The Utila Cays - An Authentic Caribbean Island Experience

Utila Cays Information
Jewel Cay and Pigeon Cay are two Cays, linked together by a small bridge: there is no traffic, and because of its location and the prevailing "East Wind" it is virtually mosquito and sand-fly free most of the year.

     History
Ruins on all three of the Bay Islands indicate that they were inhabited well before the Europeans arrived. Christopher Columbus, on his 4th voyage to the new world landed on the island of Guanaja on July 30th, 1502. He encountered a fairly large population of Indians whom he believed to be cannibals. The Spanish eventually enslaved the islanders and sent them to work on the plantations of Cuba and also the Gold & Silver mines of Mexico.

They did not stay empty for long however, as English, French & Dutch pirates established settlements on the islands and raided the cumbersome Spanish cargo vessels laden with gold and other treasures from the New World. The Welsh buccaneer Henry Morgan established his base at Port Royal on Roatan in the mid-17th century and at that time as many as 5,000 pirates were living on the island.

Mr. Samual Warren and Mr. Joshua from the United States were living on the Cays when Mr. Joseph Cooper, his wife, and 6 children arrived from the Cayman Islands in 1836. Mr. Warren later married the Cooper's daughter Elizabeth and had 7 children together. Later settlers came from various countries such as the United States, England, Germany and Switzerland to name a few so by 1858 101 people lived here and by 1904 almost 800 inhabitants populated the island. Today over 7000 people call Utila their home.

The Bay Islands were later ceded to Honduras by Great Britain 144 years ago.

       
       General Information
The main town of Utila, known as East Harbor or simply Utila, is located on the eastern side of the island, between the Upper and Lower lagoons. The main road is paved until the end of town, however a dirt road continues and will take you as far as Blue Bayou.

Bicycles, Golf Carts and 4-Wheelers are the main means of transportation and may be rented daily or by the week. There are many other things to do other than diving, such as trips to Water Cay, hikes to Pumpkin Hill or spend a few hours at the Iguana Station.

           Getting Here
Utila is the most westerly of the principal Bay Islands which also include Roatan, Guanaja and the Hog Islands (Cayos Cochinos). 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, the nearest Honduran port town.

Utila is easily accessible by either sea or air. The Utila Princess ferry operates twice daily, leaving from La Ceiba's municipal dock located east of La Ceiba. The trip takes only one hour (watch for the Dolphin escort!). Arrival on Utila is at the municipal dock, conveniently located in the center of East Harbor, right in front of Captain Morgan's Office. All visitors are welcome to drop thier bags & relax with a mug of our freshly brewed coffee!

     By Boat
The Utila Princess ferry brings travelers to and from La Ceiba twice daily. The journey is about 440 Lempiras / $22 .

From	To	Departure  Time
Utila	La Ceiba	6:20 am and 2:00 pm
La Ceiba	Utila	9:30 am and 4:00 pm

Limited routes exist from other Central American countries to Utila. Boats may also be available for charter from Livingston and Puerto Barrio's in Guatemala, and also some charters from Belize. These can really only be arranged if you are in these areas.

    By Air
To & From Honduras - Frequent direct flights connect Honduras with all the other Central American capitals and many destinations in North America, the Caribbean, South America and Europe. Most international flights arrive and depart from the airports in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula. All the Central American airlines, as well as American, Continental, Iberia & KLM have direct flights serving Honduras. If you fly out of Honduras, you must pay about $30 departure tax at the airport.

To & From Utila - There are no international direct flights to Utila, but it is now easy to fly to Utila from La Ceiba ($45) and San Pedro Sula ($100) and to fly between these 2 cities. Flying times may change, but at the moment there are 3 flights a week to Utila.

    By Bus
There are many bus organizations which operate in Honduras, below is a list of some of the operators supplying services to La Ceiba. San Pedro Sula is the transport hub of Honduras, with nearly all buses connecting there before moving on to La Ceiba.

From Tegucigalpa	From San Pedro Sula	From Copan
Hedman Alas 3 per day direct luxury service	Hedman Alas 4 per day direct luxury service	Hedman Alas 3 per day direct luxury service
Viana 2 per day direct luxury service	Viana 2 per day direct luxury service	Casasola Express 3 per day direct luxury service
	Diana 9 per day

 

What people enjoy the most are the island’s relaxed and easy going atmosphere, its friendly people, as well as the food. Try the delicious chicken soup at Mira’s restaurant , or one of Susan’s famous fish burges, enjoy barbeque chicken and watch the sunset at Cay View Restaurant or check out the newest sensation The Harbor Houser!! Yummy!!

Other available activities include kayaking, snorkeling, fishing etc…to name but a few. 

A short boat or kayak ride away is Water Cay a little slice of white sandy paradise. It is the perfect place to relax under the shade of a palm tree, in a hammock with your favorite book, swim or snorkel.   Water Cay is also where the largest party of the year, the SunJam Festival takes place. Camping is permitted on Water Cay, but you would need to bring your own equipment and be completely self-sufficient.

Several other Cays are privately owned. However two of them, Sandy Cay and Little Cay are available for rent for anyone wanting their own private paradise. Reservations should be made ahead of time, to avoid disappointment. For more information, contact Captain Morgan's at divingutila@gmail.com and we will be happy to forward your request to the owners.