16 Best Things to Do in Utila, Honduras (Diving & More)

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Looking for the best things to do in Utila, Honduras? 

You’re in luck, there’s plenty! 

Located in Honduras’ Bay Islands, bordering the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, Utila ticks all the boxes for a dreamy Caribbean island. 

One of the most famous diving destinations in the world, thousands of travellers flock here from all over the world to obtain or advance their scuba diving certifications. 

Whilst the island does live and breathe scuba, there are so many other great things to do in Utila, instead of or as well as diving. 

We spent a week dividing our time between diving and exploring the island, and we loved every minute of it! 

Escape to a remote tropical cay for a day, relax on Utila’s best beaches or venture to the further reaches of the island on an ATV.

Read on for the best things to do in Utila, Honduras.

Utila in less than 30 seconds

Things to do in Utila, Honduras

1. Go scuba diving

I couldn’t start this list of the best things to do in Utila with anything other than scuba diving. 

It’s why most people visit the island and all life on Utila revolves around diving.

Night dives, wreck dives, deep dives, fun dives, training dives – you can do any kind of scuba you want in Utila!

I’ve got a more detailed guide to scuba diving in Utila, that runs through more about dive sites, dive shops, choosing the right package for you etc. 

But for now, know that going scuba diving in Utila is easy, cheap and requires little pre-planning. 

Dozens of dive boats depart the island every day, so no matter what your experience level, you can get underwater. 

If you’re not qualified, Utila is one of the best places in the world to get your dive certification (most likely the PADI Open Water). Not just because it’s cheap, but because it’s a fantastic little island community and a perfect environment to learn. 

If you are qualified, you can join a one-off fun dive whenever you like, or package up a bundle of dives with your accommodation at one of the many schools. 

I’ll admit, the quality of the reef and the abundance of marine life in Utila wasn’t that great, in our opinion as qualified divers. If we’re talking Roatan vs Utila for diving, we prefer Roatan.

But we were just as captivated by the vibe. Diving really is life in Utila, and it was so much fun being part of something, albeit temporarily, in an otherwise very transient time, while we were travelling through Central America for 6 months.

Read my diving guide for more in-depth information, but my top choices for dive shops are: 

• Alton’s – best for qualified divers and non-partiers
• Underwater Vision – best for unqualified divers doing courses, very social
• Utila Dive Center – very professional, good for qualified and unqualified divers, more mature crowd 

🤿 Find out everything you need to know about scuba diving in Utila

2. Spend the day on Water Cay

Without a doubt, my most memorable day in Utila was spent at Water Cay. 

A tiny uninhabited island off the southwest shores of Utila, Water Cay was literally paradise on earth. 

No bigger than a football field, the sandy island is covered with a grove of palm trees, the most incredible clear, blue waters I’ve ever seen, and a reef within swimming distance just offshore. I mean, just look at these photos! 

Tour companies on the island, Bush’s Tours or Sunbliss Tours, run a trip to the island most days. It’s not a tour, it’s basically just a water taxi to and from the island, and you can spend the day there however you please. 

You’ll need to pack in everything you need, as there is nothing at all on the island, but you’ll get a cooler box to use so you can keep snacks and drinks fresh. 

I’ve got a complete guide to Water Cay because I loved it so much, to help you plan your perfect day here. 

Do not miss this in Utila, seriously! It was one of my highlights of our entire 6 months in Central America, with tropical vibes to the max. 

🌴 Read my Water Cay Utila guide

3. Take the boat to Neptune’s Beach

Neptune’s is a casual beach club with a restaurant and bar, outside the main centre of Utila. It’s accessible only via boat as it’s on the other side of the canal that splits the island.

Surprisingly, there aren’t that many proper beaches in Utila, and Roatan definitely takes the cake for dreamy beaches.

But Neptune’s has a gorgeous strip of sand. There is also a long dock to jump in from and great snorkelling just offshore. 

They have beachfront lounge chairs and umbrellas, and it’s the perfect place to spend a non-diving day. It feels like a proper holiday vibe, and we loved treating ourselves to a few cocktails whilst reading a book on a lounge. 

The food here is surprisingly good, and not that expensive. I would definitely suggest having lunch here. They occasionally have 2-for-1 specials on their cocktails too. 

