Best Time to Visit Boracay Island in the Philippines

The beach is always a fun place to go to, because it offers a lot of activities for people who want to enjoy the sun. It is a place where you can get a good tan, then take a dip in the blue waters, and even enjoy sports like beach volleyball or something more extreme like Paragliding or jet-skiing. If you are looking for a place to do all these things in the Philippines, or simply a place where you can chill and relax, then Boracay Island in for you. Now, you might be wondering: when is the best time to visit Boracay Island?

A lot of tourists think that the best time to visit Boracay Island is during the summer months from March to May, when everybody else seems to be headed to this beautiful beach. However, many people do not know that it is best to go to Boracay Island is during the month of January.

Best Month & Season to visit Boracay Island

The first month of the year is really the best time to visit Boracay island because it is when you can enjoy this paradise most without the throngs of tourists and without burning a hole in your pocket. There are also interesting events here happening this time of the year.

Enjoy the Tropical Weather

Go to Boracay Island in January and you will get to enjoy the nice tropical weather. The sun is up for an average of six hours, so you can have a sun-kissed skin, freely explore the clear waters, and do other activities such as water sports. The average temperature ranges from between 23 degrees Celsius to 28 degrees Celsius—just the right heat for all your island activities. This is a very good temperature compared to the summer months from March to May, when the heat can be punishing at around 40 degrees Celsius. You can also feel the cool breeze produced by the northeast monsoon at this time of the year.

This kind of temperature can be especially appealing to people from countries with four seasons. At this time, these countries already are at the height of cold winter. Wouldn’t it be nice to just sit back and relax on the beach and enjoy the beautiful view of the sea instead of enduring the freezing cold?

Avoid the Typhoons

In addition to this, January is also considered a good time to visit Boracay Island because the typhoon season is already done. If you go on the island during the lean seasons of June to December, you might get a taste of the powerful cyclones that hit the Philippines around 20 times a year, bringing with it destructive rain and winds. These typhoons can really ruin a nice vacation, with boat rides and water sports activities being cancelled due to strong waves.

However, if you go to Boracay Island in the Philippines right at the start of the year, these storms will be the least of your worries, because there is very little to no chance that a typhoon will hit central Philippines, where this island-paradise is located, in January. You would not have to pack those raincoats, because the weather will be nice and sunny.

Cheaper Airfare and Hotel Rates

Another reason why January is the best time to go Boracay is the fact that this month is still considered an off-peak season. This fact can translate to great savings for your trip. Because fewer tourists book flights to the Philippines in this month, you can expect that the airfare you will have to pay will be a lot cheaper. A tourist from Asia can get a ticket to an airport near Boracay for as low as $136 during the month of January—a rate that will be difficult to get when you try to book a flight from March to May.

Similarly, you can also get cheaper accommodations when you visit Boracay Island in January. There are a lot of good hotels and hostels on this island, and their rates are easier on the budget during the off-peak season.

Fewer Tourists

If you are someone who wants serenity, and who hates crowds, then January is really the best time to visit Boracay Island. During the summer months from March to May, the beach is swarming with tourists that it will be difficult to find a spot to sunbathe or swim. Crowds are also very common even while walking along the commercial areas of this tourist destination, and bars can become very loud.

Go to the island at the start of the year, and you can avoid these hassles. There are fewer tourists chilling on the beach, so you can find a great spot where you can enjoy the sun. It will also be easier to book water sports because the scheduling is not that hectic. You will get to feel as if you have the entire island all to yourself.

A Unique Festival

January is also a good time to visit Boracay Island in the Philippines if you want to experience a unique festival where you can witness the local culture and talent. During the third weekend of January, the Ati-Atihan Festival is held in the town of Kalibo—just two to three hours away from Boracay. Here, you can see locals who covered themselves in black soot parading on the streets to honor the Infant Jesus. The parades are beautiful, lively and colorful, making this festival considered by some as the local version of Mardi Gras.

Boracay is a really beautiful island-paradise that you must visit. To appreciate its beauty more, it pays to know when’s the best time to visit Boracay Island, and that has got to be the month of January.

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Feature image credit: Jeff Tollefson