Bocas del Toro

1st Apr 202413th Apr 2024 sarakmorrisonLeave a comment

The second country on my big summer trip was Panama, the last country in Central America that I had yet to visit. When I was planning a trip to Honduras and Colombia, I thought that Panama would make the perfect stop on the way. At first, I’ll admit that it was a bit of a tick box exercise to ‘complete’ Central America but in the end, I was so pleasantly surprised! Panama doesn’t get as much attention as some of its neighbours but I definitely think it’s worth a visit. I’m going to have a dedicated blog to each destination we visited and I think that we had a great variety of activities in our two weeks there.

Leaving Honduras, one of my favourite places on earth, was already difficult enough but for some reason, Hannah and I decided to make it even more challenging by spending four days on buses to go from Utila, Honduras to Bocas del Toro, Panama. The reasons for this are honestly kind of blurry now but I think it was to do with flights being very expensive and awkward. This journey took us via Managua, the capital of Nicaragua, and San José, the capital of Costa Rica (at this point I didn’t know how soon I would be back here!). The last part day of the journey involved crossing the border into Panama, managing to get help across the border and a cheap minibus ride to the ferry and finally the boat to the island archipelago of Bocas del Toro. There are three main islands making up Bocas del Toro: Isla Colón which houses the main town, confusingly also called Bocas del Toro; Isla Bastimentos; and Isla Carenero.

Hannah and I stayed in a hostel called Aqua Lounge on Isla Carenero. Despite not being on the same island as the main town, it is visible from Aqua Lounge, just a few hundred metres across the water. You can take a water taxi for $1 (USD is the Panamanian currency) which takes 30 seconds and really easy to flag down. It’s known for being a bit of a party hostel but because we were there in low season it was actually pretty chill. There seems to be a lot of good places to stay in Bocas and a lot of hostel bars like in Aqua Lounge and Selina (a chain of hostels you’ll find all over Central America and Colombia) are open to the public so you can still go and hang out there and meet people. I will say, because of the humidity in Bocas, I think air con for your room is a must! Hannah and I had splurged for it in our private room which was a bit of a treat in itself (although sometimes a private room is the same price as two dorm beds) but after our arduous journey we felt like we deserved it!

The view from Aqua Lounge across the Bocas Town

For our first full day in Bocas, we had done something a little out of the ordinary for us but it ended up being one of my favourite days of the whole trip! We signed up for a tour of some of the best spots around the islands. After so many days on buses, the idea of someone telling us where to go and then taking us there was very appealing! It was good value for $30 and came with a deal on a shuttle to our next destination for $15. Our first stop was the aptly named Bahía de Delfines (Dolphin Bay). We had just seen rough toothed dolphins in Utila but the ones we saw here were grey dolphins. They come to this area particularly during breeding season, when we were there, because there are a lot of jellyfish for them to eat. The jellyfish are also why you can’t get in to swim with the dolphins here. Even though you couldn’t get into the water with them, it was so fun to be around the dolphins. They were enjoying playing in the wake of the boat, jumping out of the water and following us around for a while.

The second stop was in Cayo Zapatilla, an uninhabited island, great for snorkelling because of how shallow it is! We saw lots of fish and even two sleeping nurse sharks only 10m from the shore. We had an hour or so of free time here so Hannah and I also took a wee walk through the forest and our boat captain John macheted open a coconut for us! We stopped for lunch at a floating restaurant at Coral Cay, near another snorkelling spot called ‘The Garden’ that we would go to after eating. Lunch was included in the tour, I chose creole octopus which came with rice, salad and patacones (fried plantain fritters).

We had a quick stop at a place known as Hollywood because there are so many starfish. They weren’t very easy to see but our hostel had a lot of starfish visible from the dock anyway so I wasn’t that bothered. And then as a bonus, Captain John took us to see his friend, Pepe the sloth! We actually saw three, including a mother holding a baby! The mother was climbing down the tree and considering that sloths only do this when they need to go number two, we all know what was about to happen.

