Cayos Cochinos

Located about 19 miles NE from tourists hot spot La Ceiba, Honduras lies Cayos Cochinos, a group of very small islands in the Caribbean.  Between the two biggest islands and the little tiny land-spits there are just over 100 residents.

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The Cayos Cochinos archipelago is a unique retreat for travelers looking to escape urban landscapes and crowded tourism centers.  The islands have no roads, thus no cars or bikes.  There is a hiking trail that connects residences and beaches on Cayo Grande.  There is a lighthouse on the highest point of the island which can be hiked to and offers a panoramic view of all Cayos Cochinos.  

The only inhabitants of the islands are Garifuna fishing villages (Chachauate and East End), 9 private homes on Cayo Grande, and 6 homes on the 13 smaller keys.  The islands are accessible by boat from La Ceiba or by sailboat charter departing from Utila or Roatan.

Have your very own private island for just $100 a night

So now you're thinking I've flipped my lid, come on man, a private island for $100 a night!?!?   It's true!  Just 20 miles off the coast of Honduras, and not far from Roatan, are two little islands that can be yours.  Little Cay and Sandy Cay are both super cheap if you want to kick back on your own island.

Now at these rates the accommodations are not 5 star, but you're on an island baby.  Each Cay has one small house outfitted with limited electricity via solar power. A generator provides power at night. There is running water, but it’s limited as well. Fans, yes. Air conditioning, no. Pampering, definitely no.

(a dock at Sandy Key)

 

RATES

Rates for Sandy Cay are just $100US per night up to 6 people, then $15 usd additional per person.  If you are just staying one night, the rate is $130US for the night.     Rates for Little Cay run only $115 US per night up to 6 people, then $15 US additional per person up to 12 people.   If you are just staying one night, rates start at $150 US for up to 6 people.  

 (Little Cay House and Sandy Cay House)

 

  

GETTING THERE

To get to either Sandy Cay and Little Cay, you can arrange a boat ride with the managers of the Islands, for  an additional fee, $42 usd one way for the boat.  Sandy Cay is about 15-20 minutes from Pigeon Cay and about 45 minutes from Utila, and Little Cay is about 10 minutes from Pigeon Cay and about 30 minutes from Utila.          

CONTACT THEM

Both Sandy Cay and Little Cay can be rented by contacting George Jackson or Barry Jackson (English speaking), who live on Pigeon Key.  Everyone knows them there.  You can also reach them via email at CayosUtila@hotmail.com or Telephone: 011- (504) 408-3100.       

You want real pirate history? Try Roatan, not the movies...

Pirates are all the rages these days.  From the popular Pirates of the Caribbean flicks, to every other chick being dressed up as a hot pirate this Halloween, pirates are everywhere.   But the islands off the coast of Honduras are the real deal.  The "bay islands" consist of Roatan, Utila and Guanaja but Roatan is where most the action is these days.

  

(Aaron the "blow me away" sailor being a modern day pirate in Roatan)

Back in the 1600's to the mid 1700's these islands were home to 5,000 cutthroats, buccaneers, and pirates including the infamous Blackbeard.   The island itself had a power struggle between these pirates, the English and the Spanish. 

In 1859, England relinquished control of the Bay Islands and The Republic of Honduras accepted the Bay Islands as the “Departemente de las Islas de la Bahia”, officially making the islands a part of Honduras.  But even today, pirate caves can still be found on the eastern end of the island.

(a cave on Roatan used by pirates)

 One interesting thing is that pirate gold has been uncovered on the island by snorkelers and scuba divers so this makes snorkeling even more exciting in Roatan.  Could there still be a Spanish gold piece lying on the sandy bottom, uncovered by a recent storm?  So head on down to Roatan and bring out the inner pirate in you!   Arrrrghhhhh!

3 ladies from Honduras

Honduras had some bad press the last year with it's Presidential switch-a-roo and political issues.  Oh what the hell, who needs democracy anyway?  But this country of 12 million has a lot more going for it than meets the eye.  Beautiful beaches, a great costs of living and amazing diving off it's bay islands like Roatan.

Oh yeah, and it's got beautiful women!   Here's 3 Hondurian hotties to prove my  point...

 ________________________________ 

Karla Molina

 She's a first generation American-Honduran born in 1984 and spends time in both Orlando and Los Angeles.  See more of her at:  Karla Molina Photos.

Francia Raisa Almendárez

You might know this 5'3 Honduran hottie from TV, she's been on Bring it On where she played a bad ass cheerleader.  Check her out on her IMDB page at:  IMDB Francia.

 Belgica Suarez

Ms Suarez is 2009 Miss Universes Honduras contestant!     When she may not have won the competition, damn Venezuela, I think her lips could have made me vote for her 10 times over.  Check her out at:  20 hot photos of Belgica Suarez.

BONUS LINK:  Photos of the island Roatan in Honduras

Roatan Honduras - a divers paradise!

Oh Roatan!  I set foot in Roatan in the year 2000 on a quick cruise stop and ever since that date, I've always been fond of the island.  Roatan is a 37 mile long, 5 mile wide island that's about 30 miles off the north coast of Honduras.  Google Map of the Island.  The island has about 30,000 Hondurans that mostly work at the resorts and the tourism industry.

(Dive the wreck Prince Albert, sunk in 1985)

Roatan is located near the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, which is the largest barrier reef in the Caribbean Sea!  In fact it's second largest in the world to Australian's Great Barrier Reef.  Many of these reefs are "beach dive-able" or you can hop on any one of 100's of commercial dive boats and go out further.   With over 250,000 visitors to the island each year the locals depend on the foreign dollars that pour in.  

For a list of great dive spots click here:  Roatan Dive Spots.

If getting naked is on your must-do list, no worries.  You can visit Paya Bay Resort in Roatan that caters to nudist that also happen to enjoy diving.  The resort itself is not 100% nude 100% of the time.  They have certain weeks where the resort does transform into a nudist colony!   For a list, check here:  Paya Bay Resort Nude Weeks.  Paya Bay Resort has their resort divided into 3 zones:  1.  Nude  2.  Topless  3.  Clothed.

So if you want to visit an island that's got tons of diving, this is your place.  And as a side note, I should become a dual citizen of Honduras later this year.  I married a beautiful Honduran woman this year who's now a citizen of the USA so that entitles me to dual citizenship.   Perhaps you'll find us diving Roatan before you know it!