Completely surrounded by dramatic reefs, the island once served the Ancient Mayans, and later the Payan Indians, as a sacred and spiritual paradise. For Christopher Columbus, it was a pristine new world, full of adventure and untouched by the civilization. Black Beard, and other pirates of the high seas, valued this tropical hideaway as a secret refuge, unknown to those who pursued them.

Today the lush island of Guanaja, formerly Bonacco, is the second largest, 12 by 4 miles, of the three Bay Islands, located off the Caribbean Coast of Honduras. It is the only one of the three to boast mountains high enough to support a true river and scenic waterfalls. Unlike the other two islands, which have gone “mainstream,” Guanaja remains the hidden treasure of the Caribbean. Besides attracting divers, anglers and adventure travelers with its tropical jungles, pure white sand and teeming reefs, Guanaja has also captured the hearts of jetsetters, including international architects and world famous archaeologist/ treasure divers, who have made the island their home, or home away from home.

Although small, the island of Guanaja is serviced by three local airlines; Sosa, Atlantic and Isleña with service from Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula and La Ceiba. The small oceanside airport consists of a landing strip, boat dock, and Captain Al’s “Terminal A”, a small artistically painted snack shack with thatched roof. Plans for a new airport, consisting of a lighted landing strip and new terminal are in the works, with a scheduled completion date of June 2004.

Unlike the other Bay Islands, all transportation is by boat, owing to the fact that Guanaja has no roads or cars, adding to the island’s charm. Guanaja houses three small villages, two along the coast (Savannah Bight & Mangrove Bight) and “Bonacca Town” (Lo Cay), the capital and business center. Christened “The Venice of the Caribbean” by author Jane Houlson (Blue Blaze 1934), “Bonacca” rises out of the sea, forming a 17-acre stilted town a few hundred meters offshore and is home to 75% of Guanaja’s population.

Guanaja is predominantly a fishing economy, harvesting shrimp, lobster and conch for export to the United States. Three out of the seven Bay Island seafood processing and packing plants are located on the island, each processing up to a million plus pounds of seafood a year.