Planning Utila and Roatan Trip

[StubbornRussian]

My fiance and I were certified earlier in the year up in the pacific northwest and since have been diving in Kauai. Totally addicted!

Looking to plan a trip to Utila in March. The Deep Blue Resort looks right up our alley. We are in our thirties and like laid back old school feel. Couple of questions:

- I am a little bit slow to clear my ears. Does the dive boat hook up to a mooring line? This makes clearing no sweat for me.
- Anybody try the horseback riding on your non dive day?
- One week is too short. How about some ideas for extending our vacation 3 days. Planning on flying in to Roatan and then taking a catamaran over to Utila. Maybe stay a few days on Roatan before cruising over to Utila. Maybe fly in to Honduras and mess around there for a few days?
- Are flights in to Roatan a once a week thing that would prevent us from extending for a few days?
- Any recommendations for fishing on Utila or Roatan?
- We love animals and animal sanctuaries? Any cool experiences to share here?

Thanks in advance. Totally impressed with the passion for diving and sharing on this forum.

 

[RTBDiver]

I do not know what Catamaran you are looking into for the trip, If it was Capt Vern then you will need to look elswhere as he will not be doing it.

 

[StubbornRussian]

Thanks. I guess I will be looking for other ferry options as that was the ride I had in mind.

 

[oreocookie]

I was at Deep Blue for a week in July '11, and the atmosphere there is definitely laid back. The dive boat does tie up to a mooring, though my experience was that descents were usually done just dropping down at the back of the boat and not following the line down, but this may have been become the DM realized that none of us (the only 3 divers for most of that week) needed it. If descending along the line will make your descents easier, I'm sure they'll accommodate that.

I would have recommended Capt Vern's ferry but I can't anymore. He'll definitely be missed. Your options now include short hopper flights or taking the ferries via La Ceiba. As far as extending your stay a few days, you can probably get on/off Roatan any day of the week as long as you don't mind connections on the mainland.

 

[diversteve]

Looking to plan a trip to Utila in March. The Deep Blue Resort looks right up our alley. We are in our thirties and like laid back old school feel.

We did, the rooms are clean, the food is good, the hosts are entertaining, there's WiFi in the main building - and some of the nearby rooms. The resort is quiet since it's on the opposite side of the mangrove lagoon from town, you need a boat to get there. They run their staff/guests back/forth whenever asked. We only locked the door to keep it closed during the day (keeps the bugs out) - we left the key next to it all week. All the rooms are upstairs and oceanfront - if there's any surf action, you hear it.

Since you like animals, try not to crunch the sand crabs while walking around (it's difficult, they're everywhere at night. Also they feed hummingbirds (and bats) off the main porch - and there's tarantulas on the path to the dive dock. Quite a few birds in the lagoon also.

In March there will be bugs - it's when we were there. Deet is strongly recommended, the back of the resort/dive dock is on a mangrove lagoon. Sand Flies at dusk were killer before the night dives. A little OFF gets them. Our "expert" (see below) went birdwatching one day and got all bit up. We kidded her that she wouldn't get back into the U.S. w/o going thru quarantine.

Plan to go during one of the Whale Shark research weeks if possible, they're interesting, the resort sends out a spotter boat to find the sharks while you're diving and there will be several lectures at night from the expert(s) who will also be there that week. It costs a little more but you get an in-depth understanding of the research from current experts in the field. Ours was from the Shark Research Institute and doing comparative genetics across the worldwide population.

We were able to snorkel with six over two days, then it turned flat calm and hot and no one saw anything the rest of the week. Steve Fox, the owner of Deep Blue - posts here as Deep Blue Resort - is very involved with Whale Shark research and a good host. He may also be the spotter during the mornings. Capt. Swin has a reputation as one of the best spotters also, he put us on a couple when there were other nearby boats that missed the signs (boil on the surface) completely.

I am a little bit slow to clear my ears. Does the dive boat hook up to a mooring line? This makes clearing no sweat for me.

Yes, except for a few drift dives on the north side. My buddy is also sometimes, he didn't have any problems. There's also a couple of decent shore dives off Deep Blue, it's on the Pretty Bush dive site and there's another just a short swim east.