For our second day in Bocas, we went diving! I’ve never been diving anywhere in Central America other than Honduras so I was excited to see what it would be like. We went with La Buga Dive and Surf who were great (big thanks to our divemaster Anna who had actually come in from another company, Pirates, to help for the day). We headed there a little bit early because they have kayaks and paddle boards that you can use for free before or after your dive that we wanted to make use of. La Buga also has agastro market so it’s a nice place to get some food or a drink which we did after our dives. The dock area is a cool place to hang out and if you look around the edges of the swimming hole, you might spot some baby squid like we did! We also saw a porcupine fish (aka a puffer fish) off the dock!

We went to a site next to Isla Solarte first, known as Magic Wind or Buoy Line. We saw so much! A nurse shark, lion fish, two nudibranchs making more nudibranchs (if you know what I mean), two stingrays, one of which was massive, so many sea cucumbers, arrow crabs, a cowfish, lots of colourful brittle stars and some baby trumpet fish which are cute. There’s a wreck as well so we got to swim around and then through the window!

Our second dive was at a site that Ana had been telling us about before, her favourite called Sachen. It’s basically a big mound under the water but is super colourful and with lots to see. We saw another nurse shark, a couple of spotted lobsters, two scorpionfish, disco fish, fireworms, a giant hermit crab, squirrelfish and blue tangs. It was actually a really challenging dive because the current was pretty strong. To start with we were swimming against the current so not moving anywhere really fast and then it was really shallow so we were getting battered about a lot. It was better once we were able to just go with the movement though.

That covers the main things we did while in Bocas del Toro. We enjoyed the chill vibe of the islands a lot, recovering from a long journey to get there. There are a lot of nice looking cafes and places for food, some of which we tried and many more that we didn’t. Bocas can also be a bit of a party town if you want it to be. We went for a few drinks one night, crossing the water from our hostel and meeting some people at the bar in the Selina hostel. We also happened across karaoke which was fun (to watch!). One of the main attractions to Bocas though is the Filthy Friday island party crawl. It’s similar to the Sunday Funday pool crawl in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua that Hannah and I both went to when we were 18 and living in Honduras. Unfortunately, we were leaving Bocas on a Friday so we didn’t get to experience it for ourselves. I’m sure we could have rearranged things a little in order to attend but we also didn’t really want to. Overall, this trip was more chill, enjoying a few drinks at the beach, with sunset or with new friends and with only a few of what could be called big nights out.

This trip is getting further and further in the rearview mirror but writing these blogs gives me a great chance to reminisce on an incredible trip. I’ve always said that I write this blog for myself more than anyone else reading it so even as more time passes, I’m still just as keen to get it down on paper, so to speak. It’s something that I can look back on and gives me a chance to reflect. Saying that, I hope you’re still enjoying reading them as much as I am writing them!

Christmas in the Virgin Islands

9th Mar 202412th Apr 2024 sarakmorrisonLeave a comment

There’s still plenty to come from my big summer trip to Latin America, although it is getting further in the rearview mirrors. Panama is up next but while I’m on a little break from writing about that trip, I want to take the chance to tell you about another, slightly more recent trip. Christmas while living far from home, friends and family can be a difficult time but I have to say that this year I had a blast! The programme that I work for was closed for two weeks because the school that we work in was shut over Christmas and new year, thereby leaving us with nothing to do. In my eyes, that’s a great opportunity to head somewhere exciting!

The exact same day that I got my job in Costa Rica, my twin sister also got her dream job! She had just finished a masters in tropical marine biology in Essex in the southeast of England but the last time I checked, there’s not many coral reefs in that part of the world. Instead she found herself a job in the British Virgin Islands, working for a dive shop and conservation organisation. For those of you reaching for your phones to look up where the BVIs are, I’ll save you the trouble. They are a series of more than 50 islands, alongside the US Virgin Islands, just to the east of Puerto Rico. Basically, island paradise.

Amy moved out there around the start of December so she hadn’t been there long when I went to visit. I wasn’t sure when else I would be able to get a couple of weeks off at a time so even though she was still settling in, I took the chance to go and see her. I had to work until the 23rd so I didn’t set off until the early hours of the 24th. Nearly a full day after I left my house in Cartago, I arrived at my final destination of St Croix. While Amy lives on Tortola, one of the four main islands of the BVIs, we were actually spending a few days over Christmas in St Croix which is one of the US Virgin Islands. After such a long journey, I wasn’t up for much so we just went out for a few drinks, some food and called it a night.

