Strong waves, reminiscent of Baler’s Sabang Beach, slammed the shore of Boracay White Beach. I set my camera on a tripod and tried to capture the force of water against sand. The weather, however, had other things in mind. It poured a slather of rain, which the wind promptly picked up, and whipped against me and my not-so-waterproof camera. I was drenched.

BEACH HUTS AT THE WHITE BEACH

Taking shelter on an empty wooden pergola along the beach, I let the heavens weep it all down. The plan was to walk the whole stretch of Boracay’s White Beach, from Station Three to Station One, and back again.

It was thirty minutes past three in the afternoon when the rain finally abated. It was finally time to walk. Station Three, considered the cheapest area in Boracay in terms of lodgings and restaurants, was my starting point. The cream-colored sand was unimpressive. I picked a handful, it was course and grainy.

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Like the previous day’s afternoon, the sky blazed with fire once again. We were standing just a few meters away in front of our resort, our bare feet digging on the fine white sand of Boracay, watching the day consume its fiery end. Local paraw sailboats, their sails billowing, crisscross the horizon, blazing like dark candle lights in the incoming twilight.

BALCONIES AT THE CROWN REGENCY’S ATRIUM

As the day turned into night, we went back inside, unpacked our bags and promptly lay down the soft comfy beds of Crown Regency Boracay. It has been quite a day. From Galleria de Boracay, where we spent a night to save up a bit on budget before splurging our last few days on the island, we went on a Boracay island hopping adventure before proceeding to our final accommodation in Boracay.

We were sick of eating at Andok’s Manok every single day. Bringing your whole family to Boracay can really put a strain on your wallet, so besides carinderia food, we were at the ubiquitous lechon manok place almost every single day. And by the third time, we’re quite sick of it.

ANDOK’S BORACAY AT STATION THREE BEACHFRONT

THE SMOKE RESTO AT BORACAY’S D’MALL

So, I scoured the net, looking for Boracay restaurants with budget below the hundred peso mark. I know Smoke Resto at D’Mall is one, but I was surprised to find that the place has since closed down. We proceeded to its other branch, but it was packed, as expected.

Since it was already quite late for lunch, we simply decided to eat on a restaurant a few steps away from it, Plato D’ Boracay.

When the boatman tells you to jump—roiling waters or not—you jump. And I did, donning a full-face snorkeling mask, feet with fins, and one hand grappling an action camera . I hit the cold waters of Boracay in all its murky glory and surfaced a few seconds after. The sea was very choppy and the current was a bit strong, but I swam nonetheless, stabilizing myself with my fins every now and then to watch schools of small colorful fishes swirl around on unexpectedly lush coral beds. I was expecting a calmer swimming experience since it was almost summertime in Boracay, but it seemed that this was worse than our Boracay island hopping during Habagat season.

My two main factors when renting cheap accommodations in Boracay are its cleanliness and its proximity to the beach. The fist one is a no-brainer, especially if you’re tagging the whole clan with you, but the second one can be optional. I like my beach lodging to be right there at the beach itself, my room just a hop away from the sand and the sea—budget permitting. But if pressed for funds, well, you compromise somehow. And that’s actually how we ended up booking a room at the Galleria de Boracay.

This inn is almost in between the main road and Boracay White Beach’s Station 3. It actually has a pretty good location, if you don’t mind that the beach doesn’t start right at your doorstep. It’s less than thirty seconds by foot from the road, which means buying goods from convenience stores is a breeze and inexpensive. It sits right by the Original Talipapa, a market of sorts selling souvenirs. And it’s also near carinderia eateries, should you need to scrimp on food spending.

In terms of its proximity to the beach, it’s about three minutes away via a maze of narrow side streets. The path opens at the Station 3 side of Boracay White Beach, rigth  at the corner of Crown Regency Beach Resort Boracay. This was also where we booked our Boracay island hopping tour, which they also gave discounts for.

Giant waves were slamming the shore of Puka Beach like there’s no tomorrow. It was the habagat season in Boracay and what’s once a calm beach for swimming during the summer was now concert of crashing angry surf that would sweep anyone off their feet if caught by it.

THE FAMOUS PUKA BEACH MAKESHIFT SIGN

STORES SELLING SOUVENIRS NEAR THE ENTRANCE OF PUKA BEACH

There’s no arguing that Boracay White Beach is the beach when it comes to fineness of sand and length on the island. But the problem with it is that there’s simply too many people crowding its shoreline, especially during the afternoons. Add in the docked paraws or local sailboats, and well, it’s really not the best place to go for a swim.

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