The United Nations Organization (UN) declared the island of Utila as the best place in the world to snorkel and dive.
Utila is located just 30 km from the north coast of Honduras. It is 49.3 km² in area, 11 km long, and 4 km at its widest point. The only town on the island, called East Harbor, has approximately 3,000 inhabitants.
The official language, as in the rest of Honduras, is Spanish, although English is also spoken, especially for tourist activities.
The second-largest reef chain in the world stretches across the Bay Islands, where marine life is rich and abundant; This, combined with crystal clear waters and a visibility of up to 500 m, makes Utila one of the best places for snorkeling and diving; In addition, it is considered one of the cheapest places in the world to study and obtain diving certification. There are around 12 dive shops or diving schools in Utila to obtain certification, ranging from beginner to more professional level, and even the master's degree.
The dive shops and many independent boat owners offer snorkel trips to Water Cay and shallow dive sites, where snorkelers can enjoy the best that Utila has to offer underwater.
Utila is also a famous location for Whale Shark encounters, year-round. The whale sharks that visit the waters of Utila are usually between five and ten meters long and weigh around fifteen tons and only eat plankton. During your visit, there's a chance you'll be lucky enough to swim with one.
As is common in the Caribbean, there are only two climatic seasons: the dry season, between November and May, and the rainy season, the rest of the year, from June to October.
Towards the west of the island, there are many keys, several of which are inhabited and are part of the community of Los Cayos, with a small population. To the east of the island, just 30 km away, is the island of Roatán.
You can get to Utila from Roatan by taking a full-day guided tour with ATV Roatan. Within the economic activities of the island's inhabitants are those related to tourism, fishing, and commerce; For this, the island has hotel centers that are occupied in the holiday season due to its beautiful beaches, its reefs, and traditional diving, for its Anglo-African cultural heritage, with its Creole English, and for its carnival in the month of July.
Utila is the most traditional and conservative of the islands of the archipelago, despite the changes it has undergone over the decades since its transfer from the British to the government of Honduras in the 19th century, being a closed community dedicated to fishing to be one of the most cosmopolitan places in Honduras and to develop as one of the best tourist destinations in the Caribbean and be an example of it for the rest of the region.