Boracay’s D’Mall, D’Talipapa and CityMall, each have their own vibe and appealing reasons to visit. Apart from that, it’s also good to know where you can find important amenities, such as the closest ATMs and a local sim card for internet…
So in this guide I’ll describe each of the 3 malls in detail, plus I’ll let you know where to go for the best shopping and dining experiences.
Note : Due to changes in Boracay, some details in this guide may be out-of-date. Updates are underway. That said, the guide should still be quite helpful and informative in its current form.
D’Mall: The Center of Boracay
D’Mall is Boracay’s main open-air mall. It’s located in Station 2 in between White Beach and the main road. What I enjoy most about the mall is its street market vibe, which makes it a colorful and vibrant yet laid back place to walk around in.
The mall also has the largest variety of shops and restos in Boracay making it the best place for shopping, and a convenient place to grab a bite in between activities on the beach, or before heading out at night. Basically, it’s where you’ll find almost all things you need in one place.
Finding D’Mall is easy since there are multiple unmissable entrances, both from the main road and the beach.
About the 3 Areas within D’Mall
D’mall is made up of 3 areas that quite different to one another, these areas are…
Main Street
Main Street is the most beautifully designed part of D’Mall, with shops on either side and benches and palm trees in the middle. You’ll arrive there when you enter D’mall through the main road entrance next to Budget Mart, which is a small supermarket.
Main Street has a large variety of shops, from tasty snack stops to souvenirs, electronics etc.
For more details, click to expand…
Money & Internet
- Metrobank ATMs – There are 2 of them at the right side the main road entrance.
- Money Changers – Several regular shops along main street also offer money changing.
- TechBiz – At this small computer store you can buy sim cards from both of Boracay’s mobile internet providers: Globe and Smart. Sim cards are only ₱40 (~$0.80 USD), and internet costs about ₱50 per day (it varies based on the prepaid promo you choose). This shop is also my favorite place for anything computer related.
- Globe – This is one of Boracay’s main telecom and internet providers. You can buy things related to their services here, such as sim cards, load, accessoires etc.
Food & Supplies
- Snack Stops – Main street has 3 places to stop by for a quick and tasty bite: Submarine Sandwich Shop, Halowich, and Crazy Crepes which is a must-try.
- Budget Mart – This is a small supermarket located at the main road entrance.
- Pharmacies – There are 2 small pharmacies which sell basic supplies. The first one you encounter when entering D’Mall via the main road has the biggest selection.
Mobile Electronics
- Loop (Apple) – This small licensed Apple store has all your iPhone needs covered. You’ll find it in the small lane at the right side of Budget Mart.
- Samsung – Samsung users are also covered, not in D’Mall but next to the McDonald’s left of the main road entrance.
The Local Market
The local market street named Palenke is a great place to go if you want to experience the local culture. It’s located about 100 meters south of Main Street and runs parallel to it.
You’ll find lots of little shops selling fruits, veggies and meat there. There are a few regular shops and restos as well, and a supermarket at the entrance.
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- Fruit Stalls – If you love fruit this is the place to go. You’ll find giant watermelons, juicy mangos and plenty of exotic fruits to try.
- Coco Mama – They make delicious coconut ice cream served in a coconut shell. It’s the perfect refreshment on a hot day, and it’ll be hard to resist once you’ve tried it 🙂
- Smoke Resto – This is a great little local resto which is incredibly popular for its simple yet tasty meals that are great value for money (and they’re open 24/7).
- Plato D’Boracay, Palenke – They serve pretty good Filipino food for a small price, but above all, it’s my favorite place to relax in the morning when I’m in need of some quiet.
- Crafts of Boracay – This is a supermarket with a department store on its second floor. It’s located next to the main road entrance of the local market.
- Money Changer – There’s one close to the end of the street.
The Beach Bordering Area
You’ll arrive at the beach bordering area once you reach the center of D’Mall. It’s a system of paths leading all the way up to the beach filled with restos, souvenir and clothing shops.
You’ll find most restaurants in the northern part, closer to main street, and most souvenir and clothing shops in the southern part, closer to the local market.
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Money
- BPI ATMs – Close to the beach, behind Epic Bar, you’ll find 3 ATMs next to each other.
- EastWest ATM – This one is located next to Club Insomnia, close to the local market.
- Queen’s Money Changer – You’ll find the best exchange rates in D’Mall there. It sits in front of Andok’s Restaurant, close to the northern beach side entrance of D’mall.
Restaurants
- Lemoni Café & Restaurant – This is the place to go for premium quality cakes. Their pastries are also tasty, as is their breakfast.
- Cyma Greek Taverna – This small Greek restaurant is good for when you have an appetite for meat. They’re also well-known for their flaming cheese cooking act which generates huge flames, so don’t get startled when you suddenly see fire 🙂
- Olé Spanish Tapas – This Spanish restaurant is open until 2am, making it a good option to grab a bite in the after hours if you want to avoid fast food.
- Mang Inasal – This is a fast food resto that serves Filipino style grilled chicken. If you’re hungry for chicken and looking for a quick bite, this is a good place to go.
Shops
- Boracay Bamboo Shades – This is the best place to go if you want to pick up some quality sunglasses. I love the look and style of them, and they’re great value for money. The shop is located in between the local market and the beach.
- Diving Shop – A good place to pick op a snorkeling kit or to buy some basic diving supplies or accessories. It’s located halfway along the small lane that bridges the distance between main street and the local market.
