Boracay sits three kilometers off the northwestern tip of Panay Island. The ferry from Caticlan mainland to Boracay’s Cagban Port takes fifteen minutes. Most motorcycle tourists riding through the Philippines face the same question when approaching this section of their route: what do you do with your bike when you want to visit Boracay?
The answer isn’t straightforward. Boracay operates under strict vehicle restrictions that complicate motorcycle access for big bike touring. Understanding these restrictions before you arrive saves time and prevents frustration at the ferry terminal.
Municipal Ordinance 415 Controls Motorcycle Entry
In 2020, Malay municipality implemented Municipal Ordinance No. 415 to limit motorcycle proliferation on Boracay Island. The ordinance targets the congestion caused by motorcycles operating as unauthorized habal-habal transport for tourists.
The regulation requires anyone wanting to operate a motorcycle on Boracay to obtain a special permit from the mayor’s office. This permit system primarily serves Boracay residents and business owners, not visiting tourists passing through on multi-week tours.
Residents are limited to one motorcycle per family. To purchase or register a motorcycle for Boracay use, residents must first secure a certificate from their barangay, then obtain authorization from the mayor’s office.
The ordinance doesn’t explicitly ban tourist motorcycles, but the bureaucratic process effectively discourages transient visitors from bringing their touring bikes onto the island.
Private Cars Banned Completely
While motorcycles face restrictions, private cars cannot access Boracay Island at all under any circumstances. Vehicles can reach Caticlan via RoRo ferry from Batangas or drive up through Panay Island, but they must remain on the mainland.
This total car ban has existed for years as part of Boracay’s environmental and traffic management strategy. Only authorized commercial vehicles, tricycles, vans, and service vehicles operate on the island.
Parking Your Motorcycle in Caticlan
The practical solution most big bike tourists use: leave your motorcycle on the Caticlan mainland and take the passenger ferry across to Boracay for your beach time.
Secure parking options in Caticlan exist but remain limited. Several inns and small hotels near the jetty port offer parking for guests and sometimes non-guests. Rates run approximately fifty pesos per day for motorcycles based on older reports, though current rates likely sit higher.
The old reference to fifty peso daily parking dates from 2008. Expect to pay more now, possibly one hundred to two hundred pesos per day, though this remains affordable compared to the hassle of obtaining permits.
No dedicated 24-hour secure motorcycle parking facility operates specifically at Caticlan Jetty Port. Your options involve:
Staying at a Caticlan mainland hotel and parking your bike at the hotel while you visit Boracay for the day or overnight. Many Caticlan hotels and inns provide parking for guests, often included in room rates.
Finding a local business or inn willing to let you park for a daily fee. This requires asking around near the jetty port area.
Some hotels list “motorcycle parking available onsite” in their amenities. Casa Venicia Caticlan and similar properties near the jetty offer this, though you’ll need to confirm security arrangements.
The parking situation isn’t ideal for expensive touring motorcycles. Covered parking is rare. Security varies by establishment. If you’re carrying expensive gear or riding a high-value bike, consider the risk carefully.
The Permit to Transport Process
If you insist on bringing your motorcycle to Boracay, you need a Permit to Transport from the Malay Municipal Office. This permit allows your specific motorcycle onto the island.
The process:
Travel to Malay Municipal Hall, located in the town of Malay on Panay Island. Malay serves as the administrative center for the municipality that includes Boracay Island.
Provide photocopies of your motorcycle’s Official Receipt and Certificate of Registration. If the bike isn’t registered under your name, bring a Deed of Sale.
Request the Permit to Transport from the mayor’s office. The permit requires mayoral approval.
Wait. The mayor needs to be present to issue permits. Municipal office hours run Monday through Friday, typically closing early or operating half-day on Saturdays. Timing matters.
The permit, once obtained, remains valid for one year and can be renewed.
Reality check: Malay Municipal Hall doesn’t sit conveniently near Caticlan Jetty Port. Getting there requires additional transport. Budget at least half a day for this bureaucratic process, possibly longer if the mayor is unavailable or the office is backed up.
