Utila Lionfish Derby and Cookoff 2011~

Utila celebrated its first lionfish derby and cookoff!    Organized by Bay Islands Conservation Association (BICA) and Utila Center for Marine Ecology (UCME), with the involvement of multiple dive shops and other community members, this was a great first-time event.   Date of the catching derby was Friday, April 29th.  Teams were organized through the  dive shops, with  22 teams of four people participating. This resulted in 429 lionfish killed in just one day!  Lionfish are a highly invasive species in the Caribbean. Their presence and detrimental effects throughout the Caribbean, including Belize, and Bay Islands, have been well documented.  An “invasive species” means not only that the species was introduced to the area (in this case, “area” meaning the Caribbean at large;  the introduction likely being accidental  through aquariums in Florida and Bahamas), but ALSO that the introduced species has harmful impacts on the native species.   In the case of lionfish, they are native to Indian and Pacific oceans, but here, they have no substantial active predators, and they aggressively destroy the local fish populations. (Some preliminary research is being done on shark and grouper predation on lionfish, however the predation seems to be on an individual case by case basis and not at the levels needed to actively control lionfish populations- though that may change in the future.)    Read More

Stand up Paddleboarding (SUP) is now on Utila!

Stand up Paddleboarding (SUP) is now on Utila!

Local boy Jerome showing his skill at Stand up Paddleboarding in Utila Get ready to enjoy Stand up Paddleboarding (SUP) on Utila!      Check out Paddle Utila (a.ka. Utila Paddle Hut) for high quality standup paddleboard rentals, lessons, and tours.    Starting out by basing at Chepes beach (the public beach), most days of the week. You can contact them ahead of time if you want to be sure to catch them, but otherwise generally M-F 9:30 am to 3:30 pm ish (island standard hour) and Saturdays and Sundays 11am ish to 4pm ish.   With great intro rate pricing ($10 usd per hour- this is the lowest priced SUP rentals in the WORLD!) , and monthly membership rates for locals, Paddleboard Utila is making it easy for anyone to give it a try.   Stand up paddleboard is becoming well known across the globe for its ease in getting started, relaxing feeling, as well as awesome core exercise workouts.  Give SUP a try in Utila!  www.PaddleUtila.com   Email: PaddleUtila@gmail.com   Web: www.PaddleUtila.com   Phone: 9-779-0521 (If calling from States, dial 011-504 first) 

Utila Lionfish Derby and Cook off! April 29/ May 1

Friday April 29is the day for the first Utila Lionfish Derby! For this first derby, teams are only through dive shops- contact your dive shop or BICA (Bay Islands Conservation Association) for more information. Sunday May 1stat Chepes Public Beach is the Utila Cook Off for the captured Lionfish! Lionfish are safe to eat and tasty- the venom is in the spine, not the flesh and cooking destroys residual toxins. Care must be taken in preparing the the fish, as the spines can have a powerful sting, but guidance will be on hand to show newcomers how to safely prepare these fish. Lionfish are a highly invasive species which means they were introduced to this area (the Caribbean) AND have harmful impacts on the native species. In simple terms- Lionfish can destroy the local fish populations on a reef, and don’t have any substantial predators to keep their numbers in check. A recent Roatan Lionfish Derby and Cookoff resulted in over 1300 of these invasive species being removed from the reef~!

Utila Featured in New York Magazine!

Utila Featured in New York Magazine Utila continues to get some great press!  See a recent article in New York Magazine featuring Utila~ https://nymag.com/travel/weekends/utila/ Come to Utila and enjoy our great island, its activities, and beautiful waters!  For more on Utila, see www.UtilaGuide.com

Little Cay and Sandy Cay- The “secret” is getting out!

Little Cay and Sandy Cay, 2 private islands off of Utila, Honduras have been seeing a lot of press this year.  Here is a nice write up from our friends at Uncommon Caribbean (click) Having just returned from 4 days of kayaking and snorkeling based at Little Cay, this webmaster can say that this is definately a “must do” during your visit to Utila!  For more information on Little Cay, see https://www.utilaguide.com/hotels/islandsrent/

Listing of Utila Water Taxis

Get out and explore Utila’s waters!  Trips to Water Cay from town center will cost 500-600 lempiras ($25-30 usd) for the boat round trip, but confirm with your Captain ahead of time. Customized trips available.  Here are a few local boat captains below and we’ll be adding to the list at https://www.utilaguide.com/services/water_taxi/ Larger skiffs (about 20 to 25′ feet); some are covered: 1) Captain Austin Solomon- Nice fast boat, very nice man. You can find him down at Sandy Bay; it’s the new white house on the left, the last one on the water side before you get to the gym. He’s also the “other gas station” in town. Cell: 9964-9679 2) Captain Arturo – Nice fast big boat. He is located just across from Utila Dive Center, behind the building that’s on the street. His home number is 2-425-3384. 3) Ramon’s Charters: Captain Ronnie.  2 boats: Cabin cruiser- 31’footer partly covered  or a smaller open 25 footer.  Customized Fishing trips and Charters to La Ceiba ($200 smaller boat, $600 big boat), Roatan (If a group- $50 per person, min 4 person or $200 usd- takes 1 hour),  Cayos Cayochinos. 4) Captain Renny- Another veteran of the sea, with a nice Read More

Roatan Utila Shopping Trip!

