When to visit Boracay

I’ve read lots and lots of blogs and articles about Boracay. I’ve read how it’s the most beautiful island on the planet, but I’ve also seen it called the worst tourist trap of all times. Before visiting, I was extremely excited. I knew it could look like a real paradise on earth, but I had also seen the warning signs regarding the packed beaches and stray animals. I knew Boracay would be an adventure, either way.

Boracay is one of the very destinations in the Philippines, and I know a lot of people are unsure of when to visit. Another popular tourist spot is Cebu.

Keep reading: 50 Cool Things to do in Boracay!

Our experience with visiting Boracay was a positive one. The beach was absolutely stunning, and looked like it was taken straight out of my Instagram feed (not my feed per se, more like my follow feed). We stayed in Station 3, at the Villa Caemilla Boutique Hotel, and it quickly became clear that this was the quiet end of the beach.

There are so many beautiful islands in the Philippines, all with their own unique reasons to visit. There are lots of great things to do in Siquijor, for example, and I hear great things about Cebu and Siargao!

White Beach, Boracay has been named the #1 beach in Asia by TripAdvisor. It wasn’t hard to see why, as it was the most beautiful beach I’ve ever stepped my bare feet on. We did a lot of ooh-ing and aah-ing while checking in to the hotel, and couldn’t wait to walk along the water to check out the other areas of the beach.

White Beach is split between three ‘stations’, conveniently named Station 1, Station 2 and Station 3. Do not ask me why, because I have no idea.

Top Tip: Do your research before visiting and pick your station wisely. Station 3 seemed to be the quietest when I browsed for hotels, and ended up being exactly what we needed. I also found that Station 1 was the prettiest, but also the party central of Boracay, and I read online that Station 2 is usually the most crowded (which is not unnatural as it’s the middle of the beach).

Like I mentioned above, I had read so many articles on the crowds and amount of tourists everywhere. This one, by Anna Everywhere, is a great example (and an excellent review of why Boracay is a tourist trap). If you are put off by that, she names some other great islands you could visit instead.

I was prepared for some insane crowds once we got to the island, and ended up being positively surprised instead. It turned out, visiting in January was quite clever, as it is not the high season of the island, or amongst other tourists. We arrived in the middle of January, which meant the school holidays were over for many.

Top Tip: If you can travel off-season – do it! Nobody likes fighting with other travelers for the best photo-op, or waiting more than 10 minutes for a table at a restaurant. I should note here that peak season is considered to be from November to May, all though it did not seem that way to us. Make sure to do some research around school holidays before you go!

We literally had 48 hours to spend in Boracay, mainly because it needed to be crossed off the bucket list during our three day stopover in the Philippines. Hearing that one of the most beautiful beaches in the world was within reach was an opportunity not to be missed. We spent our days lounging on the beach, paddle boarding, drinking Mai Tais and losing sunglasses (while paddle boarding). I am so glad to have been there, and would advise anyone asking to jump on a plane as well! Just make sure you are prepared for the possibility of crowds, as this is a paradise everyone else knows about too.

Have you been to Boracay or the Philippines? What was your (honest) opinion? Do you have another paradise in mind?