The wild beach at the island’s northern tip
Puka Shell Beach — also called Puka Beach or Yapak Beach, after the barangay it belongs to — stretches along Boracay’s northern tip. It is wilder than White Beach: the sand is coarser, there are far fewer buildings and the sea can be rougher, but the colour of the water on a calm day is extraordinary.
The beach is named after the small, round puka shells that were once found in great numbers in its sand and strung into necklaces. Today you will see more vendors selling shell jewellery than shells on the beach — leave what you find where it is.
Most visitors reach it as a stop on an island-hopping trip, but it is also an easy e-trike ride from the Stations if you want to stay longer.
Bring a book and a towel — Puka is at its best when you are not in a hurry. A few simple eateries and fruit stalls sit behind the beach.
Island-hopping tours often stop here for a swim. It is the easiest way to see Puka as part of a bigger day out.
The beach is long; walk away from the main access point and you can have a stretch of it almost to yourself.
These GetYourGuide experiences are the easiest way to add Puka Shell Beach to your Boracay days:
Bestseller The standard Boracay boat day, and the one most travellers book: an outrigger bangka loops around the island to stops such as Crocodile Island and Puka Beach, with time in the water to swim and snorkel. Hundreds of reviews make it the safe first choice.
Private The classic route — Crocodile Island, Puka Beach, swimming and snorkelling — on a private boat, finished with a local seafood barbecue lunch. Worth comparing with the shared trips if you are a family or a small group.
All-in-one day Boracay’s greatest hits in one package: parasailing, island hopping, a buffet lunch, a kawa bath and an ATV ride. A long day, but it saves arranging four separate bookings.
After the small, round puka shells once found in its sand and traditionally strung into necklaces.
On many of them, yes — for example the classic island and beach-hopping boat tour. Check each itinerary, as stops vary with the weather.
On calm days, yes. It is more exposed than White Beach, so conditions change more quickly.
An island-hopping morning, a helmet dive or a parasail at midday, and a paraw under sail as the sun goes down off White Beach. Compare Boracay tours and book in a couple of taps.