To get there, you need to take a short boat ride through the mangrove canals. The boat departs at this dock, near where the road ends after Chepe’s Beach. 

If you’re staying at the western end of Utila town, you could walk here. But we were right up the opposite end, and were feeling lazy, so we jumped in a tuk-tuk to the dock. They’re usually waiting there when boats return too. 

Their current schedule is: 

Check the Neptune’s Facebook page for updated boat times and prices

The return boat transfer is 80 Lempira per person, but you’re not obliged to spend anything while you’re there. Although you’ll want to, and it’s the right thing to do if you want to enjoy their facilities, but there’s no awkward minimum spend to adhere to. 

The boat ride was really lovely, and it was a nice way to see the mangroves of Utila without doing a separate activity. Given you’re paying for the boat, I would suggest spending a whole day here, or at least from lunchtime onwards to make the most of it. 

They’re open from 9:30 am – 5:15 pm daily. 

4. Rent an ATV to explore the island

I just want to say that I ordinarily think ATVs are noisy and obnoxious, and you definitely don’t need one for your entire stay in Utila (unless your accommodation is really far from town). 

The main street of Utila is very narrow with no sidewalk, and it is noisy, annoying and at times dangerous to have so many ATVs whipping up and down. 

However, I bite my tongue when it comes to renting one for the day to explore the further reaches of the island. 

Utila town is only a tiny part of the island, so renting some kind of vehicle for a day to explore the more remote areas is a really good idea. 

There are only a handful of paved roads on the island, with the rest being sand or dirt (read: mud), so we opted for an ATV for a day of cruising. You can rent scooters or golf carts, but the most comfortable option for more than one person is definitely an ATV, and we put it to good use! 

Rooney Rentals is the best place to rent in town. At the time of our visit, we paid $45 USD for a ½ day rental, which was actually a full day (8 am – 6 pm). Their 1-day rentals are for 24 hours, which is $60 USD. Very affordable in comparison to other ATV rates we saw around Central America.

We planned our day to both see other parts of the island, and hit some of the main attractions that we couldn’t walk to from our accommodation. We had such a good day, and it was so much fun just cruising around and seeing this beautiful island. 

I’ve put together another post with a self-guided itinerary you can follow for a day of ATV adventure in Utila, including a pinned map with all the sites so you can just open up on your phone and follow for the day. 

🛻 Plan your self-guided Utila ATV adventure with our guide and map

5. Swim and sun at Chepe’s Beach

Another beach on Utila, Chepe’s is a public beach located at the western end of the village that is totally free to enjoy. 

There is a big sandy area with shaded palapas and lots of places to lay down a towel for a few hours. 

The water is perfectly calm and shallow, and there are also palapas in the water, so you can carry out a beer and enjoy it while you swim. 

There are a couple of local restaurants near the beach where you can grab a drink, snack or meal. 

The road passes right by the beach so it can be a little noisy, and I would recommend avoiding the beach on the weekend as it can get very very busy. 

All in all, this is a chilled spot to spend a relaxing afternoon. We spent a lovely few hours with our British friends Will and Lauren (Intrepid Life) who we chased all over Central America. 

If you’re staying at the right end of town, you can walk here. But if you’re up the other side of the bay, you probably want to bike / ATV / golf cart / tuk tuk here if you’re feeling lazy. It’s further than you think (2 km / 1.2 mi).

6. Spend the day at Bando Beach

The third beach area on Utila, Bando is at the opposite end of the bay to Chepe’s. 

It’s a private beach club like Neptune’s, and you’ll need to pay an entrance fee of 50 Lempira per person. 

This gives you use of their chairs, hammocks, day beds and other facilities. They’ve got a bar and restaurant on-site where you can purchase food and drinks. They make some pretty good tacos, and the beers aren’t too pricey. 

It’s a gorgeous, expansive sandy area with palm trees everywhere. The water from the beach is quite shallow with lots of sea grass, but they’ve got a dock area where you can walk out deeper, and jump in for a swim.

This is also an excellent place to watch the sunset, and they stay open late (until 9 pm, or 10 pm on weekends), so you can have dinner here. 

The beach club is closed on Wednesdays. Check their Facebook page for current hours. 

If you’re staying at the eastern end of town, you can easily walk here. If you’re up near Chepe’s, you might want to take a tuk-tuk or drive (bike/ATV/scooter). There is a large, free parking lot. 

