By Jen Freeman
Planning a romantic day with your significant other? Here are some tried and tested recommendations for a perfect Valentine’s Day on Boracay!
A Beachfront Breakfast
Start your day right with a delicious breakfast at The Sunny Side Café. This attractive beachfront café has a clean, modern ambience, and serves contemporary all-day breakfast fare and comfort food, bread and pastries freshly-baked in-house, and specialty coffee blends.
Menu options to tempt the taste buds include tapsilog with Kitayama beef, eggs and confit rice; sweet and savory bacon and cheese pancakes, and eggs benedict with salmon or pulled pork. Whether you’re seeking indulgent treats or healthier options, there’s something to please almost everyone here, with both international favorites and local specialties given a unique and innovative twist.
What makes it special: With dining tables located directly beside the beach pathway, The Sunny Side Café offers picture-perfect views of White Beach as you take your time with their delicious signature all-day breakfasts for champions.
The Sunny Side Café
Station 3 Beachfront, Boracay Sands Hotel Facebook: The Sunny Side Café
A Spa Retreat
Located at the peaceful southern end of the island, the award-winning Mandala Spa is a veritable oasis of calm and tranquility, and embodies the perfect place for couples to relax, unwind and recharge. This luxurious spa haven is situated on a lush, forested hillside, and offers a selection of day packages and vacation retreats to soothe even the weariest and most jaded of souls.
The two-hour “Romanic Mandala Spa Journey” package is specifically designed for you and your significant other to “feel like the king and queen of the world” and is comprised of a sensuous floral footbath followed by a soothing, full-body Asian Signature Massage, employing acupressure, gentle stretches and cross-fiber strokes to promote a feeling of deep relaxation for both body and mind. Complimentary beverages and sarongs are included the treatment, which costs PhP4,880 per person, and pre-booking is required.
What makes it special: With care and attention to the finest details and impeccable customer service, Mandala Spa offers the ultimate in pampering and bonding experiences.
Mandala Spa & Resort Villas
Station 3, Main Road, Angol
Facebook: Mandala Spa and Resort Villas
Paraw Sailing
Boracay’s unique paraws are a well-loved part of the island experience, and long before the first traveler set a weary foot on the gleaming sands of White Beach, they have been an integral part of the scenery. A paraw is a native-style outrigger sailing boat constructed from wood and bamboo, and these little boats can be rented by the hour or for day trips to secluded beaches and coves around the island’s coast, including snorkeling sites and picnic stops, or for a romantic private sunset sail with your significant other.
To make your cruise extra special, pack deli treats and wine to bring aboard, and be prepared for those perfect Insta moments.
What makes it special: A paraw cruise is a peaceful and intimate way to view the islands spectacular sunsets, away from the hustle and bustle of White Beach.
To book a cruise, MASBOI desks are located at boat stations 1 and 3.
Sunset Seclusion
For a quieter alternative to the lively White Beach scene, make your way to the laidback Diniwid Beach, which has an altogether more relaxed atmosphere; ideal for an afternoon of swimming, snorkeling or just soaking up the rays together with your paramour.
This 200-meter long stretch of sand is home to a handful of cozy eateries, with the most notable of these being the DiniBeach Bar & Restaurant. This attractive, native-style establishment is a throwback to Boracay’s halcyon days, with a bamboo structure and thatched, nipa roof.
An excellent base to set up camp for a day at the beach, their varied menu includes fresh seafood dishes, creative appetizers and salads and innovative international cuisine, alongside thirst-quenching fruit juice crushes and shakes to help beat the summer heat. Local DJs spin smooth sounds as the sun sinks below the horizon, and candle-lit tables are available for the ultimate in romantic beachside dining.
Diniwid Beach can be reached via tricycle from the Main Road or by walking to the far end of White Beach, following the pathway to the next cove.
What makes it special: Being away from the crowds, you’ll almost feel as though you’ve discovered another island.
DiniBeach Bar & Restaurant
Beachfront, Diniwid Beach
Facebook: DiniBeach Bar & Restaurant
Dine in Style
One of Boracay’s best-loved restaurants, the highly acclaimed Dos Mestizos is located at the heart of the busy Station 2 area, yet still retains a secluded feel, situated down a small side street away from the busy beachfront. The brainchild of renowned chef Jose Carlos “Binggoy” Remedios, this restaurant features authentic Spanish-Filipino heritage cuisine prepared with love and meticulous attention to detail by his daughter Chef Monique.
From the cozy and rustic Spanish décor to the focus on fresh, locally-sourced ingredients, it is no surprise that Dos Mestizos is a firm favorite of food critics and gourmands from far and wide, as well as local food connoisseurs.
Diners can expect unpretentious fare, with a menu staying true to family recipes passed down for generations. Choose from five kinds of paella, an extensive tapas selection and cochinillo (roast suckling pig) amongst the many culinary delights on offer. This restaurant also boasts of some of the best wine selections on the island.
What makes it special: Dos Mestizos has a cozy and intimate feel, with live jazz and Spanish music augmenting the romantic ambiance.
Dos Mestizos Boracay
Remedios Street, Station 2
Facebook: Dos Mestizos Boracay