Riders who’ve attempted this process report mixed results. Some succeed after a few hours of waiting and paperwork. Others arrive to find the mayor absent or the office unable to process permits that day. The uncertainty alone discourages most touring riders.
You can attempt to pre-arrange permits by contacting the Office of the Mayor at (036) 288-8772. Whether this actually expedites the process varies.
Even with a valid Permit to Transport, your motorcycle still cannot access White Beach or operate as a rental/habal-habal service for tourists. The permit allows personal use only.
Motorcycle Rental on Boracay Island
If you park your touring bike on the mainland but want two wheels to explore Boracay, rental options exist.
MASCO – Malay Motorbike Service Cooperative – operates as the only authorized motorcycle rental service on Boracay. They’ve held this monopoly since 2000, operating for over twenty years.
MASCO rents motorcycles to tourists for island exploration. Their fleet includes scooters and small displacement bikes, typically 125cc to 200cc machines.
Rental rates run significantly higher than mainland Philippines prices:
Basic scooters: 1000 to 1500 pesos per day Sport bikes like KTM 200cc: 1000 to 1500 pesos per day Some reports indicate rates up to 3000 pesos per day during peak season
These prices compare unfavorably to typical Philippine motorcycle rental rates of 300 to 600 pesos per day elsewhere in the country. Boracay’s limited market and MASCO’s authorized monopoly drive prices up.
Rental shops operate throughout the island, concentrated near D’Mall Station 2 and other tourist areas. MASCO warns tourists not to rent from unauthorized operators. Other motorcycles on the island marked “Private” cannot legally be rented. Getting caught riding an unauthorized rental motorcycle results in fines from local government officials.
Rentals require a valid driver’s license and ID. International Driving Permits work. Deposit requirements vary by shop.
MASCO offers guided tours in addition to self-drive rentals. Tour packages tailored to tourist needs cost extra but include a guide who knows the island.
What Riding Boracay Actually Delivers
Boracay measures approximately seven kilometers long and one kilometer wide at its narrowest point. The entire island circuit can be ridden in under an hour if you’re just covering distance.
The main road runs north-south through the interior of the island, connecting the major beaches and barangays. Traffic includes tricycles, e-trikes, service vans, local motorcycles, occasional trucks, and rental scooters.
E-trikes dominate local transport. The Boracay Land Transport Multi-Purpose Cooperative operates hundreds of electric tricycles that serve as taxis throughout the island.
Roads stay paved but narrow in sections. Traffic congestion occurs near D’Mall, Cagban Port, and the White Beach access points during peak tourist hours.
Motorcycles and bicycles cannot access White Beach itself. The beachfront path is pedestrian-only. You can ride the interior roads but must park to reach the beach.
Destinations accessible by motorcycle:
Puka Beach (northern end): Eight hundred meters of white sand beach with shells. Less crowded than White Beach. Fifteen to twenty minutes ride from central Boracay.
Mt. Luho: Highest point on the island at one hundred meters elevation. Viewpoint offers panoramic views. Requires a short climb after parking your bike.
Bulabog Beach (eastern side): Kitesurfing and windsurfing beach. Less developed than White Beach.
Boracay Newcoast (northern section): Newer development area with hotels and beach coves.
Various small beaches and coves scattered around the island perimeter.
The riding itself provides minimal challenge or interest for experienced big bike tourists. Flat terrain, low speeds, short distances, constant stopping for tricycles and pedestrians. This isn’t technical riding or scenic mountain routes.
The appeal of renting a motorcycle on Boracay comes from mobility and convenience, not from the riding experience itself. You can reach multiple beaches in a day, explore the less-touristy interior, and avoid waiting for tricycles.
What Big Bike Touring Groups Actually Do
Multi-week motorcycle tours through the Philippines typically treat Boracay as a rest day, not a riding day.
Standard procedure:
Ride to Caticlan on your touring bike. Park the bike at a Caticlan mainland hotel with secure parking. Take the passenger ferry to Boracay. Check into a Boracay hotel or resort. Spend one to three days on the island enjoying beaches, water activities, nightlife, and relaxation. Return to Caticlan via ferry. Retrieve your motorcycle and continue your route south or east through the Visayas.
