utila, hn
Utila. What a magical little island and place in general this is. It's the most popular place to come in Honduras amongst backpackers, without a shadow of a doubt. There is really nothing that even compares. For good reason as well. Utila is one of those places that is about as close to backpacker's paradise as it comes. Well it's not just a backpacker's paradise, but it's a diving backpacker's paradise. If you have ever gone to Thailand, — think Koh Tao. It's pretty similar to that island. Utila is a picturesque Caribbean Island that is a part of the island chain, the Bay Islands of Honduras. There are no cars on the island. Only tuk tuks, scooters, and bikes line the narrow and windy roads. The streets are littered with little restaurants, bars, and most importantly dive shops. The locals are welcoming and used to the tourism. It's part of the culture here. As opposed to Roatan which is a luxury island, this place is still pretty grungy — so the locals don't necessarily look at the tourists as pests. The island doesn't feel fake. It feels like a real place where local food is a more common dinner night out than international food. The beers are still $1-2. Air conditioning is sparse if at all available. You don't come to Utila to be pampered. You come to experience it as it is. And I loved it. Other than the heat. It's the hottest place I have ever lived, and at times it can be horribly debilitating. The small island is also one of the scuba diving capitals of the world, responsible for more diving certifications and professional diver trainings than almost anywhere in the world. It's one of the most popular places for people to come and spend a few months doing their dive master course. A course which usually takes about 2 months, and at the end the student becomes a dive master and can work anywhere in the world in the dive industry. It's one of, if not the cheapest place, in the entire world to do your dive-master course. As a result, at any given time the island is full to the brim with people who are doing little other than diving, sleeping, and well... it's Utila, so drinking. The vibe of the island is so special in my opinion because of the fact that everyone there is doing the exact same thing. There's a sense of comradery that I felt at least across the island. If you aren't there to get your dive-master, or your instructor, then you are here to dive. So everyone in town has something in common. The only thing that distinguishes them is where you are diving. The accommodation section here will also be the dive shop section. Each shop has a very very distinct personality, and I recommend you read this and choose wisely before you pick your shop. It will determine your friends, and the general trajectory of your stay. — Especially if you are committing to do your dive-master. The diving here is exceptional as well. It's not just a cheap place to dive and get certified, it is also an amazing place to just dive in general. So the bang for your buck is a real thing here. As compared to other budget dive islands like 'Koh Tao', which I found to have generally terrible diving. The surfing section here will be the diving section, where I will outline some of my favorite dive sites after diving here daily for two months. If you aren't diving here, you will very quickly run out of things to do. After a day or two, there really isn't anything to do here outside of diving and drinking. That leads me to the other thing people do on Utila. Drink. It is a massive party island, and there are things to do late into the night 7 days a week. Easy. Some people, — especially a lot of the people who have gotten stuck on this island for years, party at a rate and with a consistency that I have seen scarcely anywhere else in the world. It attracts a certain type. But the nightlife scene here is absolutely amazing. In short. Utila is a must stop on any proper backpacking trip through Latin America. It's not easy to get to though. But once you arrive, you won't regret it. There are 3 lies in Utila: 1) I love you 2) I'm leaving tomorrow 3) I'm not drinking tonight.
Utila is an island in the Caribbean, off of the coast of Honduras, which I assume by now you already know. It's a part of the island chain called the Bay Islands. A little more info on the Bay Islands here. It's the smaller of the 2 most popular islands, Utila and Roatan. Utila is home to around 4,000 people. The people of Utila consider themselves almost separate from Honduras from a nationality perspective. You will hear people refer to themselves as 'Utileño' here. That should give you an idea of just how different the culture can be here compared to the rest of the country.
Now one thing about Utila. It's not really all that easy to get to. The journey will most likely require, at a minimum a boat, but more than likely a few buses and a plane. It depends on your budget, and style of travel of course. A lot of backpackers coming here will simply choose the bus route. This is obviously going to be longer, harder, but cheaper than the more efficient and convenient, yet expensive route via the air. Below I will get into how to arrive here at Utila. If you know what you are doing, it's pretty simple.