7. Hike Pumpkin Hill

Located in the northeast of Utila, Pumpkin Hill is the highest point on the island. Standing a whopping 80 metres (260 feet) high, it’s not that tall. But it does offer some gorgeous views over Utila. 

To see them, you’ll need to squeeze into a very dark and very narrow lighthouse-style observation tower, with a rickety old ladder. You’ll emerge onto a small metal platform, with a railing that wouldn’t even come close to passing safety standards in Australia, and some blustering winds to contend with. 

Best done at golden hour in the afternoon, the views really are beautiful, and it’s a nice way to get an aerial perspective of the island.

Before or after your short jaunt, head down to the coast to visit the small Pumpkin Hill Beach and/or Pumpkin Hill Cove. This side of the island bears the brunt of the open ocean, so it’s pretty rough, and sadly tons of rubbish washes up onshore. It is very quiet here though, and we found a nice little lagoon to float around in for a while. 

Rockies, a Utila institution, is a small bar behind the beach that serves up cold beers, refreshing cocktails and limited food options. 

The main trailhead is located 4 km (2.5 mi) from the centre of town, so unless you’re up for a hot, and not-so-scenic hike, you want to do this on the day you rent your ATV like we did or organise a tuk-tuk to drop you off (and ask them to return to collect you again!). 

We had a bit of trouble finding the trailhead to walk up to the observation tower. We were told we could walk from Rockies, but we couldn’t find the path. 

We ended up driving our ATV back to Pumpkin Hill Road and taking a left turn up the hill on an unmarked road at the ‘The Hill Mini-Market’. Once we reached the top of the hill, we parked on the side of the road next to ‘Casita Hilltop’ and found the trail opposite. 

8. Walk a rescue dog at Jasper’s Animal Shelter

One of the things we noticed about Utila is that there were hardly any street dogs around. This is an amazing testament to the work Jasper’s does, looking after stray dogs and cats on the island. 

Although they need a lot more time, and a lot more money, than most travellers can give to support their amazing work, if you’ve got a morning free, you can pop in and take a doggie for a walk. 

They’re open daily from 9 am – 12 pm, and 2 pm – 5 pm, and they’ll give you a sweetie who needs some love and exercise that day. 

We walked Paris and Duppy in the leafy streets around the shelter, and we loved getting some doggo time, as we always miss our baby Stanley at home when we travel. 

If you can afford to give financially as well, the shelter needs donations to provide food and medical care to the animals. 

9. Enjoy an amazing Utila sunset

Sunsets in Utila are epic. Every night, from pretty much anywhere along the village, you’ll catch the flaming orange ball, dropping down below the horizon. 

Make it a point to check the sunset times, and be sitting down somewhere with a SalvaVida in hand to celebrate another great day in paradise. 

Our favourite places to watch the sun go down were: 

• 🌞 The beachfront area at Underwater Vision: we stayed and dived here, and their dock area and ‘beach’ were incredible, with a perfect vantage point for sunset (if you’re staying at Alton’s or Utila Dive Center, you’ll get the same view). A sunset swim was the perfect way to end the day. 

• 🌞 Bando Beach: has a spectacular view of the sunset. If it’s a banger sunset, the whole beach will reflect the colours in the clouds. 

• 🌞 From the boat on our way to a night dive: if you do a night dive while you’re in Utila (recommend!), you’ll usually set off around sunset, to be ready to jump in when the sun goes down. We saw a fiery show on our way out from Underwater Vision. 

• 🌞 From the balcony of The Wine Cellar: aka Wine Attic, this little wine bar is tucked away on the second story of a building at the western end of town. A glass of lightly chilled Pinot Noir was a treat, and they also make delicious charcuterie boards. The view is a bit obscured but you can still enjoy the golden glow from their rooftop patio. 

10. Swim with dolphins

This is a strange inclusion because you can’t actually plan or control it, but one of my highlights of Utila was swimming with hundreds of wild dolphins. 

Large pods of spinner dolphins live around the island, and it’s not uncommon to see them when you’re out diving. 

If the timing is right, most captains of dive boats will let you jump in the water with your snorkels to swim with them. 

It’s a rushed and hectic experience because the dolphins move quick, but they’ll manuever the boat, give you the go ahead and you jump in and swim as fast as you can to keep up with the pod. 