- We love animals and animal sanctuaries? Any cool experiences to share here?

Welcome to the Utila Iguana voluntary conservation project

If you do spend time on Roatan, the Dolphin Dive at AKR is worth it. Probably the "coolest" experience we did there. - 3 dolphins for 45mins. on a shallow dive and you get to meet them first. Dolphin Dives - Anthony's Key Resort - Roatan - Honduras Or maybe the other RIMS activities. Roatan Institute for Marine Sciences - Anthony's Key Resort Other animal related things on Roatan: Roatan-Web.com - Roatan Honduras Wildlife Information, Roatan Wildlife

Thanks. I guess I will be looking for other ferry options as that was the ride I had in mind.

The ferry options are on the Deep Blue website. Basically it's the Galaxy from Roatan to La Ceiba then the Utila Princess from La Ceiba to Utila. They both run twice per day and moor next to each other - schedules are aligned. The Galaxy leaves Roatan at 2PM so there's plenty of time if you fly in on Saturday around noon or earlier - the Ferry port is in Dixon Cove - about 10mins. from the airport. Plan on 45mins. to get thru Roatan Immigration. Also get in the right lines - once the line goes into the building it's the shorter one - the 4 lines merge into 2.

You'll be on Utila at 5PM and Deep Blue will be waiting on the dock with their boat. Returning the morning ferry leaves Utila at 6:10 so you're back on Roatan by about 10:30?. Deep Blue will get you back to Utila town in plenty of time - it's only a 5min. ride. We've done it twice easily. It's faster but less fun than Vern's.

 

[Stout]

Holy crap....Captain Vern

FWIW, it's possible to fly between the two islands on Saturdays via CM airlines.

 

[DandyDon]

- Anybody try the horseback riding on your non dive day?

What is a non-dive day? Never had one, other than blow-outs or the time I had a flu relapse. Non-dive afternoons I can understand, but no - not done the horseback ride.

- One week is too short. How about some ideas for extending our vacation 3 days. Planning on flying in to Roatan and then taking a catamaran over to Utila. Maybe stay a few days on Roatan before cruising over to Utila. Maybe fly in to Honduras and mess around there for a few days?

Air fares from PDX-RTB are all over the range in March, from $543 RT on a couple of 8 night pairs up to twice as much on some 11 night plans - and looks like you would have to do an overnight set of connections on return, but if you want to do both islands - sadly the Catamaran service between the two ended this week, so you're looking at going thru La Ceiba to get to and from Utila I think.

Looking at just one pair of dates, I found nice flights going: Leaving PDX a little after midnight, arriving RTB around 1pm, but wow - getting back from LCE for a RT price under $900 is an adventure, with plan changes in Tegucigalpa, San Salvador, and Houston altho you do get home in one day. Still, doable, altho you might well have a non-dive day doing two ferry rides getting from RTB to Utila. I use this site to shop flights and you can explore all the dates you want there.

I'm an old cowboy, former Marine, and adventurous - but I'd have to give the idea of mainland touring some hard study & thought. Honduras has the top murder rate in world you know? Roatan is safe enough if you avoid the bad areas & times, Utila generally safe unless you look for trouble probably, and I guess there are safer areas and ways to explore the mainland - but don't go without counsel & planning there. You cannot take guns either, or much else, and you wouldn't want to anyway. Maybe just enjoy the 2 islands and some time in LCE's safer parts. (I have a FB friend who has ignored all that, but that's another story.)

- We love animals and animal sanctuaries? Any cool experiences to share here?

I couldn't get anyone in my group interested in an afternoon trip to any of the parks last time I was on RTB, so I haven't done any - but they look interesting...

Arch's Iguana Farm & Marine Park | Tourism Roatan

Roatan Butterfly Garden | Tourism Roatan

Carambola Gardens | Tourism Roatan

Roatan Shore Excursions | Gumbalimba Park in Roatan
​

 

[ramasule]

edited

 

[StubbornRussian]

Thanks so much for the responses. The dolphin day looks pretty memorable. I think we are going to sign up for one of the whale shark research weeks.

Sorry to hear about capt. vern.