Boracay Airport Guide: Caticlan or Kalibo, Getting to the Jetty Port and the Steps Before the Boat

Which Is the Boracay Airport? There Is None on the Island: Fly into Caticlan or Kalibo

Boracay has no airport of its own. You fly into one of two airports in Aklan province: Caticlan, the closest to the jetty port, or Kalibo International Airport in the provincial capital, which handles international flights.

Boracay belongs to the municipality of Malay in Aklan. According to the provincial profile on the Aklan government website, the island lies about one kilometre off the north-western tip of the province, across a narrow strait. Whichever airport you choose, the last leg is a boat.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) lists both airports under Area Center VI on its area centers page. The region has six airports, and these are the two that matter for Boracay:

• 1. Caticlan airport. Its official name is Godofredo P. Ramos Airport, and it is often simply marketed as “Boracay Airport”. It sits in the Caticlan area of Malay, close to the Caticlan jetty port used to reach the island. In the CAAP aerodrome data table its ICAO code is RPVE.
• 2. Kalibo International Airport. Often shortened to KIA, it is in Kalibo, the capital of Aklan, with the ICAO code RPVK.

Booking sites show three-letter codes instead. Kalibo usually appears as KLO and Caticlan as MPH; go by what the airline’s booking page displays. A search for “Boracay” can return flights to either airport, so read the full airport name before you pay rather than assuming every result lands next to the jetty.

On management, CAAP’s Caticlan Airport PPP project page shows that the concession agreement for the airport was signed on 22 June 2009, with a private concessionaire in charge, while Kalibo International Airport operates within CAAP’s Area Center VI. The two airports differ a lot in size and routes, and the next section compares them side by side.

For an overview of the country’s main airports, and which NAIA terminal to use when connecting in Manila, see Philippine airports and NAIA terminals. For Boracay itself, including the White Beach stations and where to stay, see the Boracay White Beach guide.

Caticlan vs Kalibo: Classification, Runway, International Flights and Distance to the Jetty

In one line: Caticlan wins on distance to the jetty; Kalibo wins on international routes and runway length. The table below is based on CAAP’s summary of aerodrome data for Area Center VI, which is dated 4 February 2022. Later upgrades are subject to CAAP’s current publications.

Three points from the table:

• 1. International routes mean Kalibo. CAAP classifies Kalibo as an international airport. A Philippine News Agency report of 4 June 2021 says the expanded international passenger terminal grew from 1,584 to 2,633 square metres, raising its capacity from 344 to 406 passengers, with space for the Bureau of Customs and the Bureau of Immigration. Direct flights from abroad usually land at Kalibo; whether Caticlan has any international service depends on the airlines’ current schedules.
• 2. Caticlan’s runway is shorter. At 1,693 m against 2,500 m, it affects which aircraft and schedules can use it. Which flights go where, and how bad weather is handled, is up to each airline’s notices.
• 3. Distance to the jetty is the biggest difference. From Caticlan you reach the port quickly; from Kalibo you face a long drive first, covered in section 3.

One more thing people overlook: fares and frequencies at both airports swing widely with the season. This guide quotes no fares and names no airlines. Search both airports before booking, then add the ground transfer time and cost to each option; that is the real total cost of the trip. Baggage allowances, check-in cut-off times and change rules also differ by airline and fare type, so read the conditions of your own booking.

If you are still deciding whether Boracay is the right island, or comparing it with Cebu and Palawan, start with Boracay, Cebu or Palawan.

From the Airport to the Jetty Port: Caticlan Is Next Door, Kalibo Needs at Least Two Hours

Caticlan airport is close to the Caticlan jetty port, and about half an hour including baggage claim is usually enough. Kalibo airport is a long drive away, and in our experience you should allow at least two hours including bags and waiting for your vehicle, more in peak season or rain.

Both figures are our own planning estimates from taking clients there, not official numbers. Actual journey times depend heavily on traffic, weather and waiting time on the day.

From Caticlan airport, the airport and port are in the same area. Common options are a pre-arranged transfer, a hotel shuttle or a local tricycle from outside the airport. With plenty of luggage, a tricycle gets cramped; for how to ride one and agree a price, see how to ride a tricycle in the Philippines.

