Photo By: Elin Chow

A trip to Boracay is never complete without visiting the famed White Beach. The 3.5 kilometers long White Beach is the main tourism beach in Boracay and the reason why 1.5 million tourists flocked to the island every year.

The White Beach is stunning -  powdery white sand and shaded by palm trees. Surrounded by crystal clear blue waters, it has long been a magnet for visitors seeking paradise.


Before we visited Boracay, we have high expectation. We were expecting to see a pristine beach and endless white sand, but were disappointed to find the entire place overrun with tourists. That was the moment we knew that Boracay will not be the beautiful paradise that we have somehow expected.

The White Beach is over-rated.

True enough, the island has white powdery sand and the water surrounding it was crystal clear. It was stunningly beautiful, but unfortunately, not impressive. Once a paradise, the beach is now ruined by over-development and mass tourism.


Just like Hennan Group of Resorts, almost all the upscale hotels and resorts offer sun loungers for use during the day. Strolling down, you will notice that the entire stretch of beach is lined with hotels' sun loungers and umbrellas, complimentary and for the exclusive use of hotel guests.



The White Beach is lined with coconut trees and business establishments on one side and the sparkling blue water on the other. Boasting a long coastline with clear azure waters and fine powdery white sands, the White Beach is divided in three sections - Station 1, Station 2 and Station 3.

Station 2

Station 2 is the commercial area of the White Beach where all the shopping, eating and partying take place. As a result, Station 2 is the most crowded and nosiest among the three Stations.


Station 2 is dominated by a wide range of restaurants, bars, shops, massage centers, hotels providing different accommodation options and other amenities that are specifically targeted at tourists.

There are hundreds of dining options along the White Beach, but most of the restaurants serve either Western or Chinese food. Boracay is over-commercialized. There are even McDonalds, Starbucks, TGI Friday and Pizza Hut available on the island as well.


There are no air conditioned shopping malls at the White Beach. The main beach footpath is lined with shops and market stalls selling everything from beachwear, sarongs, handicrafts, jewelries, surfing accessories, sunglasses and typical tourist souvenirs.


Bargaining in Boracay is a common practice and whether you get a good price while shopping depends largely on one's bargaining skill. Most of the vendors and shopkeepers will try to overcharge you, especially if you are a tourist. So, it is highly likely that you will be ripped off if you do not haggle.


The entire stretch of beach was full of street hawkers, mostly selling hats, fake sunglasses, waterproof casings and selfie sticks. Be prepared to be constantly hassled by these street hawkers as you strolled down the beach. It was impossible for one to wander around the beach without being asked to purchase something every step. It was incredibly annoying!

However, these street hawkers are poverty sicken people trying to earn money to feed themselves and their families. You can see desperation in their eyes, so sometimes, it made us feel really bad for rejecting them. But on the other hand, we hate the constant pestering by hawkers trying to get you to buy something from them.

But luckily, they are not very aggressive or rude, just persistent. In fact, most of them were very friendly and polite, and will usually stop pestering us once we said that we are not interested. Of course,there were some very persistent ones who will follow and pester you in hopes of eventually bothering you enough so that you will buy something to get them go away. Even so, DO NOT buy anything from them because that will just encourage other equally persistent hawkers to keep pestering you.

The persistent hawkers are generally harmless and will leave you alone if you firmly say "no". Be very firm and polite when you are rejecting them and once you have done that, walk away without engaging further.



Besides that, the beach is also lined with hundreds of semi-aggressive vendors all ready to rip you off the minute you stepped foot on the beach. Getting hassled or ripped off cannot be avoided in Boracay and usually, you will still overpay, even when you bargained.

Even so, do haggle and negotiate for a lower price, especially when you are buying more than one item from the same vendor. But please do not start haggling if you are not serious about making a purchase.


Apart from that, you will approach frequently by local women offering on the spot massage at an affordable price. These are freelance massage therapies who can provide the service right where you are - on a towel laid out on the beach.

Besides that, there were also several "massage stations" set up under the palm trees along the footpath. You will easily spot these "massage stations" as you strolled down the beach. There are sun loungers with mats, small pillows and towels set up in these stations. However, there was no blanket or cloth to cover you from the sight of passerby. Hence, there was no privacy at all.

We did not try any of the massage services because we prefer more privacy and would rather pay more for a better experience.


The powdery white sand makes it perfectly ideal for building unique and impressive sandcastles. Children will enjoy their day in the sunshine and building sandcastles on the beach.


Throughout the day, you will see local children building amazing sandcastles along the beach.






In the center of the Stations (located between Station 1 and 2), you will find D'mall, the main shopping district of Boracay.


D'mall is an open-air market that is a bit more upscale than D'Talipapa Market. The market is lined with an assortment of souvenir shops, boutiques and convenience stores. There are plenty of dining options available in D'mall too.


Boracay is well-known for its vibrant and wild nightlife. Most of the clubs, bars and lounges are lined alongside the footpath in Station 2. Station 2 is the centre of nightlife action in Boracay. It is a place for beach parties where bars and pubs blast loud music all night. The music can get so loud in some of the bars and pubs that you cannot hear a spoken word anymore. There are lots of drinking and loud music to dance to all night long.

With all the loud music, Station 2 is definitely not a peaceful place to relax and rest. For people who are non-party goers like me, do not stay in any of the beachfront hotels or resorts located in Station 2. I would recommend the Hennan Lagoon Resort because it is located far enough from the noisy nightlife, but close enough to the beach.

