Activities

 The island of Utila has a wide range of activities to enjoy! Here are just a few ideas:

Scuba Diving
Snorkeling
Swim with the Whale Sharks!
Kayaking
Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP)
Deep Sea, Handline, or Flyfishing
Go To The Beach!
Snorkel and Enjoy the Docks in Blue Bayou
Explore the Mangrove Lagoons
Hike Pumpkin Hill
Visit the Utila Iguana Station
Take a Guided Hike to the Bat Caves and More
Head Out to the Cays
Go Whale Shark Spotting
Go to the Freshwater Caves
Visit With The Locals
Experience a Float Tank
Take in Watersports (sailing, kayaking, kiteboarding, windsurfing, wakeboarding, skurfing, swimming)
Go Surfing or Boogieboarding (sort of)
Horseback Riding
Rent an ATV, Motorcycle, or Golf Cart

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Go To The Beach! 

Chepes Beach, Utila. Photo by UtilaGuide.com

For some reason, travellers read that “Utila has no beaches”.  Well that’s just not true. We have  two main sandy beaches, accessible to town, that host a variety of activities from swimming, sunbathing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, and more.    

The main public beach is called Chepes, and is an awesome spot. The municipality keeps it groomed daily, and you’ll find locals and tourists alike enjoying the calm sandy waters.  A few watering holes sit right there too, so you don’t need to go anywhere to fill up on food and drink.  Public bathrooms (which are surprisingly clean) are on site.     

The other beach in town is called Bandu Beach. This property is owned by the owners of Tropical Sunset/Sea Eye, and they charge about 40 lempiras ($2 usd) for use.  Because of this charge, many folks don’t go, so you’ll typically be able to snag one of the palm champas to yourself for shade.  Nice sandy beach entry. Bar is a bit limited, and most times they don’t have food, but bring some along.  If you leave to get food, let them know so you don’t get re-charged!  Bathrooms on site.    

For more on Water Caye beaches, click on our “Utila Cays” page.  There is also a list of boat captains there who can take you to the other beaches.

Snorkel and Enjoy the Docks in Blue Bayou

For a very chill, relaxing afternoon, get yourself down to Blue Bayou. Blue Bayou is past the public beach Chepes, about another mile or so (say about a 15 minute walk). You can also get a “tuc-tuc” taxi from center of town for about 30 lempiras per person ($1.50 usd). For how awesome it is, its oddly unpopulated- but all the better for you!

You can actually find yourself a private spot anywhere along that walk- its all beach, but if you head towards the end of the road, you’ll find a sweet spot at the Coral View Hotel, and also on some days, just a little bit further at the Blue Bayou Dock Complex.

Dock at Coral View in Blue Bayou

Both offer docks for ease of access into great snorkeling, and Coral View has a covered dock to give you some shade. Coral View also offers a nice lunch and snack menu, and is a great spot to kick it and enjoy the afternoon. The Blue Bayou Complex used to be quite the popular spot years back, and is now reopen on some days, also advertising drinks and food. Either of these two spots are fantastic for snorkeling. Talk with Rich at Coral View to rent dive lights or for a guided night snorkel too! (Note- both docks will charge a 30 lempira dock charge if you don’t order anything)

Utila Guide Tip: On our first trip, we spent about 4 days enjoying the dock and snorkeling off Coral View- really- go hang out here!

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Explore the Mangrove Lagoons

The mangroves of Utila offer a unique environment that not many explore- take the opportunity to glide along shallow lagoon waters in a kayak!

For an easy trip, there is the Upper Lagoon, in town, by the bridge and also Lower Lagoon, behind the public beach.

For kayak rentals, many dive shops will give you use of kayaks if you are staying with them or diving with them. Lots of times quality may not be great, but hey, they will float you.

If your dive shop doesn’t have, you rent a kayak at Chepes Beach, and also a little further down in Blue Bayou at Coral View Dive Center. Rentals at Coral View are $15usd for a double per day and $12 usd for a single per day.

Kayak Tours: For the more those looking for a little more of an adventure, heading to the North Side, check out some new tours being offered through Kayak Utila ! Day trips start with an introduction to paddling strokes, then off to the mangroves through the channel, learning about the ecosystems along the way. Once at North Side, you’ll enjoy snorkeling with your guide who is also a marine naturalist. Then some beach time before heading home. Check them out online or you can stop in at Utila Realty in the Mango Tree Building right on main street and they will call them for you. This is a fantastic day trip- combining kayaking, snorkeling, and beachtime with a marine naturalist.

