UTILA SANDY BAY BEACH HOUSE

Roatan, Utila, Guanaja and 65 other small Caribbean cays comprise Honduras’s Bay Islands. If you’re looking at a map of Central America, you’ll notice that Utila is almost directly South of Key West. Located just 12 to 35 miles off the country's Northern coast, these tropical clusters are the exposed summits of an undersea mountain range known as the Bonacca Ridge. The Bay Islands are the continuation of the second largest reef system in the world, the Great Western Barrier Reef. The smallest and flattest of the three major Bay Islands, Utila, is also the closest (18 miles) to the mainland and measures approximately 3 x 8 miles. There are two hills on the otherwise horizontal landscape, one of which is the hollow shell of an extinct volcano at the East End. The inhabitants or Utila are a mixture of descendants of British, Slaves, Central American Caribs, and more recently, Hispanics from the mainland.

Utila has a unique atmosphere, a Caribbean paradise forgotten by the havoc of modern life. There are practically no cars, everybody moves around by boat or bicycle and nobody is in any particular hurry. Utila is the new kid on the block of diving and island tourism and is growing rapidly. Not too long ago, it was a laid-back island nearly devoid of visitors and devoted almost entirely to fishing. Today, Utila is a thriving community of dive shops, small hotels and lodges by the sea catering to divers and escapists.

Utila has a richly diverse history. There is evidence of early Payan Indians dating back to the Pre-Columbian years according to the pottery and artifacts found. Columbus discovered Utila in 1502 and the Payans were put into slavery 26 years later. Famous buccaneers such as Henry Morgan and pirate occupation by the English, French and Dutch was a colorful part of the history throughout the 1500's. British settlement finally occurred in the early 1800’s. Utila, in many ways, is still more reflective of England and the US than of the Honduran mainland. Thus, it is no surprise that a richly Caribbean version of English is the predominant language.There are several recommended Utila historical books as well as Utila guidebooks.

First and foremost, Utila is a friendly place. Though still a fishing village, the tourism industry is becoming quite healthy. Utila is not a typical "resort" island, nor is it highly developed. On just about any evening one will find men, women, and children walking, talking and generally just enjoying themselves on the main street. The crime rate is very low and mostly of the petty theft variety.

Utila Island is consistently voted THE best value in the Caribbean as well as top ratings for wall & shore diving. It’s also noted as one of the best places in the world to see a whale shark. It is littered with undeveloped deserted beaches and one only needs a mountain bike to get around the island. Most of the islanders use ATV’s, golf carts and mopeds to get about.

The locals are often described as the friendliest people in the Caribbean. If you’re looking for elegant dining, Gucci bags, and disco techs then Utila probably won’t be for you. If you are looking for new and adventurous diving experiences combined with a natural, unstrained hospitality and Old World Caribbean charm, Utila should be on the top of your list.