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When in need of some serious beach action, look no further
than the Bay Islands (Islas de la Bahia), Honduras'
foremost tourist attraction. The chain of seventy or so islands,
rising in a half moon above the Honduran north coast and ringed
by sandy beaches lapped by the tranquil, glassy waters of
the Caribbean, offer world class yet cheap opportunities for
scuba diving.
So far tourist development has centred on the three largest
islands: Roatán, Guanaja and Utila. Roatán
is the most developed of the three, Guanaja is a resort destination
for those with cash-lined pockets while Utila attracts the
backpacking crowd.
Roatán
Roatán is the original Honduran paradise destination.
The palm decked beaches and sapphire waters beckon you to
the shoreline and beyond, while the interior is a tropical
sensation with its hills and dense areas of untouched jungle.
Most people come here to dive, dive, dive - and all budgets
are well-catered for. There are dive and resort shops across
the island. The fact that Roatán is geared to diving
makes it a great place to learn the sport because the competition
keeps safety standards good and prices reasonable (but not
as low as Utila). Once you're qualified, popular dive sites
include 'West End Wall' (a deep dive full of large
corals, sponges and fish, including rays), 'Doc's Elbow'
(a night dive site where you can witness octopi, crabs and
lobsters) and 'Barbareta Wall' (an uninhabited island
offering many uncharted reefs and abundant sea life).
Development on Roatán has remained on the right side
of understated yet still manages to provide the visitor with
a good range of accommodation choices and locations. There
are six settlements connected by an unkempt 'highway' including
Sandy Bay where you can visit several nature attractions
like the dolphin program at the Roatán Institute
for Marine Sciences and the Tropical Treasures Bird
Park. West End is crammed with restaurants - many
serving up the very fish that people have spent the day viewing!
Popular 'gringo' (foreigner) hotspots are Salt and Peppers
which does great fish and chips, eagle rays with barbecue
and live music, and Cannibal Café specialising
in Mexican fare (although not Mexicans). Accommodation on
the island ranges from the cheap (around $10 per night) to
the very comfortable and exclusive (well over $100 per night).
Guanaja
For tranquillity and beauty with comfort to boot Guanaja
is the place to go for those with more money to spend. Apart
from a handful of resorts, the island is an eruption of jungle-covered
mountains and nothing else. There are no roads and all transport
is by water-taxi. Indeed, the main settlement, the small town
of Bonacca, isn't even on dry land - it's built on
stilts about 800ft offshore.
The dive sites surrounding Guanaja are a joy for experienced
divers - caves, canyons and swim-through breaks in the rocks
are all here to be explored. The coral formations are reputedly
the best that the Bay Islands have to offer and this makes
up for the fact that there appear to be fewer fish here than
around Roatán and Utila. That said, you're still likely
to see rays, snappers and groupers on any dive.
If the sea isn't the only thing you want to be immersed in
on your holiday, take a water taxi over to Bonacca for a cultural
fix. Basically a fishing community but lacking most of the
conveniences you'd expect of a town housing several thousand
people, it's a laid back place with colourful houses, churches
- for every persuasion from Mormons to 7th Day Adventists
- and busy streets winding around canals brimming over with
dug-out canoes. There are several local taverns and dance-halls
that are safe enough to visit at night too.
Utila
The least developed of the Bay Islands, Utila is also arguably
the best value. Cheap prices and an enticing range of diving
opportunities make it the choice of budget travellers and
hardcore underwater enthusiasts alike, but a cultural experience
it is not. If diving, drinking, diving, drinking (with fellow
foreigners) is right up your alley (think of a less developed
version of Koh Tao in Thailand) then this is definitely the
place for you. Otherwise, pay extra and go to Roatán.
The reefs around the island boast pristine coral and abound
with life. For more experienced divers the north of the island
has some vertigo inducing drop-offs where you can watch a
bustling community of life that includes turtles, sharks,
moray eels and sting rays. Underwater mountains lie underneath
Utila's coastline. The 'Black Hills' site is a firm favourite.
Divers drop down next to the coral encrusted hilltop and are
literally engulfed in schools of fish - as well as encountering
the odd (harmless) nurse shark. But perhaps the biggest draw
Utila has to offer is the chance to swim with the whale shark
and be awed by the magnificence of the world's largest fish
(it can grow up to 48 feet long).
Life is centred around Utila Town - the only settlement
on the island. Its narrow streets are lined with dive shops
as well as with the usual backpacker fare of guesthouses (generally
good and cheap, ranging from $10 to $25 for a double room
with electricity and fan), taverns and trinket stores. Here,
once you're sick of the sea (which may well never happen)
you can kick back and enjoy the town's friendly, party atmosphere
or turn your sights inland and walk the trails to the Ironshores
volcanic hills or Pumpkin Hill which affords lovely
views across to Roatán.
When to go
The rainy season from September to February hits the Bay
Islands particularly hard although it can rain on the Caribbean
coast at any time of the year. The peak travel period falls
in March, April, July and August. The optimum months to visit
are either side of this time in March or September.
Getting there
Inside Honduras, La Ceiba is the best place for transport
connections to the islands. Air and boat services run to both
Utila and Roatán; air travel is the only way to get
to Guanaja. It's also possible to fly to Utila and Roatán
from San Pedro Tula and Tegucigalpa and internationally
from Belize City, San Salvador, Houston and Miami in
the USA once a week.
travellers tips
The islands are home to some pretty tenacious flying insects.
Sand flies don't carry any diseases to worry about but
they're everywhere and will bite at any opportunity leaving
unsuspecting visitors covered in swollen, itchy bites that
could seriously dampen holiday fun. Malaria, carried
by mosquitoes, is also a risk here according to the Centers
for Disease Control. To avoid bug bites use repellent and
cover up at dusk and dawn when the bugs are at their most
active. If you still get bitten treat the itching with antihistamine
tablets or cream.
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