The captain will then drive up and meet you, you’ll climb back in and do it all over a couple of times. 

We got so lucky and were able to see so many dolphins, both swimming next to our boat for ages, and then underwater when we jumped in a few times. We could hear their sounds, and so many were playing right underneath me for what felt like ages. 

It’s standard to tip the captain around 250 Lempira for the extra activity. 

There’s no way to force this to happen. It’s up to the dolphins, but I truly hope that it does because it was a magical ocean experience.

11. Kayak down the mangrove canal

The island of Utila is split by a long, thin canal lined with mangroves. That’s why you have to take a boat to get to Neptune’s, because it’s on the other side of the canal. 

One of the more unique things to do in Utila is to kayak through the mangroves. It offers a whole different water experience to the clear, turquoise waters you’re diving in.

Mangroves are an incredibly important ecosystem and it’s a beautiful and peaceful way to spend a few hours. 

The canal goes all the way to the north side of the island, but it’s a fair paddle to get there. If you want to go the whole way, I would recommend a guided tour with Kayak Utila, who will show you the way and teach you a ton about mangroves. 

If you’re happy to just spend a few hours exploring solo, you can rent kayaks from Huffy.

12. Encounter a whale shark

Utila has become synonymous with the majestic whale shark, the largest fish in the sea.

The island is blessed to have a year-round population of whale sharks living in its waters, but there’s actually not a big tourist infrastructure for tours to swim with whale sharks. 

This is a blessing for the species, as there has been a lot of research done on how harmful these experiences can be for whale sharks without tight restrictions. 

If you’ve got a dream of seeing a whale shark in Utila, it’s definitely possible but far from guaranteed.

These gentle giants are seen around Utila all year, though peak sightings occur from March to April and October to December. 

There are a couple of ways you can encounter a whale shark in Utila, but it totally depends if there are any around during your visit. It’s not something you can pre-plan or get your hopes up for. 

If there have been recent sightings, you’ll know about it. Utila is a small place, everyone talks to each other, and the captains and dive shops are always communicating. If there are whale shark sightings, you’ll hear about it. 

• 🐋 Chance encounter while diving or snorkelling: the most ethical way to encounter a whale shark is a chance encounter while you’re already in the water. Rare, but it definitely happens, especially during the months mentioned above. The local captains running dive boats and snorkel trips daily are very in tune with the ocean, and they will put you in the best position to see one if they think it’s possible. 

• 🐋 Join an expedition with the Whale Shark and Oceanic Research Center: this fantastic not-for-profit organisation does amazing conservation work for the reef and marine life around Utila. They track and study whale sharks, and run infrequent ocean safaris visitors can join, if they’re going out searching and think there are sharks around.

• 🐋 Take a specific whale shark tour with a tour company: again, these are not consistently run year-round, but if there have been a lot of recent sightings, companies like Bush’s or Sunbliss will offer tours to get out and look for whale sharks, and swim with them if the conditions are right. 

No matter who with or how you’re interacting with a whale shark, all operators in Utila are bound by tight regulations. Familiarise yourself with these in the photo below, from the Whale Shark and Oceanic Research Center, and make sure your tour operator is following them. 

13. Indulge at Utila Chocolate Co.

I don’t know if it’s a good or bad thing that the Utila Chocolate Co. is tucked away near the centre of the island. I would have been there every day otherwise! 

This boutique chocolaterie makes delicious chocolate from only organic, Honduran ingredients. 

They’ve got a gorgeous little cafe where you can buy their chocolate, have a peek at their production and enjoy some yummy chocolate treats and drinks. 

After the deliciousness of the Roatan Chocolate Factory in West End, this was just as good. We had a delectable chocolate brownie with homemade chocolate ice cream and a nice cold brew coffee.

Delicious, and a nice relaxing spot to spend a few hours. They are open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 am – 4 pm, and Saturday from 11 am – 3 pm. Closed on Thursday and Sunday. 

It’s a decent but doable walk from most accommodations in the village, otherwise, coordinate a visit when you do your ATV exploring day. That’s what we did. 

14. Go snorkelling

Non-divers, don’t fear! If you want to experience the underwater world of Utila, but you’re not interested in diving, there are plenty of opportunities for snorkelling. 

A lot of the reef in Utila is quite shallow, so you can still get a close-up look and appreciate the coral and marine life without diving too deep. 

