Boracay, Boracay island (Philippines)
Boracay Island is located off the northwest coast of Panay Island. Its beaches have been ranked among the top ten beaches in the world more than once. This is a great place for both a relaxing beach holiday and active recreation. Boracay is a small island. Its length reaches 8 km, and its width – 2 km. The east coast is separated from the west by no more than half an hour on foot. White sand beaches stretch all along the coastline. The island has a variety of accommodation options – from luxury hotels to inexpensive bungalows.
The most popular resort area of the island is the central part of the west coast – White Beach. Its length is 4 km. White Beach has most of the restaurants, bars and discos, as well as many hotels. Boracay Island is considered one of the best places on the planet for kite surfing and windsurfing. On the west coast, surfing is possible in the summer (March-November), when southwest winds blow, and on the east coast, from November to March, when steady northeast winds blow at speeds of 9-15 m/s. Among surfers, the most popular is the east coast of Boracay island in the Balabog beach area. It is suitable for both beginners and extreme sportsmen. Balabog Beach has many kite surfing and windsurfing schools, as well as equipment rentals. around the island
Boracay has about 30 dive sites. All of them are close to the coast. On the west coast, the diving season lasts from December to February, on the east coast – from July to September. Average visibility around Boracay Island reaches 20 m, worsening in the winter and improving in the summer months. The strongest undercurrents are observed near the southern and northern coasts of the island, the western and eastern coasts are protected by coral reefs. In the waters surrounding the island, when diving, you can see coral walls and gardens, which are home to large tunas, sea bass, and sometimes sharks, lobsters, crabs, scorpion fish, schools of goby fish, sea snakes, small antias fish, lionfish, triggerfish, sailfish, ballfish (puffers) and gobies. Most dive sites are located off the west coast of Boracay Island. Average depths for diving reach 10 m, and the maximum is noted at the Kamia dive site, where a cargo ship lies at a depth of 30 m, which was scuttled specifically to create another dive site.
The most popular place on the west coast is Yapak. Here, two coral walls rise from the seabed, where you can see such large marine life as reef and whitetip sharks, dogtooth tuna, Napoleon wrasse and giant trevally. Be sure to go to CagbanBeach, because there is a legend that treasure chests are hidden in the local underwater caves. In the strait between the islands of Panay and Boracay, you can go drift diving. The depth of immersion here reaches 35 m, and strong undercurrents are noted. Off the southeast coast of Boracay Island is interesting Crocodile island with its coral walls.
In addition to water sports, Boracay offers excursion programs. You can go on a boat tour around the island, some boats have a transparent bottom. In the north of Boracay, the Puka Shell beach is interesting , famous for its many white shells, from which jewelry is made. Puka Shell Beach is very quiet, there are practically no locals and few tourists, and deserted beaches of white sand surrounded by palm trees stretch along the sea. It is worth climbing to the highest point of the island – Mount Laho, 100 m high. It offers a beautiful view of the island. In the northeastern part of the island of Boracay there are caves with bats, where it is better to go with guides. Bats sleep during the day, and at night they get out of the caves to eat fruits and berries. In the northern part of the east coast, the Shell Museum is located on Ilig-Iligan Beach.
Vigan, Luzon Island (Philippines)
According to Fashionissupreme, Vigan is located in the northwest of the island of Luzon in the province of South Ilocos. The city was founded in the 16th century by the Spanish conquistador Juan Salcedo. The colonial architecture makes Vigan look like Spanish cities. There are still paved sidewalks, old red brick houses that could withstand devastating earthquakes. Vigan has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
All the streets of the city are arranged in a grid. The main street is Governor A Reyes, Mena Crisologo runs parallel to it with many antique shops and cafes. The city is home to one of the oldest cathedrals in the Philippines – St. Paul’s Cathedral, which was built in 1641 in the Baroque style. Next to the cathedral stands the National Museum. Burgos. It took up residence in the house where Padre José Burgos once resided. It is believed that it was because of this man that the revolutionary movement was born. The museum displays paintings by artist Esteban Villanueva depicting the 1807 uprising.
Vigan is known for its textiles and pottery (the main souvenirs brought by tourists from the city). On Mena Crisologo street, it is worth visiting the Ruilda weaving factory with handlooms, where you can buy fabrics that were used for tailoring in the Middle Ages, and on Rizal street, the Bagburnyan workshop, where you will see the process of making dishes.
