Annual Utila International Billfish Rodeo

Utila’s Annual Billfish Tournament is Underway. The influx is fancy fishing boats moored along the docks in the bay are due to the kick-off of the Annual  2014 Utila International Billfish Tournament, hosted by Laguna Beach. The lucky winner will walk away with an $8,000 purse when they provide proof of the largest Billfish  catch caught on video. This is a catch and release sport fishing tournament where the process of the catch needs to be caught on  video from the time the fish is caught on the line until after it is pulled onto the boat for a visual  inspection and verification of size and weight. It must then be released. Billfish are a species of pelagic fish that travel long distances migrating with the major ocean currents  path for spawning and feeding grounds. Called ‘Billfish’, for the distinguishable spear like protrusion or  ‘bill’, this extension of their bodies is used to slash at or stun prey. Billfish have often been considered trophy fish and commonly sought after in tournaments due to their strength, size and power. In the past these fish were legendary in their elusiveness and it took considerable skill (and luck), to find, hook and land Read More

Utila’s Conservation Organizations Come Together With A Brand New Initiative

  By Jennifer Orrange of Utila Guide In an effort to create positive information aimed at tourists arriving in Utila, a collaboration of Conservation organizations resulted in the creation of informative posters that were distributed to places of business throughout the island during the first week of June. The project, funded by the UCF (The Utila Conservation Fund) ,which is a partnership between the Utila Municipality, Coral Reef Alliance, BICA (Bay Islands Conservation Association), the Iguana Station and the WSORC (Whale Shark Oceanic and Research Center), was to design and distribute a method for providing positive advice on responsible tourism practices. The Utila project was inspired by the banners which greet visitors to the island of Roatan which inform people that they are entering a unique and special place and that they need to be aware of and responsible for their actions and their impact on the surrounding environment. The collaborative group (UCF), hopes that the Utila poster campaign will also generate a perception of ownership and create a sense of empowerment within the local community- by encouraging locals and residents to identify themselves as belonging to and coming from a protected area and instilling a passion to protect what Read More

Utila has great beaches to enjoy!

Enjoying Chepes Beach, Utila Enjoying Chepes Beach in Utila. Photo by Utila Guide Well known for scuba diving, Utila also has great beaches to enjoy as well!  For some reason, some of the guidebooks and travel books say that Utila has no beaches- well thats just crazy! We have a fantastic picture perfect public beach (Chepes- see right and below), a great semi-private beach that you can assess for a small $3 usd charge (Bandu Beach).   Also, by water, easily accessible via kayak, stand up paddleboard, or water taxi, there is the fabulous Water Caye, and of course an entire coastline along the South, West, and North Shore dotted with awesome sandy beaches. At the North Shore (Rock Harbor) and West (Don Quickset), you will likely have the beach entirely to yourself!  Whether you are looking to just lounge or be active, come check out Utila’s beaches! With our calm turquoise blue waters, nice sand, and uncrowded scene, it will be a great day~ For more on Utila, see www.UtilaGuide.com  

Utila Kayaking Expedition in the Caribbean Feb 5-12, 2011

Coming Feb 5-12 Week long Utila and Utila Cays Kayak and Reef Snorkeling Expedition with Private Island Rental! Utila-Bay Islands-Honduras Come join us on a week-long expedition as we explore by kayak, the Caribbean island of Utila, located in the beautiful Bay Islands of Honduras.  Beautiful paddling, turquoise waters, easy access to snorkeling and fishing. We will be paddling in expedition style, cockpitted boats (not sit on tops) from Current Designs, Valley and Dagger. Experience in very helpful, but not mandatory. You can develop your kayaking skills with an American Canoe Association (ACA)-certified open-water instructor throughout the week as you learn to handle a sea kayak in wind and waves. Being on a tropical island in the trade winds presents great opportunities for gentle paddling as well as rough water paddling without the dangers of cold water. You can also learn how to snorkel right out of your kayak on a fantastic living coral reef! For more advanced snorkelers, there are excellent opportunities to hone your free diving skills and marine ecology knowledge. We will be based on the main island of Utila, and on the private cay of Little Cay- a perfect spot for a getaway. Small groups- 4-6 pp. Read More

Honduras Independence Day on Utila

Utila had a great day celebrating Honduras Independence Day 2010, on September 15!   A morning parade through town, and fun activities like greased pole climbing and more marching bands later.  The students have been practicing for months with their marching bands or other routines, and did a great job! For more photos of Independence Day on Utila, see our facebook page at  https://www.facebook.com/shluk#!/album.php?aid=41733&id=131127360233973&ref=mf

Snorkeling in Utila!

Though well known as a SCUBA dive destination, Utila also has fantastic snorkeling right from shore or via boat! Utila is consistently rated high as a snorkel destination- calm waters, great reefs, easy access.  A recent article by Away.com rated Utila as one of the top 10 snorkel destinations in the world! (But we already knew that!~) __________________________________________________________________________________ For Boat Snorkeling in Utila: Most dive shops will welcome you on their dive boat, but best to arrange in advance to set up for a more shallow site suitable for snorkeling.  _________________________________________________________________________________ For Shore Snorkeling in Utila: One of the great things about Utila is that you can experience great snorkeling right from shore.  Lots of great spots exist-  for starters, grab your mask, fins, and snorkel, and head down to our favorites: Blue Bayou:  in front of Coral View Resort. They have a great double story dock, and will charge a minimal ($2usd) dock fee to use their dock for the excellent snorkeling less than 30 yards from their ladder.  If you buy food or drinks, the incredibly sweet Ms. Tania will normally waive the dock fee. Coral View is in Blue Bayou, which is about 1/2 mile past the Read More

Utila Iguana Station Releases Juveniles!

Watching the volunteers Mayra and Sarah prepare breakfast for the Iguanas with bright red hibiscus blossoms and papayas was a great way to start  the morning…   I was at the Utila Iguana Research and Breeding Station (IRBS), preparing to venture out for a day trip, with their Coordinator and Biologist Andrea Martinez, and two other volunteers, Sophie and Genevieve.   The focus of the day was the release of a batch of year-old  Spiny Tailed  Iguana (Ctenosaura bakeri), also known as “The Swamper”, or “WishiWilly”.  This iquana species is an endangered species that lives in the Mangrove forests of Utila. It is also is an endemic species to the island, meaning it is ONLY found on Utila.  We were off to “Iron Bound”, an area they refer to which is to the West of Pumpkin Hill and to the East of Rock Harbor- also an area that I had somehow never explored during my years here in Utila.   So when Angela Randazzo, the Director of the Iguana Station, made the offer to come join her team for the day, I jumped at it.   As we made the trek (about 1.5 hour from the station; 1 hour from the first turn off to Pumpkin Hill), I noted how good it felt to be out hiking in Utila.  Most of my free time is spent Read More

Activities in Utila

By now you probably know that Utila, Honduras has great diving and snorkeling and very affordable rates.  But is there anything else to do on the island? You bet!  Utila has a host of other activities, including kayaking, kite-surfing, windsurfing, swimming, horse-back riding, hiking, cave exploring, float in a float tank,  visit with the locals, go to the Cays,  and much more!  Take some time and explore the rest of Utila- see our page on the Utila Guide called “Activities” or copy and past this URL :  https://www.utilaguide.com/Utila_Guide_Announcements/activities/activities/ Feel free to contact us if you need more details on any of the activities.