My first full day was Christmas day! And what better way to spend it than scuba diving. We went out on two dives and saw some Caribbean reef sharks, a sleeping nurse shark and lots of turtles, a few swimming and a few sleeping, which made Amy very happy. Whenever she sees a turtle while diving, she does a happy dance! When we were back on dry land, we were starving so went to a popular burger spot called Schupe’s. We had big dinner plans later so split a burger and some chips while we made some of the obligatory phone calls home. We were staying in Christiansted in the east of the island, one of the two main towns, but in the afternoon we went through to Frederiksted, the other main town, in the west. We had been invited to a beach barbecue with our dive shop from the morning through someone Amy knows who works there. It was a really nice atmosphere, a collection of other lost souls far from home in search of some kind of community to celebrate Christmas with. We enjoyed some great food, a beautiful sunset and then went back to our apartment for a few more drinks. Overall, not the worst Christmas I’ve had away from home (at least I wasn’t coming out of covid isolation…).

Boxing Day was exactly as it should be, a day for rotting, relaxing and recovering from Christmas Day. Albeit a lot hotter, sunnier and sandier than it would have been in the UK! We headed to Hotel on the Caye, a resort on a small islet in the bay of Christiansted. The beach is open to the public, you just have to pay $5 for the round trip boat to get there. This is actually a great spot because Christiansted doesn’t really have a beach otherwise. We ended the day at a very popular pizza spot in town called The Mill – big recommend.

And that was our time in St Croix and the US Virgin Islands over. We had to take two ferries to get back to Tortola, the island in the BVIs where Amy lives, travelling via St Thomas. We arrived at Road Town, the main town on Tortola, just before the end of the work day so headed over to Amy’s dive shop to see who was around and could give us a lift home. Amy lives with some of her colleagues who all work for We Be Divin’, a dive shop who run private excursions, mostly for people coming in on cruise ships. All the girls who work at We Be Divin’ also work for Beyond the Reef, a marine conservation non-profit working on coral reef health, building artificial reefs, doing cetacean surveys, beach clean ups and community outreach. They work closely with another business of the same owner, Commercial Dive Services, doing things like ghost net retrieval. It really is amazing the work that Beyond the Reef does. Amy had only been there for a couple of weeks when I was visiting so she was still settling into her job but since then, she’s been regaling our family group chat with envy inducing stories and photos of the kinds of things she is doing every day. More importantly, this is the kind of work that she has always dreamed of doing and that she has worked so hard to get to do and she deserves this so much. I was so happy to see her in this environment, flourishing and thriving, living her dream.

Amy lives on the other side of the island from Road Town but it’s only a ten minute drive or so. We got a lift home with Buzz and Margy, Amy’s flatmates/colleagues, and Margy’s adorable dog Starboy. The bay where they live is absolutely insane, I can’t believe that’s where she lives. It was sunset as we were coming down the hill into the bay and the view was incredible. After a fairly long travel day, we were both tired so we made dinner, chilled out and Amy gave me some of the things she brought me from home! This included some toiletries top ups that I can’t get in Costa Rica, some photos and a chocolate orange that my mum sent me because she always gets me one for Christmas!

Amy was still having to work while I was there so there were some days that I had to entertain myself. My first day on Tortola was one of those days. I got a lift into Road Town with Amy and settled in a coffee shop for a while. After having lunch with Amy, I decided to try out these open air truck tours that are mostly aimed at cruise ship passengers. When it came to the truck tour, I paid $25 for the 2 hour version, deciding to skip the beach stop that adds an hour and an extra $5. This ended up being a good decision because the beach stop is right in front of where Amy lives so I could go there for free whenever I wanted! The tour itself was fine, there was some commentary from the driver but even with his microphone it was hard to hear. The views were of course stunning but it ended up being a loop down to where Amy lives and back to Road Town so I had driven most of it before. At the end of the day, it was something to do and I saw a bit more of Road Town as well but it wasn’t a highlight of the trip by a long stretch.

Instead of going with Amy the following day, I decided I wanted to have a beach day to myself. Who can blame me on such a beautiful island! One end of the beach is super touristy, full of cruise ship passengers most days, with sun loungers, umbrellas, bars and restaurants. The other end of the beach however, on the other side of a small pier, is an untouched stretch. Beautiful white sand, no big waves, a few palm trees for shade and barely ten other people there throughout the whole day!

