Honduras Bay Islands

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Bay Islands Listings

Foster's West Bay Resort

Luna Beach Resort

Mango Inn

Oak Bay Resort

Reef Gliders

Subway Watersports

Utila Dive Centre

Utopia Village

West End Divers

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Honduras is a stunningly beautiful country, with marvelous beaches, lush green mountains, the idyllic Bay Islands, and the ancient Mayan city of Copan - just to scratch the surface.

Honduras is located in Central America bordered by Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua. Most visitors arrive by air.

Whether you are exploring the Mayan ruins, diving in the Bay Islands or relaxing on the North Coast at Tela or La Ceiba, there are great places to visit and things to do. The people of Honduras are very friendly and visitors and travellers are most welcome. If you have a spirit of adventure, make Honduras your next vacation spot.

Off the northern coast of Honduras, from 12 to 35 miles offshore, you will find the Bay Islands. They are located along the largest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere.

The Bay Islands remain today as some of the Caribbean’s most beautiful, pristine and tranquil islands. This exotic archipelago is a divers paradise, boasting clear waters and unspoiled reefs that are among the healthiest in the Caribbean. These virgin reefs teem with a myriad of unique reef creatures and 95% of all species of the Caribbean’s coral can be found in these alluring waters.

Roatan is the largest island, with the most infrastructure and the most developed for tourism. It is a long, thin island, measuring almost 40 miles in length and with a total land mass of 49 square miles. The island has a mountainous backbone and is totally surrounded by coral reefs, offering superb diving.

The tallest of the islands, Guanaja does not have any roads, and the largest community, known as Bonaca is not even on the island itself, but on a small cay a short distance from Guanaja. Guanaja has a paved runway as an airport, and is forested with the unique Caribbean pine that distinguishes it very much from its sister islands.

Climate Average High 85F 29C Can cool to about 68F 20C at night.
Water Temp 78 - 83F 25 - 28C Visibility 80 - 150 ft 24 - 45 m

Bay Islands Dive Sites

Dive Services/Accommodations

Getting There

There are a number of options availbe in traveling to Honduras and the Bay Islands. International flights direct to the mainland, direct and connecting flights to Roatan, local flights to Utila and Guanaja. Flights to the mainland can be combined with bus and ferry services to Roatan and Utila. We have included airline information below for your convenience but these are subject to change, always check with your travel agent for the best options from your city. If you are making your own reservations, check diectly with the airlines or use one of the popular search engines such as Orbitz, Expedia, Travelocity or One Travel. These sites wil provide you with schedule options and discounted prices.

By Air

From USA/Canada

American, Continental, Delta, Copa, Spirit, United and TACA Airlines all fly from the U.S. and Canada to the city of San Pedro Sula on mainland, Honduras.

The main airlines flying direct flights into Roatan are Continental (Saturday/Sunday out of Houston, Saturday out of Newark), Delta (Saturday out of Atlanta) and TACA (Saturday out of Houston, Sunday out of Miami) Aerolineas Sosa and Islena also services Roatan with regularly scheduled domestic flights.

Utila is serviced by flights from Aerolineas Sosa.

Guanaja is serviced by Aerolineas Sosa.

The main airlines flying to La Ceiba are TACA, SOSA and Islena.

Sunwing Airlines will begin direct flights From Toronto to Roatan beginning November 2011.

From Europe

Most European Airlines have direct flights to Miami or Houston, from where you can take a connection flight to Roatan with above-mentioned Airlines.

Ferry Services

Besides air service to the islands, you may also fly into San Pedro Sula, take a private bus service, such as Hedman Alas to La Ceiba, then ferry to Roatan or Utila. Hedman Alas offers four trips daily from San Pedro Sula to La Ceiba on air conditioned executive buses - 06:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 03:20 p.m., 06:20 p.m.

Roatan

By Ferry - La Ceiba

The ferry, named the Galaxy Wave, is a 152 foot catamaran yacht, with a 460 person capacity. There is a concession area onboard which offers snacks and refreshments. Onboard entertainment is available. Cost is approximately US$28./Adult, US$15. Children 5 -10 years.

Schedule

Depart 7:00 am Roatan - Arrive 8:15 am La Ceiba
Depart 9:30 am La Ceiba - Arrive 10:45 am Roatan
Depart 2:00 pm Roatan - Arrive 3:15 pm La Ceiba
Depart 4:30 pm La Ceiba - Arrive 5:45 pm Roatan

Utila

By Ferry

The cost for the La Ceiba - Utila ferry is approximately $22 each way; the ferry is called the Utila Princess.

Schedule

Morning
Leave Utila 6.20am
Arrive La Ceiba 7.30am

Leave La Ceiba 9.30am
Arrive in Utila 10.40am

Afternoon
Leave Utila 2pm
Arrive La Ceiba 3.10pm

Leave La Ceiba 4.00pm
Arrive Utila 5.10pm

Entry Requirements

Passport valid 6 months beyond intended stay in Honduras.

Ticket for return or onward travel.

Departure tax US$37.00.

Citizens of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, UK, USA and most Western European countries can stay 30 days without a visa. Nationals from most other countries not mentioned above must obtain a visa, please check ahead with the Honduran embassey before traveling.

Helpful Information

Getting Around on the Islands
There is little need for transportation on the smaller islands. Roatan with it's 60 miles of roads, offers cars, trucks, bikes and scooters for rent.

Language
Spanish is the official language of Honduras. English is spoken in the Bay Islands and in most tourist areas.

Medical Facilities
There are two decompression chambers on Roatan and one on Utila. Both Utila and Guanaja have medical clinics, while Roatan has four good sized facilities located in Sandy Bay, Coxen Hole, French Harbour, and Punta Gorda. La Ceiba and San Pedro Sula, the nearest large cities on the mainland, have fully equipped hospitals with many U.S. trained doctors. Medivac is available if needed.

Bay Islands Climate
Temperatures range from a high of close to 100 degrees in August and September in the noon day sun ...to a low of 68 degrees in the middle of a December night. Trade winds keep the tropical humidity and heat under control. The rainy season extends from October through January -- with a total approaching 80 inches, providing lush greenery and exotic flowers. Tropical storms are rare but can occur in the fall. The Bay Islands are located so far west that they’re rarely bothered by hurricanes.

Electricity
Power on the islands is the same as in the US: 110 volts AC -60 cycles.

Time Zone
The islands are in the Central Time Zone (which is equivalent to UTC (or GMT) less 6 hours). Daylight savings time is not observed.

Taxes/Tipping
A 12% value added tax is added to the price of all services and merchandise. Also many restaurants or hotels will add an additional 10% service charge as a tip. This is not compulsory to pay. Check your bill before tipping as it may have already been included.