Official Name: Utila Capital: Coxen Hole Flag: Population: 6000 Language: English Currency: Lempira (HNL) Government Website: Chamber of Commerce: www.amchamhonduras.org Emergency Info:

About Utila Island

Útila (Isla de Útila) is the third largest of Honduras' Bay Islands, after Roatán and Guanaja, in a region that marks the south end of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, the second-largest in the world. The eastern end of the island is capped by a thin veneer of basaltic volcanic rocks, erupted from several pyroclastic cones including 74 m (243 ft) Pumpkin Hill which forms the highest point on the island. It has been documented in history since Columbus' fourth voyage, and currently enjoys growing tourism with emphasis on recreational diving.

Útila is now starting to undergo the same commercialization that neighbor island Roatán experienced in the mid to late 1990s. With favorable diving conditions, the island increasingly attracts general tourists, along with more traditional international backpacker visitors. More than sixty diving sites are located around the island among its extensive reefs teeming with marine life, including the elusive whale shark.

Unique local cuisine includes white bread made with coconut oil, mango jam, iguana, lizard and crab. Interestingly, grated coconut, such as is used to decorate pastries in many countries is considered not fit for human consumption and fed to chickens and hogs.

Utila Island Map