Utila. The smallest of the three major Bay Islands, Utila lies closest to the Honduran Mainland and is by far the flattest of the islands. Utila is located approximately 18 miles from the coast and can be easily reached from La Ceiba either by sea or air. Utila is serviced by the Utila Princess passenger ferry providing a total of two daily departures, making it easy to get to Utila from La Ceiba. The Ferry departs from the Muelle de Cabotaje in La Ceiba. The trip takes only one hour on this fast motor vessel. Tickets can be purchased directly at the dock. For schedules check our information chart at the transportation information on the first pages of this publication. Arrival in Utila is at the municipal dock, conveniently located in the central area of east harbor. Air service is available daily via Sosa Airlines and Atlantic Airlines. There are some charter air services available from both La Ceiba and Roatan that can help you get in or out of Utila.

The main town in Utila is known as East Harbour or simply Utila, and is located on the eastern side of the Island, between the Upper Lagoon and the Lower Lagoon. The Upper Lagoons entrance is between the old airstrip and town, precisely where the only bridge in the road between the airport and town is located. Thus, some of the rooms and dive shops are actually located right on the lagoon, such as Sharkeys Reef and Crosscreek Hotel. The main road is paved until the end of town, however, a dirt road continues and will take you as far as Blue Bayou, which is very popular with many backpackers and offers one of the few beaches in Utila. The Blue Bayou is located at the entrance to the Lower Lagoon. There is a small entrance fee to enjoy the beach and facilities located here. On the other side of the Lagoon you will find one of the most exclusive resorts in Utila: The Laguna Beach Resort. It is located on a narrow strip of land, with the Caribbean Sea on one side and the Lower Lagoon on the other. Shore diving from the resort is outstanding, as the reef is only a few feet from the beach. You require a motor launch to reach this resort.

The Airport, is located on the northern side of the island, about 4 kilometers from town, and is a little too far to walk, however there is good taxi service available that will cost you about 1 ½ dollars per person to your resort in town. It is basically impossible to get lost in Utila. There is one main road following the coastline along the harbor. This road is a pedestrian road, although you do have to watch out for the ever growing number of cars on the island, as well as for the occasional motorcyclist and the many bicycles. Bicycles are the main means of transportation and there are several outfits that rent these if you wish an alternative to walking, ATV’s and scoters are also available for rent. We recommend Bodden Rentals, located behind the BGA bank as the most reliable. Although Utila is world famous for it’s diving, which is not only excellent, but also very affordable, this does not mean that Utila is necessarily a "cheap" resort. Accommodation and food are much less expensive than at the other islands, but Utila also has some world-class diving resorts, such as the Utila Lodge and the Laguna Beach Resort.

Perhaps the most important news in Utila is the new Utila Power Company. This new privately owned company has begun to provide electrical power to the entire island as of July 2003. This means that Utila now has 24-hour power provided by a modern generator, which insures regular service. There is no doubt investment in the island will increase substantially as a result of this service.
There are now two different Spanish language schools in Utila for tourists. The Central American School for language has been successfully operating for a couple of years and the Centro Internacional de Idiomas has just opened a branch here. Both are offering quality courses, which will help you, spruce up your Spanish and communicate better on the Honduran Mainland as well as at the different Central American countries that you plan to visit during your trip.

There are two banks in Utila, Banco BGA, which is located across the street from the Municipal dock, and Banco Atlantida, located half a block away from BGA. The bank hours are 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8:00 - 11:30 a.m. on Saturdays. Both, BGA and Banco Atlantida will exchange your dollars, travelers’ checks and offers cash withdrawals on your Visa Card.

An interesting site on the island is Günter’s Driftwood Gallery, where Gunter an Austrian who was attracted to the island 30 years ago and has lived here since. His gallery is located just off Cola de Mico Road. Here you will find a variety of items carved from driftwood as well as some paintings. Gunter is great source of local information and is always very friendly. It is better to call in advance to make sure that he is there. His phone number is 425 3113.