1. BY BUS AND FERRY - You could theoretically take local transport throughout the country to get to La Ceiba by local or chicken bus but I doubt many people are going to try and do that. So for these purposes, I will just speak about the journey from a shuttle perspective. The slightly more expensive — yet significantly more efficient method. People typically come from a few places:
- FROM ANTIGUA - Commonly people will come down from Guatemala and go straight to Utila. There is a shuttle that will take you directly from Antigua to La Ceiba. The coastal town on the mainland where you will need to catch the ferry. You can book your transportation here for the shuttle. The ride is going to cost $80. It's a lot, but you save a lot of hassle. It includes a border-crossing as well. Departure from Antigua Guatemala will be at 1:00 AM. Pickups are available at hotels and hostels in downtown. The estimated drop-off time in La Ceiba is 3:30 PM, which can be made at the ferry dock or the hostels in La Ceiba. The last ferry out to Utila is at 4:30 PM. Total ride time will be about 14 hours. Please be aware this is an estimated arrival time. They are usually behind schedule. So I would tentatively plan on a night in La Ceiba.
- FROM LEON - People traveling up north will usually come from Leon, Nicaragua. There are shuttles that leave daily. You can book your transport here. The shuttle departs from Leon at 4:00 AM and arrives in La Ceiba at 4:30 PM. The last ferry out to Utila is at 4:30 PM. Total ride time will be about 12 hours. Please be aware this is an estimated arrival time. They are usually behind schedule. Given the arrival time at 4:30, you are more than likely going to be spending the night in La Ceiba. I wouldn't even plan on getting on the ferry that day. Spend the night in La Ceiba. Info on the hostel is on the La Ceiba page.
- THE FERRY - Included in any overland trip to Utila will be the ferry. The ferry is located directly in La Ceiba, here. So when you get there you will just need to get there. You can take a taxi, or it's likely that your shuttle may drop you off there if you arrive in time. If you don't, the hostel you stay at, likely Guacamayos, will provide transport for a small fee. The ferry schedule is here through Dream Ferries. There are 2 ferries each day, 9AM, and 4:30PM. The journey will take about 45 minutes, and costs about $32, or 800 Lempiras. You can book online or reserve a spot when you get there. Make sure that you remember, there is a small tax you need to pay separately from buying your ticket. It's a few dollars but they won't let you on the ferry, or buy your ticket in person, without paying this. The booth you need to pay that, is here. When you arrive in Utila is simple enough. The main road goes in two directions. Left or right. Just walk to your dive shop. Welcome to dive paradise.
2. BY AIR - This is the far simpler and faster option. People will fly first to Roatan (RTB). Either from a different destination with direct flight to Roatan, or from the nearby larger international airport in San Pedro Sula (SAP). Upon arriving in Roatan you will take a ferry to Utila. The schedule from Roatan to Utila is here. There is only one per day, at 2pm. So make sure that your flight gets in with enough time to get to the ferry dock. If you miss it, you're likely going to have an expensive evening in the luxury Roatan. This is much faster, and also much more expensive. But if you have limited time, and value your time more than me, then you should grab a plane.
3. BY CAR - If you are traveling by car, then you will just have to drive to La Ceiba. You'll need to go through San Pedro Sula to get here, and La Ceiba is along CA-13. It's 4 hours from San Pedro Sula. Drive during the day, roads can get interesting here. There is no car ferry to get to Utila, so you can't bring your rig over there. There aren't even any cars on Utila so it's impossible. It's a long drive from pretty much everywhere to get to La Ceiba but there is secure parking here where you can pay to have your car taken care of. You shouldn't really have anything to worry about. Parking is going to cost 180 limpiras per day, and your car will be safe. The Parking lot is right at the ferry terminal here.
HOSTELS, CAMPING, AND HOTELS (IF ANY)
The accommodation options and the dive shop options here really blend together. As a backpacker, your accommodation is going to be your dive shop. For the most part. Below I will get into all of the dive shops on the entire island. I will talk a little bit about them, their vibe, their price point, the type of people who stay here. Etc., etc. For all of the dive shops, if you are interested in doing their Dive Master Training program (DTM), reach out directly via email to get info on updated pricing.
If you aren't diving, then there is one hostel I would say you can consider that is standalone from diving. But you should be diving if you come here.
Outside of the hostels and the diving accommodation there are plenty of hotels and Airbnbs that will be nicer, more expensive and certainly more comfortable. If you are interested in something like that then you can do some research on your own.
There will also be a section below for all of the people who are coming to stay for multiple months. If you are doing your dive-master, accommodation in a dorm will be included in your course, — at least for a portion of the time. But if you're anything like me, I can't do multiple months in a dorm anymore. There are a ton of long-term housing options throughout the island that are always changing hands, as the island is very transient. Prices for this can range from $150-$400, per month. So it can be very affordable. I will get into that below.
