Roxas

Roxas City in Capiz is the Philippines' seafood capital — people fly in mainly to eat. The province's shallow coastal waters produce huge harvests of oysters, crabs, prawns and angel-wing clams (diwal), and the grill shacks along Baybay Beach turn them into one of the cheapest great seafood meals anywhere.

• Feast at the Baybay Beach seafood shacks — pick your catch, pay by weight, eat by the water; a full spread runs about ₱300–₱500 ($5–$8) per person
• Sunset bamboo-raft cruise on the Palina River, with more seafood served on board
• Paddle through the Culajao Mangrove Eco-Park, minutes from the city
• Make the short trip to Panay Church, whose giant bell — one of Asia's largest — was cast from donated coins

Roxas is a one-hour flight from Manila, with daily flights landing minutes from the city centre. By road it is about 2.5–3 hours from Kalibo, the airport many Boracay visitors fly through — which makes Roxas the easiest add-on in the region: a night or two of seafood before or after the beach.

Treat it as a food stop, not a sightseeing base. One full day covers Baybay Beach, the Palina River raft and Panay Church; two days is plenty. Bring cash — the seafood shacks and trike rides are cash-only, and ATMs cluster in the city centre, not by the beach.

Come December to May for dry weather; early December adds the Sinadya sa Halaran festival. If Roxas is your only stop on Panay, plan the rest of the route with the Philippines guide — Cebu pairs well next for waterfalls and diving, one short flight away via Manila.