Another option through Kayak Utila is a kayak snorkel on the reef, where you’ll paddle out to a moorring buoy and dip into the water right from your kayak! This is a great way to experience Utila’s waters, above and below.

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Hike To Pumpkin Hill

A large hill on the northeast coast named Pumpkin Hill is a well known landmark of Utila. It is the highest point on Utila, and just under 300 feet, and lore has it that it was used as a pirate lookout back in the day.

Pumpkin Hill is just a few miles away from town center, and offers a great 1/2 day or day excursion. There are two main ways to get there: 1) Take the paved road towards the airport and turn left at the first dirt road after the stables. Follow that to the end and you’ll come out to Pumpkin Hill. OR 2) Take the paved road all the way to the airport and take a right once you are at the runway- you’ll see a dirt road that parallels the runway. Take that to the end and lock up your bikes there. You’ll be on the beach, so just take a right and keep going. Its about 45 minutes along the beach.

To get up to the top of Pumpkin Hill, the directions change based on whats beeing developed and what signs are up, but basically you’ll see the hill, come to the front of it and take path of least resistance. It is private land, but owner has made a path that goes up to the top.

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Visit the Utila Iguana Station

The Iguana Station’s efforts are focused upon understanding the natural history of the Swamper by carrying out scientific research. A breeding program supports the population in the mangroves: more than 200 hatchlings have been bred and released every year since the project started. Visitors to the station are given a full tour, explaining the habits of this endangered species, as well as getting an overview of general Utilian wildlife. You will have the opportunity to see the Swamper at different ages, as well as the Highlander and Green Iguanas. We also offer four different tours of Utila island.

The station is open from: Monday, Wednesday and Friday: 2-5 pm. Please contact the station for different arrangements.

Contact them at: Station@Utila-Iguana.de

Cost:40 Lempira (approx $US 2.20) for non-Hondurans, 20 Lempira for Hondurans and children

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Take a Guided Hike to the Bat Caves and More!

This is a great way to explore Utila while supporting a good cause. Various tours offered through the Utila Iguana Station, including:

Iron bound- Hiking through and extensive black mangrove forest and iron shore beach

Dead Lagoon- through Utila’scountry side, discovering the Hardwood forest and visiting the oldest mangrove forest of the Bay Islands. Search for Utila’s endemic lizards and enjoy tropical bird watching.

Fresh Water Caves- Hike through the hardwood forest, to exploring the Airport caves and a nice freshwater dip after. (This is the same area discussed below in Freshwater Caves)

Bat Caves- Hike through the hardwood forest, scramble up rocks, experience cave exploration with the chance to see 3 different species of bats.

With guides from the Iguana Station leading the way, you are sure to learn much about Utila’s scenery and nature.

For more on tours with Iguana Station, see http://www.utila-iguana.de/visit-tours.php

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Head Out to the Cays

Get out to the Cays for a day trip on a picture- postcard island beach with a stop at a local fishing village. Bring Camping gear or stay at some of the local lodging at Pigeon Cay and make it an overnight! We give you full details on HOW, on our page, “The Utila Cays”

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Go Whale Shark Spotting

Join a Whale Shark spotting trip and learn about these magnificent creatures.

-To have a chance to see these magnificent creatures, and perhaps even have an opportunity for an “in-water” encounter, talk to one of the many dive shops. It is standard during dive trips to the North side especially, for Captains to plan time to look for Whale Sharks.

-If you want a more focused or private tour, you can also organize a specific tour to try to find the whale sharks with one of the smaller boats and your private Captain. Some shops and resorts, such as Deep Blue Resort / EcoOcean and Whale Shark Oceanic Research Center (WSORC) have dedicated Whale Shark programs and most dive shops will help you arrange with their own boats too!

-For more on the Whale Sharks, take a look at our Whale Shark Viewing page.

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Go to the Freshwater Caves

Visit the Freshwater Caves (Also known as Airport Caves) and take a refreshing dip after your exploration

The best way to go is probably with a guide from the Utila Iguana Station (see Guided Hikes above). Its quite inexpensive for a private hike, and you get the benefit of someone who has local knowledge of the natural history (and also where to go!) . The entrance to the caves can look a little foreboding, so you will be happy you forked over the few bucks for a guide.

