Boracay Island Hopping Guide

Why prices look chaotic

Island-hopping tours (Crystal Cove, Puka Shell Beach, Crocodile Island, etc.) are sold by dozens of independent beachfront agents and hotels with no fixed government tour price — only the fees below are official/fixed. Which package tier you pick (lunch included or not) is the main real price driver, not the operator.

Sources: multiple 2026 tour-listing sites (MyBoracayGuide, IN Boracay), cross-checked.

The two official, fixed fees

Boracay charges a ₱300 environmental fee (one-time, covers your whole stay, collected by the Municipal Government of Malay) and a ₱150 terminal fee (charged both entering and exiting, for the Provincial Government of Aklan) — separate from any tour price. Aklan residents and children 5 and under are exempt. Both can be prepaid online via the official Boracay iPass system or paid in cash at Caticlan Jetty Port.

Sources: panaynews.net; boracayipass.ph (official portal).

Accreditation is real — check it before you pay

The Department of Tourism (DOT) accredits travel/tour agencies and operators in Boracay/Malay (roughly 78 agencies accredited per recent counts); the local Malay Tourism Office also publishes lists. Operators not on this list may not meet mandatory safety/insurance standards.

Sources: Philippine News Agency (pna.gov.ph); DOT accreditation portal (beta.tourism.gov.ph/accreditations).

The scam pattern to watch for

The Malay-Boracay Tourism Office has publicly warned about unregistered operators running professional-looking social media pages offering island-hopping 30-50% below market rate, collecting full payment via mobile wallet/bank transfer, then either disappearing or showing up with an unsafe, unlicensed boat and demanding more cash on the spot.

Source: panaynews.net — "Boracay tourism office warns vs unregistered tour operators."

Booking advice

Book through your accommodation's front desk or a DOT-accredited operator rather than an online-only stranger offering a suspiciously cheap deal; never pay the full amount upfront via personal mobile wallet to someone you haven't met. Keep the ₱300/₱150 government fees mentally separate from your tour price — any operator folding them into an inflated "all-in" quote should itemize it.