One of the benefits of having a sister whose job it is to go diving? Sometimes you get to dive for free with her! In this case, I didn’t actually end up diving with Amy because she had gotten an ear infection after our dives in St Croix, but I got to go with some of her colleagues and some volunteers on Beyond the Reef’s coral health surveys. After a quick lesson on the boat, taking me through a few of the most common types of coral, it was time to dive and have a go at identifying them. I was surprisingly good! Unfortunately a lot of the coral is unhealthy, bleached or dead but a lot of Beyond the Reef’s work, and particularly Amy’s part of that, is to monitor and treat coral. We did two dives before heading back to the shop to find Amy and go home for an afternoon on the beach.

Amy was working on Hogmanay (New Year’s Eve for the non-Scots in the room) so I had another chill day in the flat, not so much on the beach because it was drizzling a little. I was fine with a relaxed day though because we had big evening plans! Jost Van Dyke, one of the other main islands, is apparently one of the best places in the world to celebrate the New Year. Along with Amy’s flatmates, we had bought tickets to the main celebration that happens at a bar called Foxy’s. The ticket was $70 which is a bit expensive but the specific ticket we bought included the return ferry ride from Tortola which is $40 so maybe not as bad as it seems. It also meant I got to see another island, even if only for a few hours and in the dark. Foxy’s is a great big bar but the party was in a large area out the back. There was a big stage and throughout the night there were various musical performances from DJs and notably a great band who had really committed to the vague Game of Thrones theme! I enjoyed their performance the most, lots of rock songs and the keyboard player was Scottish! Just before midnight, bottles of water were handed out so that we could welcome the new year in ‘carnival style’ in their words. That meant opening the bottles and spraying the water over everyone around you! The night was great but we headed home at 2.30am so that we weren’t stuck waiting for the next ferry at 5am. There’s not much to report from the first day of 2024 – our biggest achievement of the day was getting down to the beach for a swim!

I had one more beach day to myself while Amy was at work but she had taken my last full day off so we could spend it together. We were ticking off another island, heading to Virgin Gorda to meet up with Amy’s friend who works at a dive shop there and to visit the Baths. These are unique geologic formations and are in one of BVI’s national parks. A series of large granite boulders nestled in between two beaches harbour small lagoons beneath them. There is a one way loop that will take you down to one beach, then through the baths themselves and out onto another beach that is back near the entrance. We had a swim at the first beach and then got caught in a little queue to go through the baths but there were worse places we could have had to wait. Going through the caves involved a bit of clambering, ducking under rocks, wading through water, going down ladders. We had a bit of time at the beach on the other side and then got some lunch at a restaurant at the entrance. I had a Caribbean dish called roti which was a curry stew wrapped in a flatbread which was delicious.

Before I wrap this up, there’s a few random but interesting things I noticed while in the Virgin Islands (and a few observations from Amy as well) – in the Virgin Islands they drive on the left but most of the cars are American so the drivers are also on the left side. People are very friendly and saying hello to anyone you pass in the street, whether you know them or not, is common. It’s also common to use ‘good night’ as a greeting in the evening whereas it’s usually something I would say as a goodbye. Despite this friendliness, customer service is not great. Travel between the islands is expensive, $40 return for a 20 minute ferry to Jost Van Dyke or a 30 minute ferry to Virgin Gorda. There is obviously a large ‘expat’ community but particularly in Amy’s work, it’s overwhelmingly South Africans and Filipinos. In the BVIs, rum is not taxed so the pours are heavy!

Cruise ships are prevalent, I saw them both in Tortola and St Thomas. Tortola is a big cruise ship destination, there was only one day during my stay when there wasn’t a single cruise ship in port and even the girls that live there were surprised because it’s such a rare occurrence! It’s like an invasion on docking days and the people coming off are not necessarily my favourite type of tourists. I think the nature of cruise ship travel can be a little superficial, mostly because of the time constraints. Yes, you get to experience a range of places in a short period of time but you often only have a handful of hours to see a new place. I found that this made some of the cruise ship passengers very impatient and borderline rude as well as entitled. This is of course not the case for everyone but it’s always the worst ones that you remember.

