Guanaja

A map of Guanaja (in red).

Guanaja is one of the Bay Islands of Honduras, and is in the Caribbean. It is located approximately 70 km off the north coast of Honduras, and 12 km from the island of Roatan. One of the cays off Guanaja, also called Guanaja or Bonnaca or Low Cay (or just simply, The Cay), is near the main island, and contains most of the approximately 10,000 people who live in Guanaja. The densely populated cay has been described as the Venice of Honduras because of the waterways that run through it. The other two main settlements on Guanaja are Mangrove Bight and Savannah Bight. Smaller settlements include East End and North East Bight.

A NASA satellite photograph of Guanaja.

