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EXPLORE HONDURAS |
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Bay Islands
Strung in a gentle curve less than 60km off the north coast of Honduras,
the Bay Islands ( Islas de la Bahía ), with their clear, calm waters and
abundant marine life, are Honduras's main tourist attraction. Resting on
a coral reef, the islands are a perfect destination for cheap diving,
sailing and fishing, while less active visitors can sling a hammock and
relax in the shade on the many palm-fringed sand beaches. Composed of
three main islands and some 65 smaller cayes, this sweeping 125km island
chain lies on the Bonacca Ridge , an underwater extension of the Sierra
de Omoa mountain range that disappears into the sea near Puerto Cortés.
Roatán is the largest and most developed of the islands, while Guanaja ,
to the east, is an upmarket resort destination with some wonderful dive
sites. Utila , the closest to the mainland, is a target for budget
travellers from all over the world.
Even old hands get excited about diving the waters around the Bay
Islands, where lizard fish and toadfish dart by, scarcely
distinguishable from the coral; eagle rays glide through the water like
huge birds flying through the air; parrotfish chomp steadily away on the
coral; and barracuda and harmless nurse sharks circle the waters,
checking you out from a distance. In addition, the world's largest fish,
the whale shark (which can reach up to 16m in length) is a resident of
the Cayman Trench, which plummets to profound depths just north of the
islands. It's most frequently spotted in October and November, when dive
boats run trips to look for it, but can be encountered close to Utilan
waters year round.
The best time to visit the islands is from March to September, when the
water visibility is good and the weather is clear and sunny; the rains
start in October, while November and December are usually very wet, with
squally showers continuing until late February. Daytime temperatures
range between 25 and 29°C year round, though the heat is rarely
oppressive, thanks to almost constant east-southeast trade winds.
Mosquitoes and sandflies are endemic on all the islands, and at their
worst when the wind dies down; lavish coatings of baby oil help to keep
the latter away.
Central and western highlands
The Bay Islands' history of conquest, pirate raids and constant
immigration has resulted in a society that's unique in Honduras. The
islands' original inhabitants are thought to have been the Pech ,
recorded by Columbus on his fourth voyage in 1502 as being a "robust
people who adore idols and live mostly from a certain white grain from
which they make fine bread and the most perfect beer". Post-Conquest,
the indigenous population declined rapidly as a result of enslavement
and forced labour. The islands' strategic location as a provisioning
point for the Europe-bound Spanish fleets ensured that they soon became
the targets for pirates , initially Dutch and French, and subsequently
English. The Spanish decision to evacuate the islands, eventually
achieved in 1650, left the way open for the pirates to move in. Port
Royal, Roatán, became their base until the mid-eighteenth century, from
where they launched sporadic attacks on ships and against the mainland
settlements.
After the pirates left, Roatán was deserted until the arrival of the
Garífuna in 1797. Forcibly expelled from the British-controlled island
of St Vincent following a rebellion, most of the 3000-strong group were
persuaded by the Spanish to settle in Trujillo on the mainland, leaving
a small settlement at Punta Gorda on the island's north coast. Further
waves of settlers came after the abolition of slavery in 1830, when
white Cayman Islanders and freed slaves arrived first on Utila, later
spreading to Roatán and Guanaja. These new inhabitants fished and built
up a very successful fruit industry, which exported to the US - until a
hurricane levelled the plantations in 1877.
Honduras acquired rights to the islands following independence in 1821,
yet many - not least the islanders themselves - still considered the
territory to be British. In 1852, Britain declared the islands a Crown
Colony, breaking the terms of the 1850 Clayton-Bulwer Treaty, an
agreement not to exercise dominion over any part of Central America.
Forced to back down under US pressure, Britain finally conceded
sovereignty to Honduras in the Wyke-Cruz Treaty of 1859.
Today, the islands retain their cultural separation from the mainland,
although with both Spanish-speaking Hondurans and North American and
European expats settling in growing numbers, there is ongoing re-shaping
and adaptation. A unique form of Creole English is still spoken on the
street, but due to the increasing number of mainlanders migrating here,
Spanish - always the official language - is becoming just as common.
This government-encouraged migration has sparked tensions between
English-speaking locals and the Latino newcomers, especially in Roatán,
where many islanders feel they are being swamped by land-hungry
outsiders with whom they have little in common. The huge growth in
tourism since the early 1990s, a trend that shows no signs of abating,
has also been controversial, as the islands' income, which traditionally
came from fishing or working on cargo ships and oil rigs, is coming to
rely more and more on tourism. Concern is growing too about the
environmental impact of the industry and the question of who, exactly,
benefits most from the boom.
North coast and Mosquitia
The growth in tourism to the islands over the past few years means that
all three are served by several daily flights from the mainland, and
both Utila and Roatán have daily boat connections with the coastal city
of La Ceiba .
Most travellers use the excellent scheduled ferry service which leaves
La Ceiba daily for Utila (1hr; US$12 one way) at 9.30am and for Roatán
(2hr; US$13 one way) daily at 3pm. Flying to the islands is also
uncomplicated; tickets are very cheap and standardized by the Honduran
government - there are no price variations between airlines. There are
fifteen flights daily from La Ceiba to Roatán (30min; US$20), four daily
to Utila (20min; US$17), and five daily to Guanaja (40min; US$33).
Availability is very rarely a problem, and you can buy your tickets on
the spot at the airport, though you should book ahead in the peak
holiday seasons (Christmas-Easter and August). All internal flights from
San Pedro Sula (1hr) and Tegucigalpa (1hr) stop over briefly in La
Ceiba. Schedules change at short notice and flights are sometimes
cancelled altogether; bear in mind that you may be late arriving or,
more crucially, departing. The domestic airlines , Isleña, Taca and
Sosa, have offices on the central square in La Ceiba and at the airport;
another internal carrier, Rollins Air, also has an office at the airport.
From Belize , the easiest way to get to the Bay Islands is to fly to
Roatán with Taca (US$274 return). Alternatively, you can go by boat from
Belize City or Placencia to Puerto Cortés in Honduras, and then continue
by bus to La Ceiba via San Pedro Sula. There are also several
international flights to Roatán: Taca operate a direct flight once
weekly from Houston, Miami and New Orleans; call their office in Roatán
(tel 445 1387) for the latest schedules.
Olancho
FLIGHTS
La Ceiba to: Roatán (Isleña, 7 daily; Sosa, 4 daily; Rollins Air, 4
daily); Utila (Rollins, Mon-Sat 2 daily; Sosa, Mon-Sat 2 daily); Guanaja
(Isleña, Mon-Sat 2 daily, Sun 1 daily; Sosa, Mon-Sat 2 daily).
BOATS
MV Galaxy runs daily between La Ceiba and Roatán (2hr; US$13) and Utila
(1hr; US$12).
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