Boracay Island Transportation Guide
by Srikanth Pasupuleti on August 26, 2019
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Situated in the Aklan Province of Philippines, Boracay is an easily accessible island and beautiful place to explore. Travelers often take it as a small island and skip in their itinerary but it is a tourist destination worth a visit and not as small as one thinks. In this blog, we have brought you the ultimate Boracay island transportation guide that includes both getting to the island and getting around in Boracay.
Getting to Boracay Island
You can directly get flights to Kalibo or Caticlan Airport and take a banca or ferry to Boracay from Caticlan port.
From Caticlan Airport: Caticlan Airport, the closest airport to the island is well-connected by sea from Caticlan port. You can get easy transfers to the port by a trike which takes around 10 minutes and then take a ferry to Boracay which takes 25-30 minutes.
From Kalibo Airport: You need to reach Caticlan port from Kalibo Airport to take a banca or ferry to the island. The port is around 1 hour 45 minutes from the airport and the distance can be covered by a mini-van or AC coach available at the airport. From Caticlan port, choose between a banca or ferry ride to reach Boracay. The availability of boats depends upon your time of arrival at the port. If you arrive late night, you might have to book a private boat which can cost you somewhere around 1000-2000 PHP. Learn how to bargain!
These are the most convenient and cheapest Boracay transfers for tourists.
How to get around in Boracay?
The tourism industry of the island has grown over years and so has the transportation facilities. As there’s one main road connecting across the island, it is always busy with tricycles, the most common mode of transport.
If you are not aware, tricycles are the tuk-tuk of Philippines. It is a three-wheeled vehicle you will find all around the country, especially used for shorter routes in the towns. The most amazing part is you won’t find taxis, buses or trains in Boracay, only tricycles. However, you might get a few locals offering bike rides to passengers.
The tricycles moving in Boracay are here-wheeled and can accommodate maximum 8 passengers. Although these are not as fast as the Thai tuk-tuks but you will still reach from one point to another at a steady pace.
Types of Tricycles in Boracay
Boracay island has two types of tricycles – Moving tricycles and Parked tricycles.
Moving Tricycles
Moving tricycles are the ones that follow a particular route continuously picking and dropping off passengers. You can say, they operate like public buses and are usually bigger in Boracay. Moving tricycles are electric-powered. They run on the main thoroughfare or ’flat road’ and are considered as the cheapest kind of tricycles on the island.
Here’s an approximate Boracay transportation fees of a moving tricycle:
Flat Road to Jetty Port – 25 Pesos
Flat Road Station 1 to Station 3 – 10 Pesos
How to get a moving tricycle?
Finding a moving tricycle in Boracay is not at all difficult. Just stand along the road side wait for a few minutes, you will see one approaching towards you. Wave to the driver and he will stop it for you to hop in. In case it is already full and there is no room for you, wait for another few minutes to get the next one.
When you are on the tricycle, give the driver the exact fare saying ‘Bayad po’. ‘Bayad’ is the Filippino word for fare and ‘po’ demonstrates respect.
Parked Tricycle
The second kind of tricycle found in Boracay is the parked tricycles or special tricycles. By the name you might have understood that these are stationery. You can even consider them as ‘taxis’ on the island (they act so!). Parked tricycles are usually found in the busy areas like D’Mall. These doesn’t offer a share ride which means on hiring a parked tricycle, you will be riding all the way alone or with your group. This is one of the reasons why it is more expensive than the moving tricycles. These are gasoline-powered.
Just because they are expensive doesn’t mean they hold no perks. They can take you to places that are not usually covered by their moving counterparts. This is what makes them special! If you don’t want to wait for a moving tricycle, parked ones are the best mode of transport for you. When you pay more for a parked tricycle, it is for its convenience and better service.
We hope you will not have any issues with transportation on your trip to Boracay Island.
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