If you’re visiting Utila for a substantial amount of time, I would recommend bringing your own mask and snorkel. That way you’ve got the freedom to jump in anywhere and don’t have to organise (or pay) for rental gear. 

Some options for snorkelling around Utila:

• 🤿 Tag along on a dive: a lot of dive shops will let snorkellers tag along on their dives, particularly if you’ve got a travel companion who is diving. Not all sites are suitable for this though, so best to check and arrange in advance. 

• 🤿 Neptune’s: the beach club is one of the best places to snorkel from the shore. Walk out to the end of the dock and jump in the deep water, you’ll find a patch of reef really close by. Bring gear with you, I don’t believe they offer rentals. 

• 🤿 In front of Blue Bayou Beach Bar: they’ve got a big section of reef right in front of them, with a dock to walk out on to deeper water. Located past Chepe’s Beach, just before the road ends. There’s usually a small fee to access the dock or buy some food or drinks. 

• 🤿 Water Cay: the southern side of Water Cay has some amazing reef to snorkel in. You can walk in from the beach, and while it seems a bit rocky and shallow at the start, it drops off really quickly with some beautiful deep channels. 

• 🤿 Take a snorkel tour: if you want the experience of going out on a boat to different sites around Utila, you can join a snorkel tour. Bush’s or Sunbliss offer this. 

15. Try freediving

When it comes to diving, Utila doesn’t discriminate and scuba is not the only form of diving going on here. 

In recent years, freediving has taken off and if you’re keen to give it a try or improve your skills, you’ll find a lot of great outfits on the island. 

A lot of the dive sites around Utila are well-suited to freediving, with lots of fun swim-throughs and caverns to explore without a big tank on your back. 

Brayden is a qualified freediver, and he wanted to go out on some fun dives. He was able to join a trip with One Breath and spent the morning freediving at a couple of different sites. They had all the gear, knew the best spots to go and he was partnered up with a buddy. 

You can also take PADI Freedive courses here if you’re starting out and want to get qualified. 

Look into: 

• One Breath Utila
• Freedive Utila
• Utila Dive Center (they also offer freediving)

16. Hunt invasive lionfish

If you know how to dive or freedive, you can go lionfish hunting in Utila. 

Lionfish are an invasive species in the Caribbean putting major stress on the reef and native fish species. Originating from the Indo-Pacific region, these beautiful yet evil species have taken over the Caribbean and Atlantic. 

Lionfish have no natural predators, so they have propelled themselves to the top of the food chain. They breed even faster rabbits, with females laying up to 2 million eggs per year, every few days. They eat anything and everything, taking food sources from native species and even eating the fish themselves. 

Basically, these introduced species muck up the delicate ecosystem of the reef and can have detrimental flow-on consequences. 

Most dive shops in Utila will offer speciality lionfish dives, where they’ll give you a crash course in safely using a speargun and an overview of how to identify and safely kill lionfish. 

Ask your dive shop, or check in with the Whale Shark and Oceanic Research Center, which runs a lot of lionfish hunts. 

If you’re not keen on wielding a speargun, you can still support the cause! 

If you see lionfish on the menu in Utila, order it! While these buggers are damaging the reef, they’re safe to eat and actually pretty tasty. You can get ceviche, burgers, tacos and more from many restaurants in Utila. 

Utila travel information

For more general travel planning information about visiting Utila, like how to get there, getting around, when to visit etc. check out my Utila travel guide.

Skip straight to your desired section:

• How to get to Utila
• Getting around Utila
• Utila travel tips

Things to do in Utila: Final thoughts

We adored our time in Utila. There is the perfect mix of adventurous activities and beautiful spots to relax and chill out between dives. 

It can be tempting to spend your entire time on the island stuck in the eat-sleep-dive-repeat rotation that many travellers fall into. 

But make sure you prioritise time to explore the rest of the island and do some of the other best things to do in Utila besides diving. It’s so worth it! 

MORE UTILA POSTS

• Complete Travel Guide to Utila Honduras: The Scuba Island
• Complete Guide to Scuba Diving in Utila
• How to Visit Water Cay Utila: Untouched Tropical Heaven
• Renting an ATV in Utila: Self-Guided Island Adventure
• Our Top 10 Restaurants in Utila, Honduras