Frequently Asked Questions

How big is Utila Island?
Utila is about 7 miles long and 3 miles wide. It lies 20 miles north of the Honduran mainland. The main town lies on the south side of the island on the east end. This is where the main harbor and town is. There is a second population center on the west end of the island on a small group of islands known as The Cays… pronounced "keys". This fishing community is a great place to visit and the friendly people who live there are known locally as "the Cayons".

How many people live on Utila?
About 6,250 on the main island and 750 on the Cays. What is the predominant language? While Honduras is a Spanish speaking country, Utila and The Bay Islands were originally settled by English immigrants, and so the official language on Utila has been English for many generations.

How often do hurricanes visit Utila?
Utila lies south of the hurricane belt and as such is not hit nearly as much as other islands of the Caribbean. Looking through historical records, we can see that The Bay Islands get hit roughly once every 25 years. This has been true throughout the last century. The last one to hit Utila was Hurricane Mitch in 1998. This was a huge storm but interestingly, Utila was virtually undamaged by it.

How do I get there?
To fly to Utila you must first fly to either San Pedro Sula, Tegucigalpa, or La Ceiba on mainland Honduras, San Pedro Sula being the most common port of entry for most travelers. From Europe you need to pass through the United States. From the US, Continental Airlines flies from Houston, TACA Airlines from New Orleans and Miami and American Airlines from Miami . Connections from Honduras mainland cities to Utila are easy. La Ceiba is the coastal town from which all local flights leave for Utila. The short flight from La Ceiba over to the island of Utila is only about 10 minutes. If you first enter the country of Honduras through San Pedro Sula or Tegucigalpa, you must then fly to La Ceiba to connect with the flight to Utila. SOSA airlines has two flights daily to Utila from the coastal town of La Ceiba, and other local airlines such as Islena and Atlantic fly to Utila from La Ceiba also, although not on as regular a basis as SOSA. You can leave the States in the morning and be on Utila that afternoon. Easy fast and simple.

Is it safe to buy land on Utila?
Yes, Central registration of documents ensures that you can buy with complete confidence. One does hear the odd horror story about land deals gone wrong, mainly on Roatan. When you investigate these stories they tend to involve somebody thinking they have found the deal of the century from somebody they met on the street. If you buy through reputable real estate brokers and use reliable lawyers as you would at home, you can buy safely. Just use good judgment and common sense as you would in your homeland and you will be assured a safe and pleasant experience.

Why Utila and not its more famous neighbor Roatan?
Many people ask why Utila. This really depends on personal taste and lifestyle. Roatan is a beautiful island offering many fine opportunities, and is much more developed than Utila. However with development comes a bit faster paced lifestyle. Roatan has many more resorts, fast food restaurants and busy, taxi filled streets . If the conveniences of the modern world are important to you, Roatan may be a better choice, but if your idea of a Caribbean island is a gentle breeze blowing thorough the palm trees, children playing in the street, a crime free environment, locals sitting on their porches offering a friendly hello to the passers by, napping in a hammock under a coconut tree listening to the waves of the Caribbean lapping up on the sandy shoreline, then you are looking for the same thing we are, and that is why we chose Utila. There is a small tight knit community here and it just feels like home from the moment you get off the plane. Both are great and which suites you best will depend upon your personal desires.

How much are property taxes?
Most homes command taxes in the region of $70 per annum.

What business opportunities are there for an ex-pat looking to be active?
Utila has many areas of opportunity. The tourist market is growing and is under serviced in many areas. Just for example, Utila could easily support more restaurants, hotels and bars. There is a need for additional souvenir shops, as well. From the construction trade, to tourism, to the service industry, there are plenty of opportunities here for the potential investor.

What about the climate?
Utila boasts a wonderful climate all year long. From February through July daytime temperatures range in the mid 80's with nighttime temperatures in the low 70's. August through October are warmer months with highs in the 90's and lows in the high 70's to lower 80's, and November , December and January are commonly known as the rainy season and temperatures are a bit cooler, and will hover in the 70's.

What is the honest truth about the bugs?
To say that we have no bug population here would certainly be a lie. But to say that there is no bug population in the United States or Europe would also be a lie. It all needs to be put in to perspective. The frequency of, and type of pests we see here are very simple to describe. There are two main culprits. Mosquitoes, are not a problem, but in early evening in certain areas of the island a little "off" wouldn't hurt. Are they a big problem? Absolutely not! No more than any area in the States where you would have the occasional mosquito out in the country. Now on to the second culprit…the sand fly. More false horror stories have been written about this guy than any other. Are they here…yes. Are they a big enough problem to deter you from living in paradise…absolutely not! San flies normally stay on very specific parts of the island, and only occasionally wonder in to the more populated areas. Again, right after sundown there are times that they will be a bother, but also again, a little "off" and they move on with no problem. Believe it or not, you actually build up a resistance to them. I have been living on Utila for 6 years and I can honestly say, I haven't used bug repellant for the sand flies in years. So don't let the stories scare you. Just use repellant as needed, and after a few months you will learn when and where they are most common, and you will really forget they even exist. Honest!