D’Talipapa: The Seafood Market
D’Talipapa is a must-visit for the seafood lover and anyone who enjoys the experience of a bustling local fish market. The unique thing about it is how you buy and order your food…
Instead of just ordering in a restaurant like usual, you first have to buy the seafood yourself at the wet market inside D’Talipapa. Once you’ve purchased your seafood, you can bring it to one of the many nearby restaurants who will then cook it for you for a modest fee.
The seafood restaurants inside D’Talipapa are specialized in cooking seafood, so they have many different preparations available. From grilled to cooked in mango sauce, sweet and sour sauce and many more… If you love seafood D’Talipapa is heaven 🙂
My favorite seafood is medium sized prawns, because they’re both affordable and yummy.
Seafood Restaurants
Most restaurants inside D’Talipapa offer the same variety of seafood preparations and a cooking fee of around ₱150 (~$3 USD) per 500g. The difference is in their ambience and cooking quality. Here are the 2 that I recommend…
- Plato D’Boracay, D’Talipapa – A higher capacity open-air restaurant perfect for small groups and families. It’s also one of the best places to watch the seafood market in action while you eat, because it sits right next to it.
- Blue Jade Cafe – A smaller, more cozy and quiet restaurant with a warmer ambience thanks to its wooden furnishings. This is my personal favorite. You’ll find it in the small street behind and to the left of Plato D’Boracay.
Souvenir Shopping
While seafood is D’Talipapa’s main appeal, you’ll also find lots of souvenir shops there. It’s a good place to pick up some bargains because there are many so vendors to choose from.
How To Find D’Talipapa
D’Talipapa is located in between White Beach and the main road, about 500 meters south of and a 10 minute walk from D’Mall. It’s accessible via both the beach and the main road…
Finding the main road entrance is easy because it’s indicated with a big sign. The two entrances at the beach are a lot harder to find, because there are no indicators there. So to help you find the two beach entrances I’ll give you some landmarks instead…
The first beach entrance when coming from D’Mall is in between Zucchero Café and Barracuda Bar. The second one is just to the right of Victory Divers Resort and Kalinga Bar. Both entrances are pretty close to each other, so of you miss one you’ll probably find the other.
CityMall: The Modern Shopping Center
CityMall is what you’d expect from a modern air-conditioned shopping center. It’s located in the northern part of Boracay, just past Station 1 at the turn off to Diniwid Beach, and very close to the Fairways and Bluewater Resort. The best way to get there is by tricycle.
It isn’t a large mall, it’s single level, but it has the biggest supermarket on the island, and it’s a convenient option for people staying at the northern end of Boracay to pick up necessities.
For more details, click to expand…
- RCBC ATM – You’ll find it on the left side of the mall entrance.
- Savemore – This is the biggest supermarket on the island. It’s the one to visit if you’re looking for more than just the basics.
- Watsons Pharmacy – The biggest pharmacy on the island. They stock the most complete range of medications and toiletries.
- Fast Food Court – Inside it you’ll find the Filipino fast food outlets Mang Inasal, Jollibee and Chowking.
- Telecom & Internet – Both Globe and Smart have small outlets here where you can purchase local sim cards and internet vouchers.
- Other Shops – There are a few modern clothing stores, a Samsung outlet, an electronic appliances store and an Ace Hardware store.
Where To Get Internet & Money
Most people will want internet, and everybody needs money. So in this section I’ll point out the best place to go shop for a relatively stable and speedy internet connection, and the most reliable ATMs to get money from…
Internet
Most hotels offer free WiFi, but it’s often slow. So if internet is important to you I recommend you consider getting internet via other means…
There are 2 mobile internet providers to choose from: Globe and Smart. Which is best depends on the area you’re in. In most places they both have pretty decent coverage though.
Globe also offers 30 minutes of free WiFi along White Beach every day. If you need more than that, or you if you don’t stay near White Beach, you’ll have to buy a sim card from either Globe or Smart. Sim cards are only ₱40 (~$0.80 USD), and internet costs about ₱50 per day (it varies based on the prepaid promo you choose).
To get the strongest internet signal possible I recommend getting a Pocket WiFi, which is a tiny battery powered mobile router for simcards. They have better antennas than smartphones, which can be important in Boracay since there are some areas with a weak signal. You can buy both sim cards and Pocket WiFis at TechBiz in D’Mall.
Money
Each mall described in this guide has at least one ATM, and I describe their locations in the points of interest for each mall above. Sometimes these ATMs get depleted though, especially in the weekends. So then it’s good to know about a few backup ATMs…
The backup ATMs that I recommend are located along the main road in Station 3. You’ll find 3 banks in a row there, so if the ATMs at one bank are depleted you can try the next one. This strategy almost always works for me, even in the middle of the weekend.
To get to those ATMs hail a tricycle and tell the driver to bring you to the BDO ATMs along the main road. Once there you’ll also see PNB ATMs to your right, and an AUB ATM to your left.
As for money changers, you’ll find the best exchange rates on the island at the money changer in the street left of Astoria Hotel in Station 1. In D’Mall you’ll find the best rates at Queen’s Money Changer in the beach bordering area.
General Opening Hours
The shops in D’Mall are generally open from 9am until 10pm, and most restaurants are open from 11am until 10pm. A few outliers are Smoke Resto and McDonald’s which are open 24/7, and there’s Olé Spanish Tapas which is open until 2am.
Most places in D’Talipapa and CityMall are open from 9am till 9pm.
Conclusion
As you can see there are good reasons to visit all of these malls. D’Mall is the commercial center with the bigger choice of shops and restos, D’Talipapa has the best local seafood experience and souvenir shopping, and CityMall is perfect for when you want a modern shopping environment offering a little more than the basics.
Thanks for the great guide
You’re welcome, glad it’s useful to you.