Secret Caribbean Escape – The Bay Islands Re-Open October 1st!

Looking for an adventurous vacation destination that takes you away from the maddening crowds, especially during these times? It was just announced that the island of Utila, one of The Bay Islands in the Western Caribbean, will be open to travelers beginning October 1, 2020. The Bay Islands, once known as British Honduras, located just south of Belize, may be that elusive idyll: a place to relax and explore the natural attractions of a region that has everything you would expect of a Caribbean paradise minus the tourist hordes. This truly is a hidden treasure that mainstream vacationers do not know about.

Utila is within easy reach of North America with international flights from Miami or Houston taking just 2.5 hours to reach the island of Roatan or the city of San Pedro Sula on the mainland of Honduras. From there, short flights and ferry transfers take you to directly to Bay Islands. Book your trip now and discover an unexpected welcome in the islands, where English is the first language (Caribbean style!) the US dollar is accepted in shops and hotels, power voltages are the same as North America, plenty of cell coverage, internet and ATM’s are unexpectedly available. This small collection of islands: Roatan, Guanaja, Utila and Cayos Cochinos are a tranquil, peaceful locale combined with plenty of hints of the unique and exotic. Roatan is the most traveled and developed of these islands. Guanaja is a tiny mountainous island where the locals venture everywhere via water rather than land. A small cluster of Cays called Cayos Cochinos is a stunning marine reserve that still has native Indians called Garifuna, living as they did a century ago. Day trips from both Roatan and Utila are available to this magical place. For a real getaway with a good mix of conveniences, head straight to Utila. Although Utila is the smallest of the major islands, it is stands out among the Bay Islands for its rich heritage, natural splendor and small town friendliness. Back in the day, it was a favored haunt of Caribbean pirates, looking for somewhere secluded to stash their booty. In fact, one of the most famous and well-known swashbucklers, Captain Morgan has family residing on the island still today. These days however, the adventure on the island tends to be of a more socially-acceptable nature. That’s not to say that visitors won’t feel the buccaneering spirit as they hike to sea caves rumored to still have buried treasure, hunt for the elusive whale shark and scuba-dive in the clear Caribbean waters.

There are activities and excursions here to suit every age group and level of experience, and each visitor will find memories to treasure on Utila. Given the seductive waters located on the largest barrier reef in the Western hemisphere, it’s no surprise that scuba-diving and snorkeling are among the top attractions of the Bay Islands. Utila has a myriad of dive shops and resorts to choose from and certifies more PADI students than most places in the World. Even inexperienced snorkelers, who prefer to restrict their expeditions to the shallow waters off Utila’s shore, can enjoy the numerous species of coral and colorful Caribbean reef fish. Experienced snorkelers will appreciate the drop off about 100 feet from Utila’s South Shore, where deeper waters make it possible to marvel at the reef’s impressive wall formations.

For a surface perspective on the reef and the Bay Islands waterways, kayaking is a perfect solution.There are several vendors offering sea kayak rentals and guided kayaking tours of the canal to the North Side of Utila island. How far you venture is up to you, but there are endless possibilities. The mangrove-filled lagoons offer a relaxing paddle, or you can explore the numerous island cays and engage in bird watching and wildlife-spotting such as iguanas, sea turtles, dolphins and manatees.

The waters around Utila are perfect for angling enthusiasts. A deep sea fishing excursion from Utila takes you out to the Continental Shelf where the waters are teeming with marlin, swordfish, mahi mahi, tuna and barracuda. Fishing from a traditional dory with a local sea Captain, you can enjoy a relaxing day, with the possibility of catching a fish that can be prepared and cooked right away for dinner! A true adventure is taking the Lionfish certification course and going on an underwater exploration for this invasive species. Lionfish are the beautiful striped spiny fish that can literally take over a reef system. Divers and locals alike hunt them and also have begun selling the fish to local restaurants for some top notch cuisine such as Lionfish burgers and Lionfish carpaccio! Several times per year The Bay Islands Conservation Association on Utila hosts a Lionfish Festival that provides some friendly dive shop competition culminating with the local island cooks and chefs preparing Lionfish cuisine. It’s clear that the attractions of the sea could fill an entire vacation, however, the mystique of a having an island all to one’s self may be the thing to beat!

On Water Cay, just a 15 minute boat trip from Utila, relaxing rewards await as you laze on a tiny private island with white sandy beaches and coconut palms. Water Cay is a day attraction, but there is another small cay nearby called Sandy Cay, that you can rent and spend a week or weekend watching the waves lap the shores just next to your room. Whatever your adventure vacation desires- the wind, waves, beaches, reefs and rainforests await you. The Bay Islands are the best kept secret Caribbean escape!

By Angelika C. Lukacsy (An Expat business owner who has lived on Utila for sixteen years)