Boracay Island

Virtually all visitors to Boracay come for only one thing--the sea, sand and sun. This, after all, is what Boracay is all about. You would be very ill advised if you came here in search of history, art or culture. The truth of the matter is that Boracay does not have much of a history. There are neither grand old buildings to admire for architecture nor flea markets to browse for antiques. Until only a couple of decades ago, Boracay was nothing more than just a scattering of fishing villages. The typical local house is a bamboo-and-nipa hut that can barely withstand a strong typhoon, let alone the passage of time.

To get a glimpse of how local folk lived, and still live, a ride to Manoc-Manoc Beach will take you past one of the island's earliest settlements. Another place where you can get a taste of local life is the Cockfighting Arena (though be prepared for some bloody scenes that would offend an animal lover). Talipapa Market, where goods ranging from fresh food to tourist souvenirs are sold, offers you the opportunity to experience the sights and sounds of a typical Filipino market.

The onset of tourism changed Boracay completely. As word of its exceptional beauty--specifically the immaculate white sands of White Beach--spread, tourists began arriving, first in dribbles and then in droves. Suddenly, from a sleepy, sparsely populated island, Boracay was transformed into a major destination on the international travel circuit. Whether the change was for the better or worse is an open question, but it was certainly a turning point in the "history" of the island.

The first foreigners to discover Boracay were backpackers--budget travelers who required nothing more than a place to rest for the night after exploring the island's unspoilt grandeur by day. The early forms of accommodation were rudimentary. A mattress on the bamboo floor of a native-style hut was considered a "luxury." There were no such niceties as hot and cold showers, televisions, telephones, or even restaurants. Electricity did not come to the island until the early 1990s. Until then, candles and kerosene lamps provided the only man-made light under the glittering stars or the brilliant tropical moon.

For some reason these first visitors were mostly European, particularly Swiss and Germans. So much so that for a while Boracay was jokingly referred to as a canton of Switzerland. Even today there is a conspicuous Swiss/German presence that can readily be seen in such places as the Swiss Inn Restaurant & Bar and Bavarian House. The owner of Mango-Ray Resort is one of several Swiss citizens who opted to settle on the island.