Of all the dive shops on the island this is probably the most quintessential Utila. If you ask me. The place is going to be one of the cheapest. The won't have the best gear. The accommodation is going to be basic. But the people staying here are the best on the island in my opinion. Will always be a very cool group of people and their large divemaster in training (DMT) classes are always fun. I would highly recommend Paradise if you want to come have a proper, kind of grungy, but wild Utilan experience.
Two tank dives are going to be like $60, including your accommodation. It's one of the cheapest on the island.
Dive Master, or DMT, is going to be about $930, and accommodation in the dorm is included for however long you decide to do it. One of the cheapest on the island.
Tied for #1 on the island in my opinion.
Underwater Vision is a massive place. With really nice housing, an excellent bar and restaurant, the best environment with a huge beach and volleyball court and is always full of travelers. I worked at the bar here for a little while and really liked it. The prices here are going to be a little bit more expensive. So probably mid-range from a price perspective. But again, you get what you pay for. — Nicer boats, nicer gear, nicer accommodation. I would either choose between 'Underwater' or 'Paradise' if I were going here for the first time, and knew what I know now.
— 2 tank dive is going to cost $75, but will not include any nights in the dorms.
DMT program here is going to cost over $1,000, and will include 2 free weeks in the dorms.
Tied for #1 on the island.
This is where I spent 2 months diving, training, and working. It can be very very hit or miss. As is the story with the majority of Utila, it is entirely dependent on the people who are working at the shop while you are there. When I was there, the DMT classes were small, and our staff was rotating a lot. The vibe is really nice when there are a lot of guests though. This is certainly worth checking out. Walk in when you arrive and see if it looks like the vibe is on point. They have a nice space right on the water, with a little beach and a nice dock.
Equipment isn't the best, but the price reflects that. There are typically really cool people working here, they have a nice restaurant and bar, and there are good parties in here on Friday night beer pong.
— 2 tank dive is $70, and will include housing in a dorm.
DMT is $950, and includes a few weeks of housing in the dorm. The best part about getting your DMT here is you are the most likely to be able to get a job following graduation.
#4 on the island in my opinion.
Altons is where I would say you go up a notch on the quality of everything. It's a mix between mid-range and higher quality. It's going to be more expensive, but will have a good crew of people running around all the time. I knew a bunch of the dive-masters there, and they are really cool people. The accommodation is really nice, and the facilities are great. Some of the best gear on the island. Their place is also excellent, with a nice bar and probably the best dock out of all the shops. If you want nicer boats, nicer gear, with still a fun environment then this is a good option. If I had the choice to work anywhere as a dive-master I would work here.
Diving here is going to be more expensive. But you get what you pay for.
DMT program is $1,200 for the 4-week program or $1,500 for the 4-12 week program. This is expensive for Utila and you only get a free week in the dorms. But the quality of literally everything will be higher.
#3 on the island following Underwater and Paradise.
Fancier dive shop that is a really small operation. Wealthier and older clientele.
#9 on the island. But doesn't really compare given it's not for the budget traveler.
Utila Dive Center or simply referred to as UDC, is like a farm. They are such a massive operation. With 4 boats going out twice per day. It's like a college, — they certify more people than any place on earth from what I heard. Your dive groups are going to be massive, and if you are doing your DMT here there are going to be so many of them that you won't even know everyone that well. I do not recommend UDC. It's like the corporate version of diving here in Utila. It's a hard pass for me. There are so many other places that are so much more intimate, and will provide a more real experience.
I won't even get into the prices because I don't think you should dive here, but they are mid-range. They are already the biggest dive center in the Americas anyways.
#5 on the island
Bay Island College of Diving, or BICD is kind of a random place. I never really knew anyone who was diving here. They cater to a much more luxury crowd. — They have a really nice dock, like really nice, and they have the best boats. I wouldn't say this should be on anyone in the backpacking community's radar.
#6 on the island. But doesn't really compare given it's not for the budget traveler.
Tank'd is likely not going to be for many of the people here. This is a very professional dive center that caters much more to tech divers and very serious divers. It's going to be more expensive to stay and dive here but your gear and the quality of the boats is going to be exceptional. Higher budget clientele. Older crowd as well. But if you are a super-serious diver, this is the best option.
#7 on the island. — But doesn't really compare given it's not for the budget traveler.
A pretty random dive shop outside of town. It's one of the biggest dive shops on the island but they are primarily dealing with extremely large groups of people coming to get certified. Like hundreds of high school kids from all over the world who are a part of a diving program will come here to do their checkout dives. I wouldn't recommend doing any recreational diving here. If you are a dive-master, you can make good money freelancing the months when they have the dive programs. They do have a great bar though.
