Boracay is served by regular boats from Caticlan on Panay Island. The boat trip takes 15 minutes.
You can fly to Caticlan from Manila, Cebu City and some other larger cities in the Philippines. You can also get there by ferry from Roxas on Mindoro Island, as we did. A ferry ride from Roxas takes about four hours. We took the ferry operated by Montenegro Lines and it was fine.
Before boarding a little boat to Boracay at Caticlan, you need to stop by no less than three counters. You buy your boat ticket at the first counter, pay port fee at the second and pay ecological tax at the third counter. Then you go through security check (don't even think about bringing any drugs to Boracay!) and fill-in a registration form. The amount of bureaucracy, chaos and above all three counters where they extract money from you could be annoying, but don't let your spirits fall - your tropical paradise is only a narrow strip of water away.
Most probably port employees at Caticlan will be offering you accommodation on Boracay, usually under the pretext that all accommodation on Boracay is full, except the one they are trying to sell you. The easiest way to get rid of them is to tell them that you have already booked in advance. Do not worry much about their stories of Boracay accommodation being packed – there are always some rooms available, it is just a matter of price. However, if you visit Boracay during Christmas/New Year or Easter period, it is essential to book accommodation in advance.
Once you disembark the boat on Boracay, you will be surrounded by tricycle drivers offering you a ride to your chosen hotel. The first question would probably be: "First time to Boracay?" and if you say yes, they will try to overcharge you tremendously. Prices do go up every year, but just as a guideline, the usual price of a tricycle ride from the pier to White Beach hotels in February 2009 was around 100 pesos.