The only mountain on the island is Pumpkin Hill, from where you can get a view of the whole island, as well as of Roatan, further east. There is a trail that leads you to Pumpkin Hill, which is located three miles from town. If you decide to follow the trail, remember to be back before nightfall, or else take a good flashlight with you. There are caves around Pumpkin Hill, where according to legend, pirates hid their treasures. Although Utila does not have many beaches, there are several small keys within reach by boat that boast a good beach and a lot of privacy. The largest of these keys are actually populated, such as Pigeons and Suc Suc Keys, constituting the second largest community in Utila. There are several options to stay at the “Cays”. The Hotel Keyla offers 8 rooms with private bath and fan; the Lonestar Hotel offers 4 rooms with private bath, hot water and fan, another more basic option is Vicky's Rooms for rent, a small "hospedaje" with ten rooms, which rent for Lps. 150 per double unit offering a shared bath. Eating on the keys is limited; however there are a few restaurants: The Cay View restaurant offers good food and bar service, Susan's restaurant is another good option, she is open for lunch and dinner and offers inexpensive meals well as soft drinks and beer. These keys are also supplied power by the new power company, so services for tourists are likely to increase in the short run. The best source for information about the Utila Cays in Utila is at Captain Morgan’s Dive Shop, which specializes in dive packages around the Cays.

The other keys, such as Bells Key, Southeast Key, Sandy Key and Morgan Key are all privately owned and have nice houses. You can rent most of these keys. Prices vary, but you can get them for about $85.00 US per day and up, and can sleep up to 6 persons. Sandy Key can be rented by calling George Jackson, who lives on Pigeon Key at Tel 425 3161. He also has a fax installed on the same number. Water Key is probably the prettiest of the keys. It is uninhabited and a very popular place to camp out. There are no facilities here, so you must bring all your food, camping gear, etc. Getting to the keys can be a little tricky; however, Günter’s dive shop operates the most reliable service to the keys, check with them for schedules. You can also look for Swin Jackson, who has some very good motor dory's for rent. You can find Swin at his home, located in front of the Crosscreek Dive shop office or at phone number 425 3397. Swin offers good boats at very fair prices and knows the island and keys very well. If your stay in Utila allows enough time, I definitely recommend visiting the Keys. These offer a totally different view of Utila. Camping on Water Key is safe, and there is excellent snorkeling off the windward side of the key. A new sunset sail will begin operation soon out of Gunters Dive Shop. For more information check out at the dive shop, who, incidentally, also have the nicest backpacker lodge in town at a very affordable $9.00 USA per room.
There are many different restaurants and bars around town. For a listing of dining options, check our eateries in Utila section.

For anyone trying to get info on flights in and out of Honduras, Morgan’s Travel offers plane tickets and reservations for both domestic and international flights. Without question, the biggest attraction that Utila offers to its many tourists is its fantastic reefs combined with some of the least expensive dive courses in the World. Utila boasts the largest local population of whale sharks, huge, giant fishes that can regularly be seen in the waters around Utila. The Utila Lodge has a whale shark research program, which has successfully tagged several specimens. Utila also has an emergency hyperbaric chamber to insure fast, reliable attention to divers who get ill with decompression during diving. The chamber is manned by a several local volunteers and is without doubt an asset to the island.

Many new hotels have spouted up in the last few months, most of them providing upscale accommodations at very reasonable prices. Amongst the new hotels we can mention the Colibri Hill Resort, offering the only swimming pool in town as well as lovely views; the Sea Eye Resort, located on the point is another nice property offering large double rooms as well as very spacious apartments ideal for longer stays or for travelers with young children who need kitchen facilities. Finally, the Coral View, located in the Blue Bayou area offers yet another option, this one including access to a natural salt water pool and nice clean rooms. Check out the room on the top floor with a private deck overlooking the island! Some of the older hotels, such as the Mango Inn have also upgraded their services, now providing a refreshing swimming pool as well as two deluxe cabins with minibars and cold water dispensers. The Utila Lodge has recently upgraded their bar area and know have a nice Jacuzzi, overlooking the Caribbean Sea available for their guests.

Utila has become quite famous for two different events that take place every year: The Utila Carnaval, which takes place the third week in July, offers a unique view of the Island culture, with many different activities taking place during that week. The other yearly event is the Utila Sunjam, a massive tecnomusic party that takes place at Water Key during the first week in August. Sunjam is an all night party, where dancing, and listening to tecnomusic provides the set back to meet people from around the world and have fun. It is a good idea to bring your hammock to hang below the palm trees or a tent to insure that you have a place to crash when you have had just to much partying and need a break!