Utila, Honduras

One of the Bay Islands off the coast of Honduras, Utila is the closest to shore, smallest and flattest of the three main Bay Islands. It is accessible by small aircraft or by a one-hour ferryboat from La Ceiba. Word has gotten out that Utila has the least expensive dive certification courses on the planet, and it has become something of a Mecca for low-budget travelers. A healthy competition between over a dozen small dive shops has brought prices down to $229 for an open water certification course or an advanced open watercourse. True to its reputation, most of the hotels on the island also cater to the budget traveler, although high-end alternatives are available. Utila real estate has also become a popular investment. Recently it has been discovered that Utila is one of the best places in the world to see whale sharks, the world's largest (yet harmless) fish. But there is much more to this island than diving:

Fishing - Deep-sea fishing and bone fishing is becoming popular, and a number professional options exist for the avid or just the occasional fisherman. The Utila Lodge was originally set up as a fishing lodge, but now offers diving and whale shark watching as well.

Beaches - Utila, Honduras, has many beautiful, unspoiled beaches. Jack Neil Beach, southwest of Utila town, is probably the island's longest stretch of sand. More secluded beaches can be found on the north shore by walking an hour across the island to Pumpkin Hill beach. Probably the most popular beach is Water Key, just off of Pigeon Key. This is a splendid, coconut-lined beach surrounded by azure waters, a perfect place to string a hammock and forget about the world for a while.

Pumpkin Hill - The higher of only two low hills (270 ft. high) on an otherwise completely flat Utila, Pumpkin Hill makes a nice getaway from town. An hour's walk out Monkey Tail road or a fun 15-minute bike ride will bring you to this rounded hill perforated by caves. One of the caves is sizeable, the Brandon Hill Cave, where pirate treasure is said to have been buried.

Cross Island Canal - A man-made canal crosses the island at its narrowest point, providing a convenient way to get to the north side of Utila. You can hire a small boat to take you through the mangrove-lined canal, emerging on the north shore, then west along the beach to Turtle Harbor, which protects another secluded beach. Continue west along the coast to the West End, where you will pass Ragged Key, a protected bird-nesting site. Then you can come back along the south side of the island past the Utila Keys, a collection of 10 small keys off Utila's southwest corner.

Utila Realty offers you a complete package of Utila real estate sales. We can help you to arrange travel, lodging, vacation planning and offer tours of the finest real estate available on Utila and the Honduras Bay Islands. We also offer recommendations for superb vacation rental services for property owners who would like an immediate return on their investment.

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