Organized tour companies running Philippines motorcycle circuits use this approach. The motorcycle stays on the mainland. Boracay serves as a break from riding where the primary activity is beach time, not motorcycle touring.
Some riders skip Boracay entirely. If your interest centers on motorcycle riding rather than beach tourism, other destinations in the Philippines offer better riding with less hassle.
Alternative Approaches
Rent a scooter on Boracay if you want wheels for getting around the island but don’t need your touring bike. At 1000 to 1500 pesos per day, it’s expensive but simpler than the permit process.
Use e-trikes for transport. Rates vary but standard trips run 20 to 100 pesos depending on distance. Not motorcycle riding, but functional.
Walk. Boracay is small. White Beach stretches several kilometers. You can walk the length of the main tourist area in under an hour.
Rent a bicycle. Several shops on Boracay rent bicycles for 150 pesos per hour, 500 pesos for half-day, or 900 pesos for a full day. Cheaper than motorcycle rental, adequate for island exploration.
Ferry Connections From Boracay Continue Your Route
After your Boracay stop, multiple ferry routes continue your motorcycle tour through the Visayas.
Caticlan-Roxas (southern Mindoro) via RoRo ferry: Connects you to the Mindoro loop or onward to Batangas and back to Luzon.
Caticlan-Batangas RoRo: Reverse route back to Luzon if you’re heading north.
You won’t find direct motorcycle ferries from Boracay Island itself. All RoRo connections load from Caticlan mainland, which is why parking your bike there while you visit Boracay makes logistical sense.
Realistic Expectations For Motorcycle Tourists
Boracay doesn’t cater to big bike touring. The island rebuilt itself around environmental sustainability, pedestrian beaches, and controlled vehicle access after the 2018 rehabilitation closure.
These restrictions serve valid purposes. Limiting motorcycles reduces congestion, emissions, and traffic accidents on a small island handling millions of tourists annually.
For motorcycle tourists, this means accepting that Boracay functions differently than other Philippine destinations. You’re not riding here. You’re parking your bike and being a beach tourist for a few days.
If that trade-off works for your itinerary, Boracay delivers excellent beaches, water sports, restaurants, and beach culture. The white sand and turquoise water justify the visit for many travelers.
If you’re riding the Philippines specifically for motorcycle touring and the riding experience matters more than beach time, consider allocating those days to riding elsewhere. Northern Luzon, the Cordillera, parts of Mindanao, and other routes offer better motorcycle-focused experiences.
Practical Details Matter
If you’re parking in Caticlan for multiple days:
Remove all valuables from your motorcycle. Don’t leave electronics, riding gear, or important documents on the bike.
Document your motorcycle’s condition with photos before leaving it. This helps resolve disputes if damage occurs while parked.
Confirm parking fees and security arrangements with the hotel or parking facility before committing.
Drain the tank to half-full if parking for more than three days in hot weather to prevent fuel degradation.
Leave a local contact number with the parking facility in case issues arise.
Budget ferry time when planning your schedule. Passenger ferries from Caticlan to Boracay run frequently throughout the day, but you’ll still need to account for thirty to sixty minutes of total transit time including ticketing and boarding.
The Bottom Line on Boracay Motorcycle Access
Boracay operates under restrictions that make bringing your touring motorcycle onto the island impractical for most visitors. The Permit to Transport process exists but involves bureaucracy that doesn’t fit well with multi-week touring schedules.
Parking on the Caticlan mainland and taking the passenger ferry to Boracay works better for the majority of motorcycle tourists. You lose a few riding days but gain access to one of Southeast Asia’s most famous beach destinations without the permit hassle.
If you need wheels on Boracay, rent from MASCO. Prices are high but availability is reliable. The island is small enough that the rental cost, while annoying, doesn’t break your budget for a day or two of riding.
Understand what you’re getting: Boracay offers world-class beach tourism, not motorcycle touring. Set expectations accordingly and the visit fits logically into a larger Philippines motorcycle circuit as a rest day destination between riding sections.