Boracay and How to get from Bohol to Boracay.
How to get from Caticlan to Boracay step by step
Once you’ve arrived in Caticlan, you’ll need to go to Boracay. The cheapest option is to take a tricycle, which you’ll find to the right as you exit the airport, where there’s a sort of station. The price is 150 pesos per tricycle (whole vehicle).
From the port, bangkas (local boats) depart every 10–15 minutes to Boracay. You’ll have to buy the tickets and pay the fees to get to Boracay, which are broken down as follows:
- Boat ticket: 50 pesos
- Port fees: 200 pesos
- Environmental fee: 300 pesos
It’s a bit of a hassle because you’ll have to go to different booths and make the payments. The system is anything but relaxing, but that’s how it is for now.
The schedule of boats to Boracay from Caticlan is 24 hours, but with more frequent departures roughly from 5:00 to 21:00. The crossing takes just 10 minutes.
Once in Boracay, you can take a tricycle to your hotel. The price will depend on the location, but budget around 250 pesos for the whole tricycle to any point along White Beach. You also have cheaper motorcycle taxis (100 pesos) and shared tricycles (used by locals) for 30 pesos per person, which will drop you along the main road.
Since all of this can be a hassle and there are often lots of people queueing at the various counters, if you want to forget about it from minute one, you also have the option to book a transfer, something very common in Boracay due to the number of tourists. You can book it private or shared, the latter obviously being cheaper:
Flights to Kalibo for Boracay
Another way to get to Boracay is by flying to Kalibo International Airport. It receives direct flights from Cebu and Manila, but also from other countries such as China (Chongqing, Fuzhou, Beijing, Shanghai) and South Korea (Seoul).
Airfare to go from Manila to Boracay (Kalibo) or from Cebu to Boracay (Kalibo) is around €15 if booked well in advance. The airlines operating are Cebu Pacific Air, Philippine Airlines and AirAsia.
Flights from Manila to Boracay (Kalibo)
Flights from Cebu to Boracay (Kalibo)
How to get from Kalibo to Boracay step by step
If you land at Kalibo Airport, there are several ways to get to Boracay:
- By van: right after you arrive, at the airport exit you’ll see booths where you can arrange the transfer from Kalibo to Boracay by van. Prices range from 200 to 250 pesos, depending on whether they include the boat ticket or not. The trip takes roughly an hour and a half.
- By bus: you can go to the Ceres Bus Station and from there take a bus to Caticlan. They cost between 80 and 110 pesos, depending on whether they have air-conditioning or not. The bus trip takes a couple of hours.
- By transfer: there are companies that take you from the airport to your hotel so you don’t have to worry about anything. You can reserve your seat with 12go or Klook. Both websites are reliable, but sometimes there are deals on Klook and it can be cheaper. So check both.
How to get to Boracay by boat
Yes, it’s also possible to get to Boracay from other parts of the Philippines by boat. This is the cheapest way, but also the one that usually takes the most time, depending on where you are.
How to get from Manila to Boracay by boat
There are no direct boats from Manila to Boracay, but there are daily ferries from Batangas (a port near Manila) to Caticlan (Boracay).
You can take the frequent buses directly to Batangas Pier from the stations at Buendia (on Gil Puyat Avenue), EDSA Taft or Cubao (next to Ali Mall). They depart roughly every half hour and the journey takes around 2 hours, although it depends a lot on traffic—which in Manila is usually terrible—and the ticket is about 200 pesos.
The most recommended company is 2go, which operates ferries every day departing at 21:00 and arriving at 6:00 the following morning. The boats have berths and prices vary depending on the class you choose, from 1.400 to 2.400 pesos. The company Starlite also operates ferries from Batangas to Caticlan every day at 7:30 arriving at 18:00 and at 19:30 arriving at 5:30. Prices range between 1.200 and 2000 pesos. We recommend booking a berth rather than a reclining seat because, as you can see, it’s quite a few hours.
Book the Batangas–Caticlan ferry
How to get from Tablas to Boracay by boat
The same 2GO ship that goes from Batangas to Boracay stops at Odiongan (Tablas, Romblon) before continuing to Caticlan. Therefore, it’s also possible to go from Tablas to Boracay by ferry.
The trip takes just 3 hours. Boats are almost daily, departing at 8:00, but it’s best to check schedules on the 2go website or on 12go.
You can also go from Tablas to Caticlan via Santa Fe. This is a small port in the south of Tablas island from which bangkas depart once or twice a day. If you’re in northern Tablas, there are jeepneys from Odiongan to Santa Fe that take a little under an hour. It’s better to ask on Tablas, as schedules change. The trip from Santa Fe takes about an hour and the boat costs 400 pesos.
Finally, there are also bangkas from Looc (Tablas) to Caticlan. They leave twice a day and the trip takes about an hour and a half. They cost 450 pesos.
How to get from Romblon to Boracay by boat
If you’ve decided to explore the beautiful island of Romblon, you basically have 2 ways to get to Boracay:
- Go from Romblon to Tablas and from Tablas to Caticlan (Boracay): to go from Romblon to Tablas you have to depart from Romblon Port to San Agustín; you can take one of the bangkas that frequently run between the two ports for 200 pesos per person. Then you’ll have to cross the whole island to Santa Fe by negotiating a tricycle (around 1.000 pesos) and take the bangka from Santa Fe to Caticlan (400 pesos).
- Go from Romblon to Sibuyan and from there to Roxas (Capiz). From Roxas travel overland to Caticlan: if you’re thinking of visiting Sibuyan and the amazing Cresta de Gallo, this is another option to consider. From Romblon you have Starlite ships that depart every day at 2:00 in the morning from 1.200 pesos and take 8 hours. From Roxas it’s about 4 hours by bus/van to Caticlan.
How to get from Mindoro to Boracay by boat
If you’re coming from Coron via Mindoro or perhaps, like us, you went to Apo Reef and Pandan Island, you can also reach Boracay by boat. We ourselves made this journey coming from Coron, so it’s long but doable.
From Roxas Port (Mindoro), called Dangay Port, ferries from Starlite Ferries depart to Caticlan every day. The crossing takes about 4 hours, the ticket costs around 1.000 pesos and the usual schedule is: 2:00, 6:00, 11:00, 14:00, 18:00 and 23:00.
If you’re thinking of making the trip by public transportation from Coron, we have it all explained in How to get from Coron to Boracay.
Do you have any questions about how to get to Boracay? Want us to tell you how to get there from other places in the Philippines? Ask us in the comments and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
Take a look at this Boracay Guide and discover much more information about the island.