#8 on the island.
If you are looking to be here for more than a month or even a month I would recommend getting yourself an apartment or some long-term housing. There are lots of options all over the place. I walked around town all day one day, and just took pictures of the 'for rent' signs all over the buildings, and all over the island. Just send messages, and you can get prices. That is if the Facebook group called Utila Buy and Sell doesn't work first. I would recommend posting here, or checking out the posts. There are tons of places available.
Prices for long term housing will be $150-$450 or so. In this range will be a very large difference in quality. The $150 stuff is going to be pretty shitty to be honest. But cheap. Electricity costs are going to be in addition to it. Electricity is expensive in Utila, and air conditioning could up to double your monthly rental cost. Just FYI. It's hot as fuck, but you may just have to deal with it. If you want to pay less than $300 per month all in, be prepared to adjust your living standards.
I stayed at Caribbean Dreams (otherwise known as Caribbean nightmares). It was fine. There were some nightmarish nights with many uninvited small guests though...
Parrots is the lowest quality shop on the island. The gear is really bad here, and they have the worst boat on the island. I wouldn't recommend going here to dive.
#10, or last on the island.
EATS
For the few of you that don't plan on doing any diving, La Hamaca is the other hostel option. There is no diving in-house, but they have a really nice dock and restaurant. With some cheap dorms. It's a great option if you are just coming to Utila to hang out, and don't plan on doing any diving.
There are a bunch of really awesome places to eat here in Utila. One of the best things about it as well is that there are more than enough cheap and delicious local options to keep you happy the entire time that you are here. I was pretty much subsisting off of the local street food, baleadas, the entire time I was here. They cost about $2, and are good for a meal.
I will get into what a baleada is below, but I just point that out here to say it's very, very doable to eat really affordably here in Utila. However, there are also a lot of other much nicer options here on the little island. So if you want something international, it exists. But it comes with a price typically.
Baleadas + Other Local Stuff
What is a Baleada?
A baleada is what I would most associate with Honduran food. It's the street food but also the cheap eat in most restaurants. It's so good and so prevalent that I have dedicated an entire section here to the many baleadas of Utila. A baleada is a large tortilla that is filled with bean paste and anything you want — from eggs, avocado, ground beef to chicken. It's a delicious, cheap, and hearty meal or snack, and they are everywhere in Utila.
Right next door to Mama Rosas is La Casita. It's a cute little sit-down restaurant that also has pretty good Baleadas. You can get them to go or for here and it's a popular spot for people to go to a sit-down dinner. Don't expect the food to be fast here.
The undisputable, and unbeatable queen of baleadas in Utila. They are the best on the island without a doubt, and the place is like a staple. There are two of them — I would recommend going to the original always, that I have linked here. I went every day. I'm not kidding. — For about 2 months. My 'go to' was the carne molida con huevos.
Restaurants
There's a little house here with no name that makes really good, albeit small baleadas. It's at the location tagged. It's right outside of Captain Morgans, so if you are staying there then it's a nice cheap option.
Keep your eyes peeled on the streets as well, because there will be some pop-up spots that make delicious baleadas. Theres one with no name that is where I have linked this across from Parrots. They have amazing fried chicken baleadas.
A little spot here called Pollos Maria that makes local food. They have decent baleadas. But I would go here for either the quesadilla, or the 'pollo chuco', — which means dirty chicken. It's delicious fried chicken smothered in sauce and other delicious (unhealthy) stuff.
Pastelitos are super-popular here on the island. They are essentially little meat-stuffed empanadas, but they are delicious. You can find them kind of all over, but weirdly enough the best ones are at UDC until they run out. Which they usually do pretty early in the morning.
Almost Everywhere
A lot of the places you go will make you a baleada. — Especially the restaurants in the dive shops. They will be the best bang for your buck, no matter where you go.
Fried chicken is very popular here in Honduras, but specifically you should try Pollo Chuco, which means 'dirty chicken'. It's delicious fried chicken smothered in sauce and other delicious (unhealthy) stuff.
All the Dive Shops
All the dive shops have little restaurants in them. I will only get into a few in detail but just know that almost all of them do.
The restaurant inside of Captain Morgans. The ladies cooking are super sweet, and the food is good. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. On Fridays they do a bbq as well. Baleadas are good, and breakfast is especially popular.
