Hi. The captain had supposedly sighted a whale shark but it turned out not to. There were no dolphins so we did not get in the water with any. This was in 2014, I think. I don't remember anyone's names, just that it was with Alton's.
Utila Recommendations
- Thread starter NJScubaDoc
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Utila Lodge rarely has guests so there is no atmosphere. The owners do not live on the island. And divers from Bay Islands College of Diving (next door) are welcome to use the Lodge facilities so it does not seem as elite as it should be. There are plenty of nice restaurants in town also. Coral View at the far end of town is quiet, has a lovely dock area with bar and has the best snorkeling in the area (no dive moorings here). It is fairly easy to get back into town - walk or tuc-tuc. They have their own dive boats too. Be careful who you choose to try and see Whale Sharks with. There are regulations to follow to ensure these amazing creatures stay around the Bay Islands, and some dive shops do not abide by them. Unfortunately Altons was one of them. If you want to see them in between dives, rather than on an Ocean Safari, then choose a dive shop that goes regularly to the North Side. This is where they are. Eco Marine, Coral View, Utopia, offer more personal services and often go to the North Side. BICD has slow boats and rarely go. Join Utila Buy & Sell on Facebook. This is the site to enquire about privately renting a house, which is easily done.
lthomas132
Contributor
I believe that the Engels would beg to differ on ownership. They do live on the island in the house next to the lodge! "does not seem as elite as it should be", huh, ELITE on Utila? You've got to be kidding! BICD are a great group of people, lots of young, energetic kids getting their dive instructor certs. We had a blast with the Engels and the kids at BICD.
CAPTAIN SINBAD
Contributor
I stayed at Altons.
Alton's Dive Center
From what I remember, these guys are right next to the Utila Dive Lodge. Altons is a great place to stay if you are budget minded. It is very bare bones basic and really cheap. They are right next to the shops and restaurants so food is never a problem.
Most people go to Utila to get away from cell phones, internet, and all the luxury yada yada. Altons is the perfect place for that. As for slightly higher end properties, I am sure that they are there and there are people more experienced in those to comment on them but to me, if you have chosen to fly to one of the most remote locations where there barely any cars on the road, then you will get a better experience if you go for places like the one I mentioned.
Alton's Dive Center
From what I remember, these guys are right next to the Utila Dive Lodge. Altons is a great place to stay if you are budget minded. It is very bare bones basic and really cheap. They are right next to the shops and restaurants so food is never a problem.
Most people go to Utila to get away from cell phones, internet, and all the luxury yada yada. Altons is the perfect place for that. As for slightly higher end properties, I am sure that they are there and there are people more experienced in those to comment on them but to me, if you have chosen to fly to one of the most remote locations where there barely any cars on the road, then you will get a better experience if you go for places like the one I mentioned.
personally i think that if you go to a place like Utila, why stay in the only noisy, crowded and unattractive part of the island: Utila Town.
to truly experience the remote beauty of Utila head to the south and southwest of the island. the area that's only accessible by boat.
there you'll find miles of empty beaches and a coral reef for snorkeling just steps from shore. sure, there are less options for eating and drinking but if you want to get that real "desert island" feeling, there is no comparison.
my personal favorites:-
www.facebook.com/utilabeach
www.facebook.com/UtilaRental
www.facebook.com/groups/SandyCay
these places are served by Utila Cays Diving, they're a small client focused shop who goes to the northside every morning and takes a maximum of 8 divers, highly recommended.
to truly experience the remote beauty of Utila head to the south and southwest of the island. the area that's only accessible by boat.
there you'll find miles of empty beaches and a coral reef for snorkeling just steps from shore. sure, there are less options for eating and drinking but if you want to get that real "desert island" feeling, there is no comparison.
my personal favorites:-
www.facebook.com/utilabeach
www.facebook.com/UtilaRental
www.facebook.com/groups/SandyCay
these places are served by Utila Cays Diving, they're a small client focused shop who goes to the northside every morning and takes a maximum of 8 divers, highly recommended.
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