Boracay White Beach Anchorage (restrictions)

11° 57.5′ N · 121° 55.2′ E · approximate

The glassy lee of Boracay's 4 km White Beach in the northeast monsoon, with the island's whole tourist strip a short dinghy ride away. Anchoring directly off the beach is restricted to protect the seagrass and sand, so treat this as a regulated roadstead rather than a free anchorage.

Practical

Approx: a point about 600 m off the middle of White Beach (Station 2), placed in open water west of the OpenStreetMap beach outline; not a published anchoring position. Restrictions: the YIT cruising guide says anchoring directly off White Beach is restricted and regulated (Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force era rules) and that yachts should contact the Boracay Tourism Office or the Philippine Coast Guard on VHF 16 before approaching. PCG Aklan announced harbour speed limits, designated sea lanes off the west coast and a one-entry/one-exit system for Boracay in October 2024. Expect constant traffic: paraw sailboats, island-hopping bancas, parasail and helmet-dive boats. Protection: excellent in the amihan (NE, roughly Oct/Nov to Mar), when White Beach is sheltered and often glassy; untenable in the habagat (SW/W, roughly Jun to Oct), when White Beach takes wind and waves. Many uncharted bommies along the coast. Dinghy to public landing areas only; the 2018 rehabilitation set a 30 m buffer back from the waterline and banned beach vendors and bonfires. No fuel dock or water on the island for yachts. Clear in elsewhere first: Caticlan has no formal customs facilities for foreign yachts; the guide names Iloilo City as the practical port of entry. Depth and holding: no published figure for mid-White Beach; YIT gives 4–7 m over sand at the north end (Punta Bunga), and the only logged yacht position is off Station 3 (11°56.89'N 121°55.63'E, SY Dawnbreaker, January 2016; see Station 3 Anchorage). Holding is not described in any source; anchor on clear sand, not seagrass. Full rule set in White Beach Anchoring and Boat Traffic Rules.

Boracay White Beach Anchorage (restrictions)

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