This is the restaurant inside of Underwater Vision. Probably my favorite of the dive shop restaurants. They have different themes on different nights. — Like Asian, or sushi, and their general menu is really tasty too. It's also a great bar to go to. So food and drink here is really nice.
An expensive but good and beautiful spot. — Was generally out of my budget, so I never really went except for once.
Probably my favorite place for a dinner out. It's right on the water out at the west side of town. It's just a great place in general, and usually crowded with people from all over the island. I found their shrimp quesadillas to be one of my favorite meals on the whole island. Won't be super-cheap though.
Asian spot right on the water. They have pretty decent sushi, but it's pretty expensive.
Cute little spot to go for lunch and dinner. Won't be super cheap, but the atmosphere is nice.
I highly recommend this spot. It's a really cute little house that is owned by the local chef and owner. She makes delicious Israeli and Mediterranean food with tons of love. Pitas and falafel, etc. Awesome place.
One of the best places to get a local plate of food for a sit-down dinner. Located right on the main street.
Thai restaurant owned and operated by locals. It's not going to be super-cheap, but the food is awesome, and the owner is great.
Mermaids is a grocery store that also has a hot bar with good takeaway food. The prices are good, with big portions of 'to go' food. Lots of variety too. Fried rice, mashed potatoes, pizza, fried chicken. On and on...
Little pizza spot on the main street. Some of the best pizza on the island.
Long-time establishment here in Utila, owned and operated by a family that has been on the island for decades. They make good fresh fish plates.
Really good spot for dinner. It's an Argentinian spot, so it's going to be very meat-heavy, but the food is really good. — Not super-cheap though.
It's a really cool spot out on the far east side of the island. It's an awesome bar and restaurant with a pool right on the water, but they also have the best burgers on the island.
The little cafe and restaurant inside of La Hamaca hostel. They have the best healthy food on the island, and my favorite dock as well. Go in the morning.
Restaurant on the far far west side of the island. It's only accessible by boat. Talk to your dive-master and see if you can convince them to make it a stop for lunch. Very hard to get to, but unbelievable spot.
The restaurant inside the luxury hotel. I would recommend coming here for 2x1 pizza night.
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Cool little spot inland on the island. It's a quick-eats spot in the local part of town. Go for some food, explore a part of the island that not everyone goes to.
A brewery that also has a restaurant. The food is good, and the vibes great as well. Tucked into the jungle.
Little Chinese spot in a food stall. They make really big portions of noodles that can easily be split amongst a few people.
and many more...
Go explore. There are restaurants all over the place. I named a lot of places that exist here in Utila but I could never wish to scratch the surface and I surely missed a lot of stuff. Go explore. Be adventurous. Try to eat at local places and support the community. Don't sleep on the mangos on the street either. — Especially during mango season, it's the best snack.
NIGHTLIFE
The nightlife in Utila is legendary. It really is. Especially if you are on the backpacking circuit, you will hear from anyone who has either been there or is telling you about what they have heard that the party scene here is among the best in Central America. I would agree with that. It's amazing, and it goes 7-nights-a-week should you decide to look for it. Even if you aren't looking for it, some nights it will just find you and you have no control over it. That's how it goes.
All of the dive shops have their own little cliques that form, because you are working together and spending so much time together. Usually everyone will start drinking as smaller groups, then make their way out and everything kind of blends together after that. Things commonly go until the early hours of the morning. Or even until sunset. After the bars close at like 3 or whenever they actually close, it's common for people to just go hang out on docks, continue drinking, and just hanging with whoever has enough "energy" left.
The Utila party scene can easily suck you in. It sucks tons of people in. Lots of the people you see who live here have gotten sucked in, and have been here for years as a result. But that's a common story here. That's how it goes.
The nightlife here is amazing, but in reality there aren't that many options. The below is what there is to do in Utila. The different nights of the week come with different things to do. Like Karaoke, Beer Pong, Trivia, more Karaoke, Ladies' Night, etc., etc. So follow the event for the night and you will find the people. Also, all of the dive shops for the most part have bars so if are lost and don't know what to do, just show up to any of the dive shops if yours isn't especially crowded on any given night and you will be fine. The weekends here are actually when most people rest and don't go out.
The rule of don't drink the night before you dive does not exist here on Utila. But it's a big no no in the community to drink before you go on a dive or the day of. A final beer at 5AM before a 2-hour nap and an 8AM dive however, does not count.
As a note, none of the nightlife here is going to be nice. It's all going to be rundown, divey. But that's what makes it so amazing.
