Top 30 Things I Love About Utila, Honduras

This post started out as the top ten things I love about Utila.  But I couldn’t stop.  It turned to 40, and then I cut some out to save them for later…  I only have 100 more I think. 1)  You can go for a jog and almost everyone will greet you (not just other runners) 2)  You can jog year-round. 3)  If you’re pregnant, you go to the front of the line at the bank. 4)  If you’re over 55, you can go to the front of the line at the bank. 5)  There are squid. 6)  Elderly are treated with respect. 7)  I can snorkel with dolphins. 8)  Utilians have this awesome accent. 9)  I can look out my window as I type this and see hummingbirds every day. 10)  I can go diving every day. 11)  I can go snorkeling every day. 12)  My kids are great free divers. 13)  My kids can name most of the marine life they see underwater. 14)  Kids play in the streets. 15)  Kids walk in the streets unaccompanied. 16)  There are pelicans. 17)  I can be at the beach in a minute. 18)  I learned to drive with 5 people on a moto. 19)  My kids speak Utilian. 20)  I can get about 20 foods/herbs/fruits off my trees. 21)  The sea is turquoise blue and green. 22)  At the beach they play spanish ranchero music. 23)  Local kids bathe in the sea in their clothes. 24)  There are no poisonous snakes on Utila. 25)  There are snakes on Utila. 26)  We have tarantulas. 27)  Regardless of what the weather reports say, it’s pretty much sunny EVERY DAY!!! 28)  Clothes are cheap. $5 for a t-shirt. 29)  When I look out my 2nd story office window I see green. 30)  I can see the mountains of La Ceiba and Pico Bonito on a clear day. I could go on and on.  But another day.  I should get to work!

Utila: More than just scuba diving

View to Rock Harbor from Pumpkin Hill

Everyone knows that Utila is an amazing place to dive, to see whale sharks and dolphins, and to party!

What most people don’t know, or what most people don’t experience are the amazing things on land.  Utila has a varied landscape, with fresh water caves, brackish lagoons, and a hill called Pumpkin Hill.  Oh, and a ‘wanna be’ hill called Stuart Hill.

These photos were taking after hiking from Utila town over to the Northside and climbing up Pumpkin Hill.  The hike over takes about an hour, and it’s a pleasant walk on a road, which turns to dirt, which is spattered with some cliff rock, and mud (if it has rained recently).

From there you can see from the north to the south of the island for some amazing views of the island.

View back to Utila Town

 

 

This is the view back to town.  The majority of Utila Island is savanna or marshy, and wet most of the year.  Wet also equates to green green green.

After living here for 15 years, it’s always shocking to me to go visit anywhere in North America and notice the lack of green… there are often lots of shades of brown and the greys of cement.

I prefer green.

What I Love About Utila Honduras

I happened upon Utila by accident, and 15 years later, I need a longer list to give reasons why Utila, Honduras is one of the best places in the world.

Top Things I Love About Utila (or Honduras):

1)  You can go for a jog and almost everyone will greet you (not just other runners)

2)  You can jog year-round.

3)  If you’re pregnant, you go to the front of the line at the bank.

4)  If you’re over 55, you can go to the front of the line at the bank.

5)  Pregnant women are treated with respect.

6)  Elderly are treated with respect.

7)  People are very helpful when they see an elderly or pregnant woman.

8)  Utilians have this awesome accent.

9)  I can look out my window as I type this and see hummingbirds every day.

10)  I can go diving every day.

11)   I can go snorkeling every day.

12)  My kids are great free divers.

13)  My kids can name most of the marine life they see underwater.

14)  Kids play in the streets.

15)  Kids walk together in the streets unaccompanied.

16)  There are pelicans.

17)  I can be at the beach in a minute.

18)  I learned to drive with 5 people on a moto.

19)  My kids speak Utilian.

20)  I can get about 20 foods/herbs/fruits off my trees.

21)  The sea is turquoise blue and green.

22)  At the beach they play spanish ranchero music.

23)  Local kids bathe in the sea in their clothes.

24)  There are no poisonous snakes on Utila.

25)  There are snakes on Utila.

26)  We have tarantulas.

27)  Regardless of what the weather reports say, it’s pretty much sunny EVERY DAY!!!

28)  Clothes are cheap. $5 for a t-shirt.

29)  When I look out my 2nd story office window I see green.

30)  I can see the mountains of La Ceiba and Pico Bonito on a clear day.

I could go on and on.  But another day.  I should get to work!