From Kalibo airport, there are three usual options:

• 1. A pre-booked private car. Priced per vehicle and going straight to the port, it is the best fit for families, older travellers, heavy luggage and evening arrivals.
• 2. A shared van or shuttle bus. Priced per person, it leaves when full and may stop along the way.
• 3. Public transport. The cheapest and slowest option, with changes along the way; not recommended for first-timers with luggage.

Whatever you choose, confirm three things before setting off: per vehicle or per person; whether port registration, the terminal fee and the boat ticket are included; and whether you will be dropped at the port entrance or somewhere else. The risk of paying a lump-sum “all-in island fee” on the van without itemised receipts is covered in Boracay pitfalls, so it is not repeated here. No fares are quoted in this guide.

Timing is everything. Boats from the jetty run within set operating hours, and what happens after the last regular trip depends on the port’s current arrangements. If you land at Kalibo late, you may miss the day’s regular crossings; it is better to spend one night on the Caticlan side and cross early the next morning. The same logic applies on the way back: work backwards from your flight through island transport, the port queue, the crossing, the drive to the airport and check-in, leaving slack at each step.

Two small tips for first-timers: save your hotel’s name and address in English on your phone to show the driver, and carry small notes, since change for large ones is often hard to find around the port and on tricycles.

Rather not bargain for a car outside Kalibo arrivals? → Kalibo and Caticlan airport transfers with a Chinese-speaking team

At the Jetty Port: Register, Pay, Board, Following the Malay and Aklan Flow Chart

According to the official flow chart, getting from the Caticlan jetty port to Boracay takes three steps: register at the tourist registration counter, pay the environmental fee, terminal fee and boat ticket at the payment counter, then board. Amounts follow the notices posted at the port and are not quoted here.

The Guide for Tourists page on the Aklan provincial website carries a “Boracay Port Entry Flow Chart” bearing the seal of the Municipality of Malay, marked as released on 22 November 2023, with the Aklan Provincial Tourism Office and the Malay-Boracay Tourism Office given as the source. Its three steps are:

• 1. Tourist registration counter. Walk-in tourists, or pre-booked tourists without a coordinator, have a group representative fill in the tourist registration form and present valid IDs or proof of identification for the whole group; solo travellers present their own. Pre-booked tourists whose package includes transfer assistance are helped with registration and verification by their tour or hotel coordinator.
• 2. Payment counter. Pay the environmental fee, terminal fee and boat ticket. If your package already includes prepaid fees, show the payment receipt at this counter.
• 3. Seacraft boarding, then on to Boracay.

Online options. Under the Online Payment menu of the provincial site, the Terminal Pass page describes online payment of terminal fees for the Caticlan and Cagban passenger terminals, with an electronic official receipt and QR codes for the turnstiles; when we checked in September 2026 it was marked “Temporarily Offline”. The same menu lists another online registration and payment channel for Boracay listed on the provincial site. Its instructions say you enter your accommodation name, or “Walk-in” if you have no booking; foreign visitors register with a passport; you can pay online or at the port; and you exchange the QR code for a physical ticket at the jetty ticketing counter. Channel names and availability change, so go by what the Aklan provincial website shows at the time, and ignore unofficial “we pay it for you” links.

Two common mix-ups:

• 1. Today’s QR code is a ticket, not a health pass. Executive Order No. 047, series of 2022, posted on the same page, lifted the pandemic-era QR code requirement for tourists entering Aklan with effect from 29 October 2022.
• 2. Accredited accommodation. The province publishes a page of authorized accommodation establishments in Boracay Island. Checking your hotel against it before booking is easier than explaining things at the port.

When you leave, you depart from Cagban port on the island side, with its own terminal fee as posted on site. For how these charges break down and where overcharging tends to happen, see Boracay pitfalls: the environmental fee and port charges.

