The first settlers of the island were accordingly native aborigines called Negritos or Atis. These gentle people farmed and fished in Boracay for centuries. During the 1940′s and 1950′s, the Boracaynons or the people of Boracay, depended largely on fishing and coconuts. Copra, or dried coconut meat, was traded to businessmen from Aklan in exchange for rice and other goods.
In the late 1800′s the island was “discovered” by Sofia Gonzales Tirol. She and her husband Lamberto Hontiveros Tirol, a town judge on nearby Panay island, took ownership of substantial properties and began to cultivate and develop the island.
Decades ago, Boracay Island was a highly guarded secret that only a few knew of its existence.
At the begining of the 1970’s, the movie Too late the hero (imd.comb link) was shot on Boracay and Caticlan locations.
A few years later, a German writer published a book about the Philippines, describing Boracay, its history and the beautiful island in details, the island was introduced to the world. This was what started the tourist “boom” on Boracay.
In the 1980′s, the island became popular with backpackers. Since then, Boracay had gradually become a Mecca of tourism.
Since then, the onset of tourism changed Boracay completely. As word of its exceptional beauty – specifically the immaculate white sand Beach spread, tourists from around the globe began falling in love with the island, more and more arriving each day. Suddenly, from a sleepy, sparsely populated island, Boracay was transformed into a major destination on the international travel circuit.