Something that Amy has talked to me about is the levels of wealth that she has noticed the longer she’s been there. The relative remoteness of the islands makes it expensive to get there (I can attest to that!) and once you’re there, costs are high because a lot has to be imported. In terms of visitors to the islands there are different levels, ranging from those coming in on the cruise ships, people staying on the islands and day chartering a boat, those who charter boats for the duration of their stay, crewed charter boats and even mega yachts. There is also a large wealth disparity between the ‘expats’ that move there from the UK, US or elsewhere and the locals.

It was a jam packed two weeks but I was glad that we were able to make it happen. There was a short period of time when I wasn’t sure if Amy was going to get there in time because of the waiting period for her visa. Even though she had arrived so soon before I visited, I was glad to be there. Now I feel I have an insight into Amy’s life, her work and her new home and I feel like I can follow along with her stories. I also know exactly how hard she has worked to put herself into this position and the sacrifices that she’s made. Being able to see those be worthwhile was incredible and I’m enjoying watching her build her life there.

Utila Recommendations

30th Jan 202424th Apr 2024 sarakmorrisonLeave a comment

If there’s one place that entices travellers off the beaten path (you know, the one that usually skips Honduras entirely), it is the 45 km² island of Utila. The smallest island of the Islas de la Bahía, Utila is known for two things – diving and partying. This is the place that I learnt to dive and I’ve indulged in it’s other pastime plenty as well! In the year I lived in Honduras I visited 3 times, once for Christmas and New Year with the whole group of volunteers, once for a random long weekend and once when my mum and twin sister were visiting. I was happy to be able to go back for a full week as part of this trip. Hannah was equally excited – she was supposed to come here to do research for her undergraduate anthropology dissertation but that was in the summer of 2020 so I’m sure you can imagine what happened… Anyway, we were finally back and ready to make the most of it. Our days alternated between diving, relaxing and good food, drinks and company! If you ever make it out there, I wanted to share a few of my recommendations though there are plenty more not included here!

WHAT TO DO

Scuba Dive

This (even above partying) is the number one reason that people go to Utila. It’s actually where I learnt to dive seven years ago and still where most of my dives have been. The Caribbean side of Central America is home to the world’s second largest coral reef which is a large attraction for scuba divers of all levels. Utila is also one of the cheapest places in the region to dive. There is incredible diversity on every dive – with most dives on the reef, there’s an abundance of coral to see (unfortunately not always healthy) and a large variety of fish. It’s also common to see larger marine life such as rays, sharks and dolphins. Even if you don’t see them on your dive, you can go dolphin hunting on your surface interval! This is what I did during the summer and we ended up having over an hour in between dives because it was so incredible. There were 15 or 16 swimming at a greater depth to start with and then three came up to the surface and swam right next to us for a while.

My go-to in terms of a dive shop has always been Underwater Vision. A friend recommended this place to me before I even went to Honduras, I ended up learning to dive there over Christmas 2016 and it’s the only place I’ve ever gone since. They have always had great instructors and divemasters that I’ve felt safe and comfortable with. Some other places that I’ve heard good things about are Utila Dive Center (right next door to Underwater Vision) and Alton’s Dive Center but I can’t vouch for them myself.

See whale sharks

I don’t have much that I can personally add to this one because I’ve never been lucky enough to see one but Utila is one of the best places in the world to see whale sharks. Despite the name, whale sharks are actually the largest species of fish, known for their distinctive patterns of white spots. They can be found in Utila’s waters all year round but the best chance is between February and April. You’ll still need a lot of luck though!

Neptune’s Beach

While Utila is a bit of an island paradise, it’s not lined with beautiful beaches all the way around. Bando beach is a small private beach at one end of Utila Town and Chepes beach is a small public one on the other side of town but if you want an idyllic beach day, head to Neptune’s. When I visited in the summer, my twin sister Amy happened to be working on Utila at the same time, leading a coral research team. Their base, Coral View Dive Center, was right next to the dock where you can take a 50 lempira (£1.60) boat through the mangroves to Neptune’s. Technically the beach is called Coral Beach and the restaurant is called Neptune’s but everyone just refers to the whole place as Neptune’s. You don’t have to order from the restaurant or bar but I would recommend it – definitely get the onion rings!