SCHEDULE:
-MONDAY - Karaoke - Edos
-TUESDAY - Tequila Tuesday - Tranquila
-WEDNESDAY - Ladies' Night - Vinyl
-THURSDAY - Trivia - Underwater Vision
-FRIDAY - Beer Pong - Captain Morgans
-SATURDAY - Nothing, La Cueva, but most people rest
-SUNDAY - People go drinking during the day here, but it's another day of rest after a long week of drinking.
Bars and Clubs
The bar attached to Underwater Vision is great. Open all day. And there is usually someone drinking no matter what day of the week or time. They have trivia once a week, and karaoke that gets especially crowded.
The bar is open almost every night of the week, and you can almost always find people drinking — especially around sunset. The special event here is the Friday night beer pong tournament, which typically draws about 80 people. In other words, most of the island.
Now this is a special one. It's located inside the ever interesting Jade Seahorse hotel, which is more of an art installation than anything. But Treetanic is a rave/party that happens either on the full moon or the graduation of the instructors. If you are in town for a Treetanic event it is an absolute must to attend. Has been known to go until 6 in the morning. I would know, I was the bartender.
Home to the INFAMOUS Tequila Tuesday party. Every Tuesday, from 6 to 7 the tequila shots are free. Now I warn you, I have seen it too many times that people show up early and get way too sloppy by 9 or 10. I would recommend showing up later and getting the $.25 tequila shots. This night is pretty epic though and a must in Utila. Right on the water. Late night skinny-dipping is a common thing here.
The restaurant and bar that gets really rowdy some nights. They have a pool table and a really popular karaoke even as well. One of my favorite places to go out.
You can always count on La Cueva. I would say it's the best bar on the island. It's super-fun, open late, and people are always getting into something here.
Another awesome bar right on the water. They are known for ladies' night on Thursdays where the ladies drink for free. If you dress up as a girl, the guys drink for free as well.
Restaurant and bar on the water with a pool. Popular spot for day drinking.
Tiny little shack of a bar that's one of the more low-key spots to get drinks. Was one of my favorites though. Catch the locals on the island getting drunk here at all hours.
Brewery and bar in a jungle setting. Keep on the lookout for their monthly jungle parties. They are DJ parties late into the night.
The bar inside of Coral View. It's right on the water and has one of the better views — and breezes, on the island. Nice spot for drinks during the day.
This is the super, super local nightclub. This is where the people who are actually from Utila go. It's hot, sweaty, and full of reggaeton, but will always be an experience.
SIGHTS
There actually isn't really anything to do in Utila outside of diving. If you aren't diving, then I would say that you don't need to spend that much time here because you will quickly, very quickly, run out of stuff to do. It's an isolated island with very limited land-based points of interest. That being said, the wonders underwater are spectacular.
There are a few things to do here outside of the water-based activities though, and below I will get into them.
This is the obvious one, and I think I have talked enough about the diving here. But it's cheap, it's amazing, and see below for some of my favorite dive sites.
There's an old lighthouse on the island that is really cool to climb up to. It's a very sketchy rusty ladder climb up a metal tube, but once you are at the top it's one of the best... well actually it is most certainly the best view in all of Utila. Highly recommend this one. It's a bit of a trek to get here, and a small hike to get to the lighthouse, but worth it.
RENT A SCOOTER
Renting a scooter here really opens up the island and increases the things that you have access to doing. I rented a Navi from a guy named Ryan and it was a few hundred a month. If you have the means, for me it was a life-changer and really improved my life in Utila.
The airport here is a classic small Caribbean airstrip. It's practically unguarded when there are no scheduled flights, so you can freely drive on it. It's illegal but no one ever bothers you. Take a ride in your scooter down the airstrip. At the end of the air strip to the left is one of my favorite little beaches. Lined with outstanding palm trees. Also a very nice breeze here, which you will be very happy to have given the heat here.
Okay so this is the most interesting thing that you can do in Utila out of the water. It's a very very strange experience, and one of a kind. There is a guy named Dr John who lives on the island who has been there for decades. He used to be the doctor on the island but now runs a sort of tourist attraction after losing his right to practice medicine. He lives in a house painted pink and covered floor to ceiling in signatures and graffiti. WIth interesting artwork throughout the house made of old tires. He has become a bit of a cult celebrity in Honduras even becoming famous on tik tok and stuff. You can find his social media presence here. What exactly you do there is probably different every time. He puts on a song and you just drink shots of his home-made alcohol he has. Then you get a Tshirt. The whole thing costs like $10 or something. He's a bit of a legendary figure here so I recommend you try it out. He's also an interesting conversationalist so stick around and chat.
