For many years, Boracay has been a popular tourist and local attraction. There is no denying that the area's white sand beaches, glistening oceans, breathtaking sunset vistas, and exciting nightlife are the main draws of the island.
However, a recent study has unveiled a captivating revelation for sunset in Boracay.
According to research by luggage and travel specialists Bounce, Boracay is the ninth-best sunset location in the world, based on social media popularity, their level of pollution, and the overall number of recommendations.
Boracay’s popularity
Sunsets have a universal appeal, serving as emotional reminders of nature's transient but profound beauty.
Bounce used stories from Tui, Time Out, and Forbes to count how many times each destination was mentioned. The analysis of the places on the list, including the "sunset score," also included a look at the combined "sunset" and "sunrise" photos from Instagram accounts.
There were 1,567 Instagram dawn photos and 47,616 Instagram sunset photos from Boracay, for a total of 49,183 Instagram sunrise and sunset photos while its sunset rating stands at 7.94 out of 10.
“Using Instagram, the name of the destination followed by “sunset” and “sunrise” was searched to find the total number of posts. E.g., #santorinisunset. This data is correct as of 26/06/2023. These were added together to obtain the total number of posts,” the study read.
Island’s light pollution
In this study, Bounce also considered light pollution as experts gathered artificial light pollution at each location using the Light Pollution Map.
Boracay had a fairly high level of light pollution at 122 μcd/m2.
“The destinations recording below 0 μcd/m2 were removed from the ranking for the destinations with the lowest light pollution to avoid inaccuracies,” the study said.
Artificial lighting has proliferated on the island due to its appeal as a tourist destination, especially in urbanized areas. Light pollution can affect visibility and the enjoyment of the sunset experience.
With 29,560 Instagram photos from sunrise and sunset combined, 0.973 μcd/m2 of light pollution, and a 9.13 sunset score, Uluru is the top sunset destination.
Maldives then came in second with 24,399 Instagram posts about sunrises and sunsets, 0.219 μcd/m2 of light pollution, and a 9.07 sunset score.
