Being the Philippines’ top tourist draw and most famous beach took its toll on the island of Boracay. After taking a break for 6 months, Boracay reopens greener than ever—and everything is pristine like never before. Learn more about the new Boracay and be prepared to fall in love all over again.
With glorious White Beach and the country’s best island nightlife on its resume, it’s easy to understand why Boracay is the Philippines’ top tourist draw. Alas, the tiny island proved too popular for its own good: In 2018 Boracay was placed in “rehab,” closed for 6 months to ease the strain on its fragile environment and fix the infrastructure and carrying capacity.
Meet the new Boracay. The most noticeable improvements? Cleaner beaches with no more annoying obstructions, a wider main road, new sidewalks, better drainages, and more e-trikes. But perhaps the biggest change is one of attitude. Islanders have collectively developed a green streak, with everybody from resort owners to paraw (native sailboats) skippers buying into Boracay’s newly forged identity as a model for sustainable tourism development. There are those who love the new Boracay and those who prefer the old. But this debate probably won’t concern you much when you’re digging your feet into the sand on White Beach and taking in the Philippines’ most famous sunset. Parasails, seabirds, frisbees, and paraw cut across the technicolor horizon, while palm trees -some newly planted – whisper in the breeze and reggae wafts through the air. Boracay remains a master mixologist of that mellow island vibe.