One side of the beach has live corals that come right up to the shore so you can’t swim there but on the right side of the jetty the shore is just sand so it’s safe to get in. Further out on this side there are also coral reefs that you can swim to and snorkel over. This is one of the best snorkelling spots on the island! One of my favourite dive sites, Black Coral Wall, is also just off shore around here.

Rent bikes

One thing I’ve never done, the previous times I’ve been to Utila, is explore outside the town much. To remedy this, Hannah and I rented some bikes to see some new places! You’d think it would have been too hot but the movement actually created our own breeze which was really refreshing. We stopped at a few places like Scott’s Driftwood Beach which has incredible sculptures, a random spot with a beautiful view out to the ocean and later at a little pulpería for a nice cold drink. I’m not a goal oriented hiker or cyclist it turns out, so when we wanted to stop to take pictures, look at animals or drink emergency electrolytes (true story), we did it! It was nice to get out of the traveller bubble of Utila town. What we saw reflected a little more of the Honduras that we know from the mainland. We rented our bikes from Golf Cart Rentals along Main Street for $10 for 24 hours though they are also available for just a couple of hours at a time. The bikes weren’t in great shape and it took us a while to figure out the brakes but Utila is pretty flat other than the hill going into town from the back so they got the job done.

Jade Seahorse

A bit of a hidden gem, both due to the fact that it’s under appreciated in my opinion and also somewhere you could walk past without really noticing, is the Jade Seahorse. While technically a hotel with rooms that you can stay in and home to the Treetanic bar (slightly random opening hours mean I have never been there for a drink), Jade Seahorse’s real attraction is the mosaic garden. The 50 lempira entrance fee is well worth it (the owner will most likely be sitting somewhere in the garden and will ask for it as you’re walking around). There is so much to take in that you won’t know where to look. Take your time and enjoy all the little details.

WHERE TO STAY

Trudy’s

Just like Underwater Vision is the only place on the island that I’ve ever dived, Trudy’s, the hostel attached to Underwater Vision, is the only place I’ve ever stayed. I find the rooms to be clean and comfortable, whether that’s a dorm or a private room. There is a restaurant with great food, particularly breakfast, and nightly specials like pizza or wings and a bar that has various events throughout the week like karaoke and quiz nights. These are a great way to get to know other guests but also draw people from elsewhere on the island so it’s a really social place. It’s not, however, a party hostel and most nights things quieten down around 10pm or 11pm (the exception being for divemaster graduation ceremonies but these are a spectacle in themselves). While there’s not a beach, Trudy’s is right on the water with it’s own dock where you can swim and where the dive boats leave from. There is a large sandy area that is perfect for sunbathing (with lots of suncream on!), playing beach volleyball or chilling in a hammock in the shade. If you stay at Trudy’s and take a course with UV, there are discounts on the accommodation prices which is an added bonus.

I’ve stayed there in a big group, a small group, with my family and this summer just as a pair and I’ve always had a great experience. It’s easy to get talking to anyone, whether it’s on a dive, swimming by the dock or having a drink in the bar. All of the instructors and divemasters get involved with the guests and are friendly faces around the place. This summer, Hannah and I built a great wee group, a trio of girls from Germany, Austria and Norway, one of the divemasters and the first of two great Dutch T(h)oms of the trip. I also, absolutely unbelievably, managed to find a few long lost cousins from the Isle of Lewis by way of Ireland! That’s a story for another day but it still baffles me not just that we met on this tiny island in the Caribbean but that we managed to figure out the connection!

Other options

As I’ve said before, Trudy’s is the only place I’ve stayed but I have heard bits and pieces of other places. Mango Inn is the name of the hostel attached to Utila Dive Center which is supposed to be nice. Whereas Underwater Vision and Trudy’s are in the same spot on the waterfront, UDC and Mango Inn are separate. UDC is right next door to Underwater Vision but Mango Inn is about a 15 minute walk away, in the centre of Utila Town. You could also stay in cabins at the Jade Seahorse that I mentioned above, each room with a different theme. There are a lot of options to choose from around the island and anywhere in Utila town is not very far from anywhere else.