Spend a day at least out on beautiful Water Cay. It's a little island off the coast of Utila that is uninhabited, and a place that people go to spend the day. It's beautiful, and I had some of my best days here. Get a group, hire a boat.
There are two beaches, the public and the private beach. The private one is much nicer. It costs a few dollars to get in, and it's probably the best beach on the island. The biggest downside of Utila is the lack of beaches. So this is a good thing to know about.
Pumpkin Hill is a small little part of the island with not much going on but it's a nice way to spend an afternoon and explore a different part of the island.
DIVING
Okay, so on to one of the main reasons why anyone is here in Utila. So Utila is located on the Meso-American Barrier Reef, also known as the Great Mayan Reef. It is a 1,126 km (700 mile) reef that stretches along the coasts of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. It is the largest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere, and the largest reef system in the Northern Hemisphere. It's also home to the best diving in the western hemisphere. You come to Utila to dive here.
Utila is home to over 90 officially marked dive sites. These are only the marked ones, and frankly the majority of the surroundings of Utila could be considered a dive site so in reality there are many, many more. The island is typically discussed in two parts. The North Side and the South Side. The south side of the island is the side of the island that is developed. It's where you will stay, and it's where town is. The dive sites on the southern side of the island are much more accessible. Some of them are only a 2-3 minute boat-ride from your dive shop.
The south side of the island is much more convenient, however the north is almost unanimously considered to have superior diving. I would agree with this. Strongly. The north is about a 45-minute to an hour-long ride from the dive shops. This depends on the shop you are at and how fast the boat is. The nicer shops have faster boats and this trip is significantly shorter. The dive sites on the north side usually have larger marine species. A higher likelihood of seeing turtles, sharks etc. They are also where the most massive and impressive drop offs and walls are located. The dives over there are just amazing, and some of the best I have done anywhere in the world.
If you are diving with one of the cheaper dive shops it will always be a bit of a struggle to convince your captain to go. But if you ask nicely, and get a big enough crew of paying divers to go, then you may just be in luck.
That's not to say that the diving on the south side isn't good. It's still great. I spent most of my days diving the south side and having great dives. Although there are 90 dives sites, there are a lot of them that are much more common than the others. If you spend enough time here you will continue to return to the same places a lot. But with each dive holds something new. That's how it goes.
Below I will get into about 10 of the dive sites on the island. Some of my favorites, and a few of the more popular ones. Realistically it will be up to your dive-master and captain where you go, so you'll have little control over this but it's nice to maybe know what you are getting into.
Really nice maps of a lot of the dive sites can be found here at this link. A great and very helpful website called WeDiveUtila. I have ripped off their descriptions for the dive sites and their maps because frankly they have done a much better job than I could do.
TEDS POINT (SOUTH)
One of the most popular dive sites on the island. Only a few minutes from the dive shops.
The top of the reef is shallow at about 10-15 ft, with several interesting sand channels. The reef wall drops down to about 40 ft with a large gently sloping sandy bottom at its base. A small sunken sailboat wreck can be found at about 60 ft. Groupers, Blue Tang and Green Moray Eels are commonly found here, and Spotted Eagle Rays are frequently seen passing close by the reef.
MOONHOLE (SOUTH)
Probably one of the most frequented spots on the island. It's where almost all of the courses will go to do their skills in the shallow sand patch. But outer moon-hole has some great diving for fun dives as well.
The site gets its name from the large round sandy crater surrounded by shallow reef. The maximum depth in the sand is 35 ft, and the surrounding coral provides shelter for a large variety of crustaceans and octopus. Crossing over the western wall and heading south leads to Ron's Wreck, — a small fishing boat at about 60 ft, within a U-shaped reef wall, with a gently sloping sandy bottom.
AIRPORT CAVES (SOUTH)
Another really popular spot on the south side. Has a really cool sequence of shallow water caves.
The reef wall drops to about 40 ft and then extends into a sandy floor that slopes to about 70 ft. It has a beautiful swim-through, with a U-shaped open cave and sunlight streaming through several openings. The cave is at 15 feet. This is a great site for finding Sea Horses and Toad Fish hiding on the reef. Stingrays are often found in the sand, and Spotted Eagles Rays can frequently be seen gliding by or feeding below.
LITTLE BIGHT (SOUTH)
I always loved this place because like clockwork I found upside down jelly-fish every time.
