Aklan is a province on the northwestern tip of Panay Island in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. For most travellers it is simply the gateway to Boracay — the island lies just off the coast, reached by a short boat crossing from Malay's Caticlan Jetty Port. But the province deserves more than a hurried transit.
Kalibo, the provincial capital, is the site of the Ati-Atihan Festival held every January — a days-long street party of painted faces, elaborate costumes, and relentless drumming that predates comparisons to Mardi Gras and is arguably more authentic. Travellers who coincide with it find themselves pulled into one of the most inclusive festivals in Southeast Asia. Outside festival season, Kalibo is a pleasant enough town with a good market and the unhurried pace of provincial Philippine life.
Inland Aklan is green and hilly, with small farming communities and a quiet rural landscape that few tourists see. The coastline north of Caticlan has stretches of undeveloped beach, and the Northwest Panay Peninsula Natural Park protects endemic wildlife including warty pigs and hornbills. Most visitors rush through on the way to Boracay; those who don't are usually glad they stayed.
