Travelling to Utila, Honduras is a great way to soak up a bit of Carribean sun for a fraction of the price of other islands. Utila is a small island off the coast of Honduras which makes up part of the Bay Islands. While Roatan is the larger, more expensive island popular with cruise ship travellers, I heard Utila aptly described as a “poor man’s paradise”. Not that it is lacking in any way, but certainly attracts a more backpacker-oriented crowd predominantly drawn to the island by cheap diving deals. If you are planning to travel to Utila, here is everything you need to know to get you started.
Getting the ferry from La Ceiba to Utila
The ferry to Utila is with Utila Dream Ferries and can easily be booked online here. To book at the port the price is 800 Lempira, but if you book online you save 10%.
When you arrive at the port, you will need to pay the Island Tax. It is all well sign-posted where to go and the staff for Utila Dream Ferries all seem to have great levels of English so they will point you in the right direction. The price is 35 Lempira per person and it needs to be paid in cash.
There are some restaurants and shops close to the ferry terminal if you need food, or to buy last minute sunscreen. The restaurants are cash only. The waiting area for Utila Dream Ferries has great wifi, airconditioning, free water refills and plenty of charging points so it is a good place to kill a bit of time while you wait for the ferry. You can also check your bag in early before you travel so you don’t need to carry it around while you wait.
If you plan to travel to Utila around any national holidays, try to book your ferry a few days in advance. We were caught out leaving at the end of the Semana Morazanica and had to get the 5:30am ferry because the others were all sold out.
The ferry takes an hour and is a pretty smooth crossing.
What to do on Utila
The main reason to travel to Utila is to go diving. The island is surrounded by incredible dive sites with great visibility. There are loads of dive schools on the island and the competition makes it some of the cheapest diving in the world. If you are looking for a place to qualify or upskill as a diver, this is the place. If you’re not here to dive there are other things that the island has to offer. I’ve written a whole post on this which you can read here.
Choosing a dive school on Utila
A quick Google search will reveal the overwhelming amount of dive schools on the island. It’s important to remember that not all dive schools are created equal, and they will vary in quality, price and vibe. While certainly not an exhaustive list, here are 3 that come pretty highly recommended.
Utila Dive Center
This is the dive shop that we went with and we both thought they were fantastic. The staff were super professional and friendly. The equipment was in really good condition. Free dorm accommodation is provided while diving or doing a course with them at Mango Inn. They even have two person dorms available for couples if you’re lucky enough to snag one. Mango Inn has a lovely pool to relax in after diving, but it is about 10 minutes walk from the dive shop.
Alton’s Dive Center
This dive center has excellent reviews both on Google and by word of mouth on the island. If you are diving with them you can stay in their dorm for free and even upgrade to an airconditioned dorm or private room. The accommodation is right on the water at the dive school which is a big pro for sunsets and early morning dive schedules.
Bay Islands College of Diving
This one comes highly recommended from a friend that did their Dive Master internship with them. They are definitely worth checking out and include dorm accommodation with the upgrades available.
Where to eat and drink on Utila
Utila has a good variety of restaurants ranging from street stall baleadas to date night restaurants. Here are a few crowd favourites.
Mango Tango – known to be one of the best restaurants on the island. They do a good selection of seafood and other meals. The prices are a little higher, but you’re paying for quality. They also do nice cocktails and have a beautiful deck for sunset.
The Point – an American style bar and restaurant with a pool overlooking the water. This place seems to be a favourite with the local dive community and serves up some really yummy burgers, boneless wings and mozarella sticks.
Mama Rosa’s – a bit of an island institution, Mama Rosa’s is known as one of the best budget eats in town. The baleadas are huge and come with a variety of fillings. You can even get lobster.
La Casita – nextdoor to Mama Rosa’s sit colourful little La Casita. This place is also really popular with divers probably because of the reasonably priced menu and decent food.
The Pink Flamingo – only opened for breakfast and lunch, the Pink Flamingo has a great location with tables and hammocks overlooking the water. They have a lot of vegan and vegetarian options and is a great place for a healthy breakfast.
Gaga’s Grab N Go Restaurant – This was the only restaurant on the island that we returned to multiple times. Partly because it was close to our accommodation, partly because the owners were so friendly, but mostly because it is cheap and delicious. I personally thought they baleadas were better than at Mama Rosa’s and the home-made chilli sauce on the tables is to die for. They also have very cute cats.
Is there a supermarket on Utila?
There are a number of small tiendas on the island where you can get a lot of things that you need. Bush’s Supermarket on Main Street is one of the biggest and has a great range of products. You can also pay on card here without being charged a 5% surcharge like most places on the island will charge.
Where can I get laundry done in Utila?
If you walk down Main Street, you will see a lot of signs for people offering laundry services. Most seem to charge per item; 5 lempira for underwear, 10 lempira for shirts, shorts, dresses. Others charge 250 lempira per load.