Roatan Shopping Trip! Wednesday Feb 2- Leaving Margaritaville Driftwood Cafe at 6:30 am and returning at 5pm . $50 per person Roundtrip..you must pay ahead and reserve… you will have 4 hours to shop… Thanks – sharon Call 2408-5168 to Reserve

Utila Apartment Finders

Need a long term rental or budget short term for your stay on Utila? Then check out Mike and Jennie with Utila Apartment Finders! They specialize in budget conscience travellers staying a week or longer, and have Utila apartments, houses, rooms starting at about $150 a week or $300 a month.  Whats better-as a renter, you don’t pay anything more for their services! They have a large inventory- Give Mike and Jennie a call – Honduras Cell: Mike 3267-5439 and Jennie 3221-6298. If calling from States, dial 011-504 and then these numbers. Email mikelatitude@yahoo.com . You can also stop by our friends at the Utila Realty office (located on the ground floor, main street, next to Munchies Restaurant), M-F 9-4 and they’ll give Utila Apartment Finders a call for you.

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

Tropical Storm Matthew Passed Utila!

Tropical Storm Matthew has passed Utila! Though all on Utila were on full alert for Tropical Storm Matthew (originally Invest 95L), the storm passed a bit lower than its forecasted trajectory, meaning less winds and rains for the island. Plenty of warning was available since this storm started out as a disturbance, Invest 95L, so all islanders, expats, tourists and others could make appropriate preparations if they chose to do so.  (Many folks stocked up on supplies for their families and pets, many boat owners brought their boats into the back lagoon or ensured extra lines were tied out, and some homeowners boarded their windows.) Luckily, the winds from Tropical Storm Matthew were much less than anticipated (estimated in the 35-45 miles per hour (mph) range as opposed to the anticipated gusts of 70mph plus).  There was however some strong wave action, resulting in damage to some older or more exposed docks, in some cases the damage was major.   There was also a lot of debris that washed up on the shorelines, so there will be some extra cleanup by property owners and the municipal this week.  All in all, the community of Utila fared excellent. There is still an area of low pressure that has a small 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

Private Island For Rent in Utila!

We’ve just updated our page  on renting the private islands of Little Cay and Sandy Cay, just off of Utila.  At under $130usd per night, these make fantastic getaways for friends, families, or couples.  See our page Islands for Rent for complete details and contact information for reservations!

Sunjam Utila 2010 is this weekend Aug 7!

For Info on Sunjam 2011– Click Here (https://www.utilaguide.com/sunjamutila2011/) Its here! Sunjam Utila 2010 and back at Water Cay Saturday August 7th!   Tickets: Can be purchased ahead of time, or at door. $50 usd. What is Sunjam? Sunjam Utila is a major rave party that takes place on Water Cay- a 3 acre, deserted private island. Located 6 miles from the town of Utila, the only way to get there is by boat. Sunjam began 12 years ago when a bunch of friends thought it would be a good idea to have a special party and take advantage of the enchanting surroundings. What Kind of Music? Techno/Rave/DJ/: Top central american djs will be joined by Top Ranked Main Dj guests. Last year we were blown away by Alexi Delano’s 4 and a half hour set . How to Get to Sunjam: Catch a water taxi from the center of town, Morgans Dock- boats will be going from about 12 noon on, some earlier.   Most of these drivers will be local fisherman- don’t be a yahoo- treat them with respect.  Water taxi is 30-40 minutes, and will be between $3-$10 usd, depending on how many people in boat. Where to Stay: Sunjam Read More

Utila Carnival 2010 Parade Photos

The Utila Carnival Parade 2010 was great fun!  Thanks to all those who participated, from those that made and joined in the floats, to the parade watchers and bead and mask wearers! We have some fun photos of the event on our facebook page.  If you have some additional photos to add, please contact us. https://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=27961&id=131127360233973&l=1dbf8a494b

Utila Carnival Flyer Around Town

Catch a peek at the 2010 Utila Carnival (Carnaval de Utila) flyer!   Utila Carnival (Carnaval de Utila 2010), July 17-24, 2010! For more information (in English) on schedule of events see our Utila Carnival Page!  (https://www.utilaguide.com/activities/carnival/)