WHERE TO EAT

Mama Rosa’s

Due to its proximity to Underwater Vision, cheap prices and large portions, this is a go-to spot of mine in Utila. Baleadas are great anywhere really but Mama Rosa’s are huge and you can get them all loaded up with chicken, beef, avocado, salad and more. They also have massive pupusas, large stuffed tortillas that are a favourite of mine. They also have things like burritos and quesadillas as well as great fresh fruit juices.

La Casita

What drew me to La Casita was initially the bright colours of its exterior but also the amazing smells every time I passed by. It has all kinds of things on the menu from baleadas and burgers to pasta and seafood. I had the special of the day when we went which was birria tacos and they were delicious.

Camilla’s Bakery/Pizza Nut

A very versatile spot, Camilla’s Bakery serves breakfast and lunch during the day and then reopens at night as Pizza Nut. As far as Camilla’s Bakery goes, they have a great selection of bagels that have saved me on more than one worse-for-wear morning over the years. I have actually never been to Pizza Nut but hear nothing but good things!

The Pelican

The Pelican is right opposite Underwater Vision but was new since I was last on Utila. Hannah and I figured that we should check it out one night but it was actually completely full when we first tried to go! It’s a pretty small space but is very popular so it’s actually somewhere that I would recommend booking if you want to make sure you get a table! We booked for the following day and enjoyed an incredible meal. I went for the Thai yellow curry which actually wasn’t on the menu but had been the special the day before. The server remembered that we hadn’t been able to get a table then and offered us the option of the curries that were on offer the previous day. It was absolutely delicious and I was very grateful for the chance to enjoy it! As good as most of the other options around Utila are, having some lighter food made a nice change from the heavier Honduran and American options.

Pink Flamingo

I met my sister here on her day off to have a wee brunch and it is such a stunning spot. You could be forgiven for missing it because it’s hidden from the road and is very inconspicuous. Once you enter, you are greeted with a wooden structure that stretches out into the most stunning turquoise water that surrounds the whole of Utila. Pink Flamingo really leans into the aesthetics of its surroundings, making it a very Instagrammable spot. It was a place I could have quite happily stayed for several hours, enjoying my book in one of their hammocks or swing chairs. The food was good too, I had a Mexican style brunch option but their salads, bowls and sandwiches had me wanting to go back and work my way through the menu! It’s a little more expensive and with smaller portions than some other places but I think it’s worth a visit for the vibes!

The Point

On the recommendation of a new divemaster friend we met at the start of the week, we had a spare day with no plans and decided to head to The Point. It’s a restaurant and bar looking out onto the water that also has a small chlorinated pool. I love being in the ocean but there’s just something about being in a chlorine pool that makes me feel so clean and so at home. On the menu are American staples and I enjoyed a great buffalo chicken burger. Hannah and I enlisted a couple of our new friends to come along with us and we spent most of the day there, playing cards, reading and chatting in the pool.

WHERE TO DRINK

Ask around for the best place to go depending on the night!

There are endless options on an island that is known for its party scene and it mostly depends on the night. Talk to people at your hostel or around town and ask where will be good that night. Back in the day, Tequila Tuesdays at Tranquilos and Ladies Night on Thursdays at Vinyls were the place to be and still to this day. Hannah and I have fond memories (if a little fuzzy in places) of both of these nights when we were 18 and we did actually go back to Tequila Tuesday this summer. I don’t know if it was my advanced age of 25 or just not being in the mood on the night but it didn’t hit quite the same.

La Cueva

Something that I did love and the thing to do on Monday nights is karaoke at La Cueva! My sister and a lot of her research students plus Hannah and I and our group from the hostel (and pretty much everyone else) were packed into the bar. I’m not a big karaoke singer but I am an avid and enthusiastic audience member. There were lots of great performances, Taylor Swift from Amy and her friend, some Patti Smith from Hannah and someone sang the Cha Cha Slide which I’m definitely stealing in the future.

Utila Brewing Company

This was more of a one off experience or at least monthly rather than weekly, but we happened to be on the island for one of Utila Brewing Company’s big jungle parties. The brewing company was actually set up by the instructor I had for my Advanced diving course seven years ago! Normally it’s only open at the weekends but the jungle parties are usually Friday nights. It was 100 lempira (£3.20) to get in and there was a great DJ, and even though it was mostly techno music which isn’t usually my thing I really enjoyed it!