Money
There are 2 ATM’s on the island. Both are located on Main Street. One is directly across the road from the ferry and the other is a little further down as you head south on Main Street. The ATM we used had a withdrawal fee of $3.50USD. Some larger restaurants and stores will allow you to pay on card, usually with a 5% surcharge but I wouldn’t rely on it. Always check before you order if you need to pay with card because cash is still king here.
Booking day trips and activities on Utila
Next door to Bush’s Supermarket you can also book the boat to Water Cay. It’s $20USD return and another $5USD if you want to hire snorkelling equipment. They also do other day trips so it’s worth checking their board out the front to see if there is anything you’re interested in.
For booking onward travel onwards Utila or La Ceiba on the mainland, there is Rooneey Shuttles. They have a couple of locations on the island and you may be able to get a discount if you’ve travelled with them before.
Getting around on Utila
You have a few options for transport in Utila. The easiest and most worry-free is to get tuk tuk taxis to whereever you want to go. They are zipping around everywhere on the island so you can always wave one down when you need. Confirm the price before you leave, but here is a useful price guide provided by our hotel.
Alternatively, there are an abundance of places that you can hire bikes, scooters, ATVs or golf buggies from. If you’re there for a while, ask for rates for longer hires.
Things to bring with you
The number one piece of advice that I can give you for a trip to Utila is to bring mosquito repellent. It is of course available to buy on the island, but you want to make sure you have it with you at all times. Perhaps they were worse because of the time of year, but every traveller we saw was covered in bites from either mosquitos or sand flies. Lather yourself in mosquito repellent and you should be fine.
Another important thing to bring is reef-safe sunscreen. While the sun doesn’t have the same sting as it does in Australia, after a few days on the dive boat I was pretty burnt. If you’re going diving or on a snorkelling trip, make sure you bring sunscreen and appropriate clothing to cover up. There is generally only a very small area of shade on the boat so you could be sitting in the sun for up to 45 minutes while travelling between dive sites.
I’d also recommend bringing a bit of cash if you can. As mentioned, there are 2 ATMs on the island but one of them was out of order when we tried it. Just to be safe, bring a little cash.
Is Utila an expensive place to travel?
Is it expensive? Yes and no. It depends on the type of trip you are on. If you’re backpacking through Central America, it will feel more expensive than other places. If you’re just there for a short trip for some diving, it’s definitely an affordable destination. When you compare it to other Carribean destinations, it’s an absolute steal.
To give a bit of an idea of prices, a beer at most restaurants was around 50 Lempira. An average restaurant meal could go from 200-400 Lempira. Pizza averaged about 350 Lempira. You could hire a scooter for 24 hours for $25USD. Cocktails were 150-250 Lempira. A tuk tuk from centro to Playa Bando is 30 Lempira per person.
How to save money on Utila
While it certainly isn’t an expensive destination, if you are being budget conscious you can easily save a lot of money on food. Baleadas are a cheap, abundant and delicious. A baleada sencilla which is a tortilla with refried beans and cheese generally costs 15-20 Lempira. With meat fillings, they are around 40-60 Lempira.
Another big money saver is to take advantage of the accommodation provided by dive schools. If you are coming to Utila for diving, most dive schools will have some sort of package deal where you get free accommodation while you complete a dive course or a fun dive package with them. It is worth messaging a few dive schools to find out what packages they have. Check the reviews for the accommodation that comes included with the dives. Some will even have BBQ nights and things like kayaks and stand up paddle boards that you can use for free when you’re doing a course or a dive package with them.
The best time to travel to Utila
You can travel to Utila year round and there is something that can be enjoyed in any season. The rainy season is September to January, but we visited during this time and it didn’t impact our time at all. I think it only rained in the evening once.
The island gets busy around Christmas, Easter and other Honduran holidays such as Semana Morizanaca so plan accordingly and book ferries in advance if you plan to travel to Utila during these times.
Where to stay on Utila
As I said earlier, if you’re planning on doing some diving, the best way to save some money is to buy a dive package that includes accommodation. Accommodation on Utila is not cheap compared to mainland Central America. It is still very affordable if you’re comparing it to other Caribbean destinations. Here are my two top picks for places to stay on Utila.
The Odyssey Resort, Utila is located on the road to Bando Beach but still close enough to all the conveniences of town. The rooms are large, clean and some come with a balcony so you can watch the sunset over the bay. The Odyssey is a small resort which offers up real Caribbean beach vibes while still having some of the amenities of a hostel such as a shared kitchen that guests can use and assistance booking diving or tours.
Manurii Boutique Hotel, Utila is perfect if you’re looking for something a bit more secluded with a homey feel. Manurii Boutique Hotel is family run and immaculately kept. It has a pool set in a lovely, tropical garden and feels like your own little slice of paradise. You’ll never want to leave!
Looking for more inspiration? Check out my post for the best things to do on Utila here!
