Utila - Info Page |
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HIGHLIGHTS: Snorkelling Scuba Diving Courses INFO: Utila is located off the Eastern coast of Honduras. It is one of the Bay Islands and is the island most fequented by backpackers. It is the cheapest place to get your scuba diving certification. It is a strange place with an intersting mix of people. There is only one town, and everything is within walking distance. PLACES TO STAY: Bayview Hotel: We stayed here. It was $10 for a room with shared bath (2 rooms share 1 bath located between them), $12 with private bath. It's right on the water. It's very clean and all the rooms have windows on both sides so that the breeze can pass through. The owners are very friendly and often sit and talk with the guests in the evening. They are 7th Day Adventists and so on Saturdays do not conduct business until after sundown, but will hold a room for you during the day. (from dock, turn left on Sandy Bay Rd. About 1 km on left) Seaside Inn: Very popular and recommended by a friend. Probably is a little cheaper as it's not right on the water. (a bit further down the road from Bayview...on your right) RESTAURANTS: There are lots to choose from. Prices aren't always the cheapest and places seem to change names often, but you can find most everything here. Street Food: Often there are ladies selling Baleadas (tortillas with beans, cheese and "sour" cream) on the street...these are a quick, cheap meal. Forgot the Name: Our favorite place for Breakfast (plenty of food for great price). From the dock intersection head towards the airport. Pass Delaney's Kitchen & Mermaids Corner. It's on left (green house with restaurant on the front porch). Greenhouse Cafe: This place is pricey but does serve the best coffee on the island. It's always nice to splurge once in a while. BARS: Bucket of Bloodwas quite popular SPANISH SCHOOLS: None: the local language is english INTERNET: Extremely expensive, but available SPECIAL NOTES: Snorkelling: We tried snorkelling from the airport, but had problems with visibility - it might be very nice. Our favorite place was the Blue Bayou. Hammocks and picnic tables and a nice dock from which you can enter the water to snorkel, thus avoiding walking on any coral. There is a small entrance fee and a store that sells sodas and snacks. Also, almost to the airport on the ocean side of the road, there was a place that did snorkelling trips only. It was not operating when we were there because the boat had been stolen! It might be back in business now. Dive Courses: Most everyone comes to Utila to get their diving certification. We did not take a course but can share some general info. The price has been set at a universal price for all companies. To entice you, they will often offer either free lodging or free dives after you are certified. Check around for recommendations from other people...there are plenty of options. Surrounding Cayes: We visited Water Caye for a day. You pay an entrance fee that is supposed to go towards cleaning the island but there's still more trash than you'd like to see washing up on the shore. The island is beautiful and if you have a tent you should try to camp overnight (you'll probably have the whole place to yourself). You can snorkel here. Swim straight out from the west end, about 1/3 of way to next island head to your left...there's a nice coral shelf you can swim along. GETTING THERE: You need to take a Ferry from the mainland city of La Ceiba (not a great town). We spent the night here at Hotel Amsterdam 2000 (not great, not awful - and a good place to meet up with other travellers headed to Utila). You have to take a Taxi to the dock early in the morning (at least an hour drive) and should be able to share it with other travellers. WARNING: Utila has a sandfly problem...when there is rain or lack of wind they start biting. During winter months (Nov/Dec) Utila can get lots of rain and when it rains the sandflies are voracious. We met people who had left because of this (covered with welts from bites). Make sure to check with other travellers about the weather. We lucked out and had 10 days of sunshine (in Jan) after weeks of nonstop rain. |
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