However, you can also get to the freshwater pools on your own. If you are forging out on your own, the entrance is right at the same road as the UPCO power plant (you’ll want to rent a bike or get a tuc-tuc cab probably). On right hand side, where road ends, you’ll see a path. Keep following it. There may or may not be a sign pointing. Here are some photos below of what you are looking for:

Heading down the path to the Airport Caves/Freshwater Pools

Hiking down the rocks to the Airport Caves/Freshwater Pools

This is the ladder to get to the caves/pools

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Visit With the Locals

Explore the side streets and stop and talk with the many “old-timers” locals who grew up here, and who welcome conversation.

(This is Mr. Frederick, who if you are lucky enough, may take you up to his fruit farm and show you how farming island style is done!)

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Experience a Float Tank

Not familiar with floating? It is one of the best means to achieve extreme relaxation and physical well-being. Essentially, you spend an hour or so lying quietly in the dark, suspended in a warm solution of Epsom salt about eleven inches (twenty-seven centimeters) deep and so dense that you float effortlessly. Flotation tanks are also known as isolation tanks, salt water spas, sensory deprivation tanks, and REST chambers.Flotation REST, also known as floating, was developed in America. REST stands for Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy/Technique. You float in a salt water solution in a specially designed tank, which resembles a large, enclosed bathtub. The tank is built so that all outside distractions such as sight, sound, tactile sensations, and gravity are eliminated. The water is warmed to 35.5 degrees Centigrade.

With very friendly and informative hosts John and Amanda, Float Utila is a must do for your stay on Utila!

For more on Float Utila, see their website at www.FloatUtila.com

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Take in Some WaterSports

Watersports activities abound in Utila! The main bay is about absolutely perfect for kayaking, sailing, windsurfing, kite boarding, wakeboarding.

 Windsurfing and Kiteboarding: The bay of Utila is pretty perfect conditions for windsurfing and kiteboarding. For now,  kiteboard rentals are not available, but if you pack your own, you’ll enjoy a bay mostly to yourself!  Windsurf boards are also not really available for rental, but Andi with Paddle Utila has a board that she’ll let you rent- she’s often at the beach with her SUP boards, or reach her through www.PaddleUtila.com. (At one point, we had Kite Belize with us on Utila, but its been a year or so since she left…)  There are some expats and locals with some windsurf  gear, and to a lesser extent, kitesurft gear, you’ll see a few out on windy days, but in general, if you bring some gear with you, it will be just you out there with a big smile laughing as to why no one else is sharing in these fantastic conditions!

The prevailing tradewinds of Utila are an Eaternly 15-25mph, generally calmer to flat in the morning and picking up in the afternoons. These conditions along with the flat waters of the main bay make for a perfect setting for those chasing the wind. For all levels, novice through Expert, the area just West of the public Chepes beach is one of the best for rigging up and a nice sandy entry into the water to allow you access across the main Eastern Harbor. (If you go a little more West to Blue Bayou, you’ll find coral in your path). For experienced boarders only, you can check out the East side, by Tradewinds and the old airport- you’ll have bigger swell and waves here, and also a more difficult entry.

From the www.KiteBelize.comsite, “Best winds are from April to July. When the trade-winds dominate the weather and steady 15 to 20 knots of wind blows through the bay every afternoon.” For entry with kiteboards and windsurfers, just go right past the public beach (just so you are out of the swimming zone). Nice shallow sandy entry, and still access to the watering holes and facilities at the beach.

For more on windsurfing and kiteboarding, see “Windsports Blow Into the Islands” - an article by Bay Islands Voice.

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The webmaster finds one of the better uses for a surfboard in Utila!

Wakeboarding/Tow Surfing (Skurfing): A great way to enjoy the calm waters of Utila! Right now, Lance Bodden of Bodden Rentals will rent out gear and boat and him as a driver for $90 usd an hour. Other options are to connect with a boat taxi captain and arrange a price to tow you if you have your own gear. Some locals and expats have some gear that you may also be able to make arrangements with.

On calm mornings, its truly phenomonal- like gliding on glass. The main Eastern Harbor is suitable for this, though you’ll have to watch boat traffic, and even better is heading down the South Shore a bit more, across from the Cays.

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Kayaks: You can rent kayaks at various spots around the island- check your dive shop- some have them. If not, Coral View Resort in Blue Bayou, and also the house in Blue Bayou has some nice ones.  Click here for more specifics on kayak rental venues. Keep in mind to start your journey upwind, as you never know when the seas/winds can pick up. On flat calm days, this is a great way to enjoy the sea. For kayak tours, see text above or look at Kayak Utila

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Swimming: there is a swimming area at public beach too- stay in that area because there are boats. Other swimming spots for a little off the beaten path is at Paradise Cove, at Red Cliff (past the OLD airport). When that Paradise Cove is calm, its absolutely amazing!

