Lying just a few miles off the coast of La Ceiba, Cayos Cochinos can usually be seen from the coast on a clear day. The Cayos Cochinos are a group of two small islands (Cayo Menor and Cayo Grande) and 13 small coral cays situated 30 kilometers northeast of La Ceiba on the northern shores of Honduras. Since 1993, the Cayos Cochinos were designated a Marine Protected Area and in 2003, it was further declared a Marine Natural Monument with the Honduras Coral Reef Fund (HCRF) administering the conservation of the area.

Cayos Cochinos forms part of the world’s second largest Barrier Reef system, known as the Meso-American Barrier Reef system, and have been identified by the Smithsonian Institute, The Nature Conservancy, the Word Wildlife Fund and the World Bank as one of the key sections of the Barrier Reef system to preserve. The reefs are the least disturbed ecosystems in the Bay Islands complex and have had a strong and active NGO working with local communities, private sector bodies and government organizations to help manage the reefs and their fisheries over the last 10 years. For the purposes of conservation and the maintenance of the natural monument, there is a tariff upon entering the protected area based upon the number of people and length of stay.

There are several trails in Cochino Grande that start right at the Plantation Beach resort, making it a very attractive alternative for the explorer. One of these trails leads to the highest point on the island, where there is a lighthouse. If you are willing to try climbing up to the top, you will enjoy a spectacular 360-degree view, with a 20-mile radius.

Diving, snorkeling, hiking and bird watching are but a few of the alternatives available to the nature lovers who visit the keys. The Garifuna inhabit the surrounding area and cultural activities can be enjoyed such as dancing, fishing, local art and food. Cayos Cochinos is a true paradise that fortunately is being preserved for future generations to enjoy.

How to get there/Places to stay

The only means of getting to the keys is by boat. But there are several departing locations: La Ceiba, Sambo Creek, Nueva Armenia, and Roatan.

From La Ceiba, the Plantation Beach Resort, located on Cochino Mayor, can help you arrange for the transportation if you are staying with them on one of their four powerboats that leave from either the Lagoon Marina or La Ceiba Shipyard in La Ceiba’s Muelle de Cabotaje area. They are a long established diving resort, offering outstanding diving, snorkeling, sea kayaking and trails around these small islands. The trip will take between one and one and a half hours, depending on surf conditions. Schedules can be arranged according to your needs with the resort. Their telephone numbers is 442-0974. The food at Plantation Beach Resort is superb and its bar offers the best cold beer and an extensive selection of liquors.

A unique alternative is to participate in a scientific expedition in conjunction with the HCRF Marine Research Center on Cayos Menor, sponsored by the Cayos Cochinos Foundation. As this expedition is dive-based you need to have a dive qualification to take part, or acquire one as part of the pre-expedition diver training session. Currently, the Foundation is working with the local communities of the Cayos Cochinos along with Nueva Armenia to develop ecotours in the area and they are expected to begin offering tours during 2005 season. For more information, contact the Cayos Cochinos Foundation in La Ceiba at 443-4075 (76) or email at fundcayos@caribe.hn.

There are several options for day trips to Cayos Cochinos. Garifuna Tours, one of the leading adventure / ecotours tour operators in the country offers daily departures from their offices located in La Ceiba. Departures are at 7:00 a.m. from Garifuna tours offices by land to the Palma Real Resort, where tourists’ board the boat for the short 45 minute tour to Cayos at 8:00 a.m. Return is scheduled at 3:00 p.m. back in La Ceiba. Another option is to arrange departure from the Gran Marina at the Muelle de Cabotaje, but only on the weekends, on the “Princesa”, a good seaworthy motor vessel. The tour has a cost of $65.00 USD per person and includes a light lunch and a visit to Cayos Cochinos. For more information, visit Mango Tango at the zona viva in La Ceiba, and Zenia Paz will give you all the necessary information and help you book the tours. Reservations are required with a minimum of 48 hours to insure the departures.

From Nueva Armenia, several people can help arrange the crossing to the Cayos Cochinos. To get to Nueva Armenia, head towards Trujillo to Jutialpa, about 33 km from La Ceiba. From here, follow a dirt road 8 km to Nueva Armenia. If you do not have a car, the direct bus departs from the La Ceiba bus terminal daily at 9:30 and 12:30 and takes about 1.5 hours. The most reliable and recommended is Rene Arzu. Rene has several motorboats and tuc-tucs (motorized dugout canoes), and the trip will take about two hours. Departures are planned in the early morning to insure the best weather, which means you will have to overnight in Nueva Armenia. Rene’s sister has a small basic hotel and can put you up and arrange for food as well at very inexpensive rates.

For yachters, Cayos offer safe moorings with bouys already in place to help protect the reef. Plantation Beach Resort is very “yachtie” friendly and yachters can radio in to make a reservation for a meal here on channel 12 “Trinity”.

If you are looking for a less expensive alternative on the keys, the Garifuna community living at Chachauate key can put you up for a small fee. Although the island is quite basic, there is no running water and no electricity, there are some new latrines, and food is available. Rene Arzu can help you arrange for accommodations there, which will range from Lps. 80 to 100 a night and up.

If you have your own boat, and plan on visiting the keys, you should bare in mind that anchoring is illegal, due to the fact that the coral reefs are damaged every time an anchor is used. However, moorings are available in the channel between the two larger keys. Most of them are located almost in front of the Plantation Beach Resort, on the west side of Cochino Grande.