Bulabog Beach

Bulabog is the other side of Boracay in every sense. While White Beach faces the sunset on the west coast, Bulabog sits on the windward east, and that wind is the whole point. From around November to April the steady Amihan blows across the shallow reef lagoon and turns the bay into one of Asia's best known kitesurfing and windsurfing spots, dotted with bright kites from morning to dusk. If your family includes a teenager itching to learn, or you simply enjoy watching skilled riders, it is a genuine spectacle.

For the family pragmatist, the honest framing matters. Bulabog is not a calm swimming beach for most of the year, and it is not trying to be. During the windy season the lagoon belongs to kites and boards, the water is choppy, and casual swimming in the main bay is neither pleasant nor sensible. The seabed also holds coral, seagrass and the occasional sea urchin, so bare feet are a poor idea and water shoes earn their place. None of this is a safe swim you can take for granted.

There is a gentler side, though. The wind drops in the early mornings and through the calmer wet months from around June, when the lagoon can turn flat and clear, and there is a marked swimming and snorkelling area towards the southern end, away from the kite traffic. On a low wind morning a family can paddle and snorkel there happily, provided you keep clear of the riders and watch the children. The cafes along the front are also a fine place to sit in the shade with a cold drink and let older children watch the kites loop overhead.

Who should come here: anyone drawn to watersports, beginners wanting a lesson, and families who treat Bulabog as a half day of spectacle rather than a swimming day. Who should look elsewhere for a calm paddle: parents of small children, who will be far happier on the sheltered west coast at White Beach or in the quiet cove at Diniwid. Come for the kites, respect the wind, and Bulabog is one of the most alive places on the island.

Bulabog is one of the easiest beaches to reach, because Boracay is narrow at the waist and the bay sits directly across from the White Beach stations. From around Station 2 it is a flat walk of ten to fifteen minutes along the lanes to the eastern shore, or a very short tricycle ride if you have gear or small children in tow. That closeness is the great convenience here, since you can sleep and swim on calm White Beach and pop over to Bulabog for a lesson or to watch the kites.

For a family visit, plan around the wind rather than against it. Come in the early morning if you want the calmest water and the marked southern swimming area at its gentlest, or arrive late morning if the spectacle of the kites is the draw. Bring water shoes for the reefy seabed, sun cover and water, and settle older children at a shaded cafe to watch while you book any lesson directly with a school. Keep well clear of the kite launch and landing zones, which are busy and not safe places to wander.