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Sailing / Sunfish / Catamaran

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Go Surfing or Boogieboarding (well, sort of!)

Surfing in Utila!

Boogie Boarding in Utila!

Okay, the truth is if you are hauling your surfboard or boogie board to Utila, well, you are going to be more than a bit disappointed. We are known for our awesome snorkeling and scuba diving among our coral reefs, but this also means we normally have flat, relatively calm waters (even in high winds).

BUT, that said, there are those intrepid souls who must find surf, and yes, it is possible, though extremely rare (like say 8 x a year!) Its also friggin’ rocky. If you need to get into the waves, you are probably better off with a boogie board, though we certainly don’t necessarily suggest bringing either to Utila if you can avoid it. So with all that out of the way, here we present the very first, Surfing Guide to Utila / Utila Surf Guide”: (yes, its going to be short):

New Airport- Probably the best spot to find surf, though don’t expect much. Maybe 2-3′. Very shallow reef. Seriously, experts only or you and your board will get mauled.

Paradise Cove- Site of surfing photo above. A little mellower, but still gnarly for reef break. IF its breaking enough, the left will start coming in on the Western portion of the cove- if you can catch it outside, you can get a decent ride. Entry and exit gnarly. Can actually get a few days per year on a boogie board without much damage to yourself.

Big Bight-2 spots exist- “First Rights” and “The Palms”. First Rights is the right most part of the bay, as you are looking out. Shallow little right, but fun until your skeg hits the rock. The Palms is a little deeper- right in the center of the bay- appropriately named for the 2 tall palm trees. Its straight out in front. These spots both are better, and actually quite fun on a boogie board.

Pumpkin Hill- You can see the potential from the views, (see Pumpkin Hill photo above), but pretty serious rip current and rocky. Definitely fun to play on in a boogie board, but WEAR YOUR FINS or you may be drifting for a few days…

West Side- The elusive, but does exist, West side wave. Boat access only and only goes off sometimes.

Catching one at Shluk's Break

Shluk’s Break: New surf spot found June 27 with the swell from tropical storm Alex and revisted Sept 25 and 26 with Tropical Storm Matthew. Super fun, and not as gnarly as the other sites we’ve found. Cobble bottom, and deep enough that you can catch a decent ride in without scraping your skeg or your body. A few larger coral heads on the outside, so stay on the inside of those and you’ll do minimal damage to yourself or the reef. Wanna go? give me an email- I’m not giving this spot up!

Bottom line for surfing: if you have to haul your board to Utila because you are in travel to other surf spots, yes, you may find some surf, but you also may do some damage to yourself, the reef, or your board. Its not a spot to learn for sure. After 5 years, we resigned to the fact that the best use for our surfboard is “Skurfing”- (see photo above) -pulling our surfboard behind a boat, wakeboard style, to get a little bit of longboard fun in…but if you need your real wave fix, it is possible to get it a few times a year and walk away with a huuuuuge smile!

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Horseback Riding

Discover Utila on horseback. Ride through the backcountry and along the beaches, or ride to the top of Stuarts Hill, the second highest point on the island for a breathtaking 360 degree view. The guides are very knowledgeable and give you a behind the scenes look into island living rarely seen by tourists. Up to 8 riders at a time. Red Ridge Stables open at 9:00AM and close at 4:30PM. Located on the left side of the highway on the way to the new airport. Stop by and meet the staff and the horses. * Private rides and lessons are available upon request. Reservations not necessary — but strongly recommended. Prices: 2 hr tour $35 1/2 day tour $50. Contact Info: 425-3143 or cell 3-390-4812.

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Rent an ATV, Motorcycle, or Golf Cart

Get some wheels and explore the Utila’s bush! Go check out the Freshwater caves, Pumpkin Hill, Iguana Station, Blue Bayou, and other spots discussed above. The road to Pumpkin Hill is perfect on an ATV- pack your lunch, water, sunscreen, bug repellent and head off! Another option closer to closer to town is Stuarts Hill, just above the Iguana Station. A little bit of hiking / scrambling will get you there- ask for directions at the Iguana Station.

Utila Guide Tip: Keep in mind that there is no real driving test for all the other folks with motorcycles, ATVs, and golf carts- so take it slow and be cautious!

For where to ATVs, motorcycles, and golf carts, see the businesses under our page Vehicles and Bikes.

Got More Suggestions? Let us know- we will post and credit you!

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