Which Airport Should You Fly Into? Four Situations

Flying direct from abroad usually means Kalibo. Connecting through Manila on a domestic flight, pick Caticlan. Travelling with older relatives, children or lots of luggage, pick Caticlan. If budget comes first or Kalibo’s timings suit you better, choose Kalibo and leave plenty of ground time.

• 1. Flying from mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan or elsewhere with as few connections as possible. Check for direct flights to Kalibo. You clear immigration and customs at Kalibo, then drive to the port. Immigration and customs are official functions, and you neither need to nor should tip there; see do you tip at Philippine immigration. For the pre-arrival registration, see how to fill in eTravel.
• 2. Connecting through Manila. A Manila to Caticlan flight keeps ground time to a minimum. Allow enough time for an international-to-domestic connection, since NAIA assigns terminals by airline, and remember that domestic baggage allowances are usually tighter; see domestic flight baggage rules.
• 3. Older relatives, children or heavy luggage. Caticlan saves roughly two hours on the road, which makes a big difference to how everyone feels on day one.
• 4. Budget first, or Kalibo’s timings fit better. Kalibo is a perfectly good choice; the key is matching your landing time with the boat schedule and avoiding very late arrivals.

A simple way to compare: total time = flight + connection + ground transfer + port queue + crossing. A Kalibo itinerary may look shorter on the ticket, but once the drive is added it often ends up close to a connection into Caticlan, and sometimes the reverse. Work it out for your actual flights before you book.

Season matters too. In the rainy and typhoon months, both flights and boats can be adjusted for weather, so keep one spare day in the plan; for changes and refunds, see typhoon season travel changes and refunds. For the best months to go, see the best time to visit the Philippines by island.

On trip length: arrival day and departure day each lose at least half a day to transport, and more if you use Kalibo. For what three, five and seven days in Boracay look like, see how many days in Boracay.

Rather not piece together flights, transfers, boat tickets and hotels yourself? → Tailor-made Boracay trips by Yixing

Going Home and Local Admin: Departure Order, Terminal Works and Where Island Residents Go

Plan the return backwards: island transport, Cagban port, the crossing, the Caticlan jetty, then the airport. Caticlan airport is building a new terminal, so layouts may change. Foreign residents on the island should check which immigration office handles which transactions before they need one.

1. The return sequence. Getting from your hotel to Cagban port, queuing and paying at the port, crossing, and driving from the Caticlan jetty to the airport all involve waiting. Even for Caticlan, allow extra time beyond your airline’s recommended arrival time; for Kalibo, add the roughly two-hour drive and the day’s traffic. For arrival times on connecting and international flights, see how early to arrive at NAIA.

2. Caticlan’s new terminal. A Philippine News Agency report of 14 July 2025 says ground was broken that day for a new Caticlan passenger terminal building on the side of the neighbouring town of Nabas. The two-storey building is planned at 36,470 square metres, with six passenger boarding bridges and 36 check-in counters, a design capacity of seven million passengers a year and 3,000 at any one time, and a 2027 completion target. A local congressman quoted in the report also said the transport system to Boracay and the link with Kalibo airport need attention so that the two airports complement each other. During construction and after opening, waiting areas, pickup points and walking routes may change, so check the latest airport and airline notices before you travel.

3. Living on the island. Foreign nationals who live, work or run a business on Boracay should know that visa extensions, ACR I-Card matters and similar services are not available at every immigration office; start with handling immigration matters around Boracay and Kalibo. For what the nearby office cannot do, the regional hub is covered in immigration matters in Iloilo.

4. Compared with other islands. Getting to Boracay is more involved than most. Bohol’s Panglao airport, for example, is about 10 minutes from Alona Beach; see the Bohol-Panglao airport guide. To choose between the two islands, see Boracay or Bohol.

Yixing is a private consultancy registered in the Philippines, with no affiliation to CAAP, the provincial government of Aklan, the Municipality of Malay, the Bureau of Immigration or any other government agency. We can line up flight times, airport transfers, the port connection and your hotel; for longer stays, our settling-in service can help with housing and daily arrangements after you arrive.

Want the airport, port, boat and hotel sorted in one go? → Boracay tours with a Chinese-speaking team