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Can Pirates Be In Paradise?

From 1650 and almost 100 years later, the Pirates of the Caribbean had a safe base in the Bay Islands in the Gulf of Honduras.

Today, the Bay Islands are paradise for the scuba lovers.

TRIVIA Bay Islands is a Department of the Republica de Honduras, formed by the archipelago that bears the same name and which capital is Roatan.

The archipelago, formed by the islands of Roatan, Utila, and Guanaja, three islets, and around 60 cays, is placed 50 kms from La Ceiba, a Honduran Port in the Atlantic Coast, over the second largest reef barrier in the world.

In 1502, in his fourth and last voyage, Christopher Columbus arrived to Guanaja, the farthest island from mainland, and called it Island of the Pine Trees, because of the great amount of conifers that fill up its hills.

The strategic position of the islands in the American Gold Spanish Route turned them into pirates' target. Thus, Dutchmen and Frenchmen began to gain ground to the Spaniards until the British finally cleared the Spaniards out of the island.

Tough people who worships idols, and lives mainly on some white grains out of which they make good bread and the best beer. Christopher Columbus, describing the native islanders.

The islands came to be the base of up to 5,000 pirates. Among them, the unhappily famed, Henry Morgan who had his hideout in Port Royal, Island of Roatan.

After the pirates left and already under the British Control, the islands received all kinds of immigrants. First, in 1797 the Garifun Population arrived, unredeemed black people from San Vicente; next, successive surges of white settlers and freed slaves.

In 1821, with its independence, Honduras claimed its rights over the islands; same that were consolidated in 1859 with the "Wyke-Cruz Treaty" between the Central American nation and Great Britain. Then Spanish speaking settlers began to arrive.

THE ARCHIPIELAGO The three smallest islets are called Elena, Morat, and Barareta; there is also the Cays Cochinos, Chachauate, Pigeon, Trunk Turtle, and many more.

The above explains the cultural difference between the islanders and the continental Hondurans. The first descend from a very special mixture of European pioneers and buccaneers, Carib natives, former African slaves, and Honduran mainland Creoles and Mestizos.

The outcome, a bilingual culture with a Creole English and an archaism-scattered Spanish; and beyond all difference, a cheerful, unconcerned, and kind nature.

Obviously, fishing is the Islands main activity, but in the 80's, the Scuba Divers discovered the wonders of the area.

Nowadays, tourism stands out as the most growing activity in the archipelago, combining scuba diving, snorkeling, sport fishing, sailing, and all kinds of activities that benefit from the gifts provided by nature, including the simple rest in celestial beaches.

GIANT The scuba agencies organize trips through the canal between the Utila and Roatan Islands to watch the largest fish in the world, the whale shark, that reaches up to 16 meters long.

Roatan is the largest island, it has the most beautiful beaches with turquoise waters. Utila is the closest island, with its jungle-like, rocky coast. Guanaja is the farthest island with beautiful spots for scuba diving.

In general, everything in the Bay Islands is awesome, but scuba diving is literally an experience from another world, the world under the sea.

Tropical and multicolored fish, delicate starfish, crabs, turtles, rays, gigantic coral tapestry, sponges, seaweeds, crustaceans, a whole submarine universe parading in a charming spectacle with the intensity that only Mother Nature itself can give.

The Bay Islands in Honduras, an example of the best of the latin spirit.