The site has a wide sand channel that starts from the beach, and gently slopes down between two reef walls that start at 15 ft and gradually get deeper until they reach 70 ft on both sides of the channel. This is a great location to find Sea Horses, Pipe Fish, Garden Eels, as well as the rare Southern Stargazer, Bearded Toad Fish, plus all the traditional favorites like Parrot Fish, Trumpet Fish, Flounders and more.
HALLIBURTON WRECK (SOUTH)
My favorite dive spot close to town is this massive purposely sunk wreck. It's huge, and such a fun time to dive.
The site is located at the mouth of Utila harbor. The ship was sunk in 1998, and is the largest wreck on Utila. The wreck is 100 ft long, and its deepest point is at a 100 ft. The main deck is around 85 ft and the top of the 3-tiered bridge is at 65 ft.
There are several interesting areas of the wreck that can be entered and explored. Green Morays, Fire Worms and Sea Slugs are often seen on or in the ship.
BLACK CORAL WALL (SOUTH)
My favorite spot to the west of town. It's close, and less dove than the stuff to the east. It's a fun one. Right next door is a great sight called 'Silver Gardens' also.
The site is named after the black coral that can be found around 25 ft (much shallower than typical) — it is also one of the deepest walls on the south side of the island. The top of the reef has lots of sandy areas that are filled with many species of juvenile fish including Sergeant Majors, Parrot Fish and more. Squid are often seen here. Tarpon frequently pass though these waters too.
BLACK HILLS (SOUTH)
One of my favorite dive sites on the island. It's a stunning pinnacle in the center of the ocean.
The top of the sea mound is at 35 ft, and it slopes down to 130 ft+ at its base. It takes about 15 minutes to circle it at 60 ft, when the current is mild, and it is covered with a great variety of colorful corals. Different than most of the dive sites on Utila, there is often some current here, which helps ensure a great variety of fish, as well as bigger schools of fish. Everything from Barracuda, Atlantic Spade Fish, Horse-eyed Jacks, King Mackerel, Creole Wrasse and more, plus free-swimming Green Moray Eels and Hawksbill Turtles are often found here.
PINNACLE (THE NORTH)
The site is named after a large "pillar-like" reef outcropping and known for its deep swim-though and beautiful wall. The top of the reef is at about 20 ft., with a number of shallow channels. The wall dramatically drops down to 130 ft. The swim-though entrance is just east of the "pinnacle" at 70 ft, and the exit is at 130 ft.
Spotted Eagle Rays and Turtles are often seen just off the wall, while all the traditional smaller tropical fish are found on top of the reef.
THE MAZE (THE NORTH)
My favorite dive site in Utila. It's mesmerizing. I would dive here every time I ever dove if I could.
The site is named after its unique maze-like channels that start at around 15 ft, and drop down to 40 ft. Towards the west there is a cave at 70 ft where Lion Fish often hide.
Scorpion Fish, Lobster, and Green Moray Eels are often found inside the Maze's channels, while Queen Trigger Fish are also frequently seen. In the sand towards the bottom of the wall look for large Stingrays.
CJS DROP OFF (THE NORTH)
The site is known for its impressively steep wall drop-off down to below 140 ft+. When swimming along the wall, there is a seemingly endless blue ocean on one side, while on the other is a beautiful and vibrant reef. The top of the reef ranges from 20 ft to 45 ft, with numerous interesting sand channels in the shallows.
Spotted Eagle Rays, Barracudas, Moray Eels and Sea Turtles are often found here.
DUPPY WATERS (THE NORTH)
"Duppy" is local slang for "Ghost" and refers to the way the sunlight sometimes casts ghostly shadows and lights off the wall. The top of the reef is at about 20-25 ft and to the west is a beautiful and wide sand channel sloping down to 60 ft before dropping over the wall, which drops down to more than 140 ft.
Large Barrel Sponges can be found along the wall, as well as big Grouper, Snapper, Turtles and more. On top of the reef there are always lots of colorful juvenile fish.
and many more...
There are so so so many more dive sites in Utila. But these are some of the most popular spots that you will come. Ask specifically to go to the North!!
DON QUICKSET (THE NORTH)
The top of the reef is at 10-15 ft, and the wall then drops down to 50 ft with a canyon-like channel that bottoms out in a large sandy area at 70 ft. Towards the east lays an interesting reef topography with lots of outcroppings, overhangs, nooks and crannies and smaller channels.
Large Nurse Sharks, Southern Stingrays, Snapper, Grouper, Tarpon and Sea Turtles are often found here, as well as schools of juvenile fish in the shallower areas on top of the reef.