Want to visit the ultimate tropical paradise at Boracay? Wondering how to get to Boracay from Cebu? We can help!
Boracay is the perfect island getaway. With white sand, aqua water and jungle-cladded shores, what more can you ask for in a vacation?
While it’s not far from Cebu City to Boracay, this journey can seem complicated – at least until you take it step-by-step. It’s actually quite straightforward with many people taking this trip every day.
Below, I break down exactly how to travel from Cebu to Boracay so you know exactly what you need to do and when. This guide will cover information on both a Cebu to Boracay flight and a Cebu to Boracay ferry as well as the corresponding Cebu to Boracay fare. I’ll also share how to make a Cebu to Boracay land trip (well as much as possible anyway).
After reading our guide you will be well on your way to paradise!
This guide also covers the reverse journey on how to travel from Boracay to Cebu.
Cebu – Boracay Map
This map shows you how to get Boracay from Cebu.
The distance between these two places is 282.5 kilometers, with an approximate travel time of 4 hours up to 23+ hours depending on what transportation from Cebu to Boracay you choose.
BEST OPTION: How To Go From Cebu To Boracay
How To Get To Boracay From Cebu
Here’s a summary of your options:
| Mode of transport | Duration | Best For? | Book |
| Flight via Caticlan | 4 hours | People who like the quickest and easiest option | Book here |
| Ferry/Bus | 23 hours | People who like to travel overland in the easiest way | Book here |
| Bus/Ferry | 20+ hours | People who want to travel by land as much as possible | Book here |
No matter which option you pick from the above, all of these will take you to Caticlan Jetty. From here, you need to take a boat across to Boracay. This boat to Boracay is described in its own section below.
Option 1: Cebu To Boracay Flights
As mentioned above, when it comes to getting to Boracay from Cebu, the fastest way to travel is to take direct flights from Cebu to Boracay. The approximate Cebu Boracay flight time is around one hour, and the cost of flights Cebu to Boracay starts at around PHP1000.
However, you can often find cheap flights from Cebu to Boracay if there is a sale or special promotion. Airlines from Cebu to Boracay include Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines and AirAsia.
If you get a good fare, flying from Cebu to Boracay is not just easier and quicker but also cheaper than the alternatives.
Note that there isn’t actually an airport on Boracay so you need to book your flight to Caticlan. From Caticlan, it’s a quick boat ride across to Boracay (described in detail blow). There is no way around this.
Click here to see the latest flight prices and options for your dates.
On arrival at Caticlan Airport, you need to get to Caticlan Jetty. Thankfully, this is very close and easy.
If you do not have much luggage, you can walk in about ten minutes. Otherwise, you can ride a local tricycle to Caticlan Jetty. From here, you can take a boat following the directions below.
Note that Caticlan Airport is now often called Boracay Airport. This is exactly the same airport. There is no airport on Boracay itself and this is the closest airport to the island.
Option 2: Cebu – Boracay Ferry
Another alternative is to travel from Cebu to Boracay by ferry.
If you would prefer to not travel Cebu to Boracay by air, the easiest way is to take a ferry from Cebu City to Iloilo City. Trans Asia makes this journey overnight departing Cebu Pier 3 at 6pm and arriving in Iloilo at 8am the next morning. This means the journey takes about fourteen hours.
The Trans Asia schedule Cebu to Iloilo is only a couple of times a week so you also need to be flexible to take this option. This section of the Cebu to Boracay ferry price starts at ₱1500 and varies depending on what accommodation you want onboard.
Click here to see the latest timetables and prices.
Once you arrive in Iloilo City, you can either choose to stay and explore the city or take a 10-20 minute taxi ride to Ceres Northbound Terminal.
From here, take a bus bound for Caticlan. These buses leave approximately every 30 minutes with a travel time of around 6 hours. Fares cost between ₱240 and ₱390.
You can be dropped off at Caticlan Jetty to take the last leg of the journey – the quick boat ride to Boracay.
Option 3: Cebu To Boracay Land Trip
First of all, it’s not possible to 100% make a land trip Cebu to Boracay. Both Cebu and Boracay are islands so you’ll have to travel over water at some point. However, this option walks you through how to reach Boracay from Cebu using land transport as much as possible.
The easiest way to make this journey is to start by taking a bus from Cebu City to Bacolod. The only bus line that runs this route is Ceres Liner. They have several ways that they go but the most common (and fastest) is that the bus runs from Cebu City to Toledo. From here, you hop on a ferry from Toledo to San Carlos on the island of Negros.
You then hop back on the bus and travel via Don Salvador to Bacolod. You can find the schedule for this bus here.
All up, this takes about 7-8 hours and costs about ₱580 by the time you pay for the bus and the separate ferry and terminal fees (these are not included in your bus ticket).
From Bacolod, you need to take a ferry to Iloilo City on the island of Panay. You can take a fast ferry between these two cities that runs a few times a day and takes just an hour. Prices start at ₱705 on Oceanjet.
Click here for the latest schedule and prices.
Now that you are in Iloilo, you can take a bus to Caticlan jetty following the instructions in option 2 above.
All up, this option takes about 20+ hours so it is faster than option 2 – but this assumes you are not waiting too long for connections between your different forms of transport.
The other problem is that you don’t get a night’s accommodation on the ferry like in option 2. If you take this option, I suggest you spend a night in Iloilo to break up the journey so you arrive in Caticlan during the day for the easiest and cheapest boat crossing to Boracay.
Ferry From Caticlan To Boracay
No matter which option you choose above, once you have made it to Caticlan Jetty, you need to take a boat across to Boracay. This can be a small bangka or a bigger boat. This only takes 10-15 minutes.
Boats usually run from 5am to 9pm with frequent departures.
The boat fare from Caticlan to Boracay is made up of the following:
- ₱50 for the boat ticket
- ₱100 for the terminal fee
- ₱150 for locals and ₱300 for everyone else for the environmental fee.
These are all per person fees.
You can purchase your ticket at the port or in advance. You can find ferry tickets here.
Boats arrive at Cagban Jetty on Boracay. From this jetty, you can take a tricycle on to your accommodation.
You can read my full guide to travelling from Caticlan to Boracay here.
Getting from Boracay To Cebu
If you’re wondering how to get to Cebu from Boracay, all you need to do is take the above transportation options in reverse.
First of all, you need to get to Cagban Jetty on Boracay and then take a boat across to Caticlan Jetty.
Then you have your three options.
The easiest and quickest option (and often the cheapest) is to take a flight from Boracay to Cebu from Boracay/Caticlan Airport (look here).
If you would prefer to travel overland, you need to take a bus to Iloilo City. This takes about six hours.
From Iloilo, you can either take a ferry direct to Cebu City (look here) or travel across to Bacolod by ferry (tickets prices and timetables here) then take a bus back to Cebu City.
Find more information in the sections above on each of these journeys.
Final Words
So there you have it! In this post, we’ve covered the different Cebu to Boracay transportation options in both directions.
The quickest and most convenient way is to take one of the flights – Cebu to Boracay or vice versa and hop on a Boracay to Cebu flight. This can also be the cheapest option so it’s definitely worth investigating.
As an alternative, you can also catch a ferry boat from Cebu to Boracay via Iloilo, but this journey is much longer and not recommended unless you’re planning on a stopover in Iloilo City.
I hope you found this Cebu to Boracay travel guide useful. Click here to find out how to get to Boracay from other destinations, or click here to find our full Boracay travel guide. You can also read our guide on getting the Cebu to Siargao ferry here and check out all the best hotels near Cebu airport here.
