The Bay Islands

The Bay Islands lie in the western Caribbean, about 30 miles off the north cost of Honduras. This island group consists of Roatan, Guanaja and Utila as well as several dozen smaller cays. The first people to populate the islands were the Paya Indians, a simple people who kept to themselves. Artifacts such as pottery, tools and jade beads are often found at burial and ceremonial sites dotted around the islands. In 1502, Christopher Columbus anchored off the north shore of Guanaja and claimed the islands for the Spanish. The islands remained under Spanish control until 1638 when an English colony was established on Roatan. England and Spain fought for control of the chain right up until 1821, when Honduras declared its independence from Spain. The islands then remained under British control, as a dependency connected to British Honduras (now Belize) until they were ceded to Honduras in 1859.

Over the last 300 years a wonderful mix of people visited the Bay Islands. Fishermen, marooned Carib slaves, adventure seekers, turtle hunters, log cutters and pirates all came to enjoy the island's rich resources before deciding to stay and set up home. As a result of this, the modern day Bay Islanders have the most colorful of ancestries. They are a unique group, speaking English with a sing song Caribbean lilt and proudly carrying names such as Morgan, Jackson and Cooper. You will rarely come across a more friendly, hospitable and downright charming group of people in your travels.

The 1990s have seen some big changes in the Bay Islands. The fantastic scuba diving found on the reefs surrounding the islands have attracted increasing numbers of tourists and a much needed corresponding infrastructure has been put in place. 10 years ago there was no reliable electricity on Roatan now it has a brand new power station as well as asphalt roads, an international airport and many world class resort operations. Utila is soon to have a state of the art power company backed by an American research and design company, as well as a new airport due for completion in the fall of 2001. In addition to this, a branch of the American government called AID has just recently budgeted 3 million dollars to install an all new water system on Utila that will service the entire island.

The islands are still relatively undeveloped by Caribbean standards, you will not find the traffic jams of the Caymans nor the cruise ship hustle. Utila still has very few cars, Guanaja has no roads and the reefs all around the island chain are unspoiled. Fishing is still the main source of income for many island families and despite the arrival of satellite television, gossiping is still a favorite pastime.