Station 3

Station 3 is located on the southernmost of the island. It is the least developed and quietest part of the White Beach where most of the backpackers and budget hotels are located. Compared to Station 1 and 2, Station 3 has a more relaxed atmosphere and is popular among budget travelers, backpackers and big groups. This is best place for you to get cheap accommodation if you are traveling on a limited budget, although recently upscale hotels has been developed to take advantage of the increased tourist traffic in Boracay.

The sand in Station 3 are not as powdery white as those found in Station 1 and 2. Compared to the other two stations, the sand are a little coarser and browner in Station 3. Other than that, we also noticed that there were actually more trees on the beach in Station 3 that provide shade.

Being the least developed, Station 3 is significantly less crowded than the other two Stations. Even so, I actually find Station 3 very crowded because it serves as a docking station for boats. Most of the boats dock at Station 3 for island hopping, helmet diving or Paraw sailing. This was also where we boarded the boat for helmet diving and Paraw sailing.
Station 1

Station 1 is located on the northernmost of the island and has the widest beachfront where all the most luxurious hotels and resorts are located. Non-beachfront budget hotels can also be found in Station , usually 2-3 minutes walk to the White Beach.




The beach footpath only runs from Station 3 to the end of Station 2. This means that there is no footpath in Station 1. All of the hotels and resorts in Station 1 are built right on the beach, offering the best view and location, hence the higher price tag.


The good thing about staying at a beachfront hotel or resort is having the beach located just within your footsteps. So, if you happen to be a beach person, I believe you will enjoy staying at Station 1 very much.



There are also fewer hotels and resorts in Station 1, which is actually a great news. This means that you will get the enjoy a little more privacy while on the beach.


For people who prefer peace and tranquility, I would suggest that you stay in Station 1, provided if you have a bigger budget at your disposal.

Willy's Rock

At the northern end of Station 1, you will find the iconic Willy's Rock, an odd-shaped volcanic formation located directly in front of Willy's Beach Resort.


Named after the owner of Willy's Beach Resort, Mr Tay Willy M. Gelito, the Willy's Rock is one of the most recognizable landmark in Boracay. On top of the rock, there is a statue of Virgin Mary. A man-made stairs is available for those who wish to make their way up to the top of the rock.


There were stands set up all along the White Beach with local tour agencies trying to sell tourists the same water sport activities at a different prices. It was impossible for one to stroll down the beach without dozens of tour agents blocking your way offering "attractive" packages for water sports activities like parasailing, sunset cruise, island-hopping trips and helmet diving. However, just like the street hawkers, these tour agents were not aggressive or rude. Most of them will usually leave you alone after you say "no" to them politely.


Small boats, paraws and speed boats lined up along the shores of the White Beach. During the day, there are lots of boat traffic on the water, which makes swimming undesirable.


We hate the crowds, the hordes of boats docking at the shore and all the trashes which the beach goers have left on the beach. They were unsightly and damaging to the environment.

Boracay is well-known for its spectacular sunset. The sun set around 6.00 pm all year round and this is also when the beach is the most crowded because this is a fantastic spot to catch a sunset.


Every evening, hundreds and thousands of people, both locals and tourists flock and gather at the beach to watch the sun disappear over the horizon.




We spent our evenings sitting on our resort's lounge chairs waiting for the sun to set. While waiting, a number of hawkers approached us, trying to sell us something every couple of minutes. It was annoying.




The White Beach is busy and noisy all year round and certainly, this is not the place to be if you are seeking for a relaxed and quiet vacation.


I do not understand the hype of this island. In fact, I cannot even remember the reason why we wanted to visit Boracay in the first place. The beach, although stunning, has lost its beauty.

I believe many people would be surprised if I say that we did not like Boracay, even though we enjoyed our 4 days stay on the island. The White Beach was definitely stunning, but unfortunately way too crowded for our liking. It was difficult to enjoy that spectacular view of the sea and sands without someone blocking our view. Without the intense crowds, I believe we would have enjoy Boracay so much more.


Boracay has became way too commercialized in recent year due to its popularity, but mass tourism has a negative impact on the environment. Tourism is causing severe beach erosion, coastal and environmental pollution in Boracay.

As we strolled down the beach, it was not hard to notice that the waters were colored green. The green waters were the result of a bloom of green slimy algae caused by the inadequate sewage infrastructure. As a result, human and animals wastes (I wanted to write feces, but realized that will be too gross) are being dumped directly into the sea. The waters are so contaminated by human and animal wastes, resulting in a bloom of green algae and deterioration of coral reefs

The green algae are said to be common during the summer months (January to May) because the waters are calmer, thus allowing them to gather. But once the rainy season arrived, the algae will automatically disappear when the waters becomes rougher.

I cannot imagine myself swimming in a sea full of shit mixed with water. Although the waters are deemed safe for swimming, it was disgusting to wade through the thick green muck to get to the slightly cleaner water. Sometimes, the waters smell too.

Some part of the island like Bulabog Beach is deemed unsafe for swimming and other human activities.This is where the sewage emptied directly into the sea. A test revealed dangerously high levels of viruses and bacteria from human sewage in the water off Bulabog Beach.


To put it simply, Boracay is overrated, over-commercialized and over-hyped. The island, in our opinion, is a big tourist trap and definitely not worth visiting.

We would never return to Boracay. It is not a paradise. We believe that there are many other beautiful and less expensive islands in the region to see. Well, you probably would want to see the famed White Beach with your own eyes but do not say that I did not warn you. Just remember to keep your expectation low so that you would not be disappointed.

Be sure to follow me on Facebook or Twitter for the latest updates on my 4 days adventures in Boracay! You might also want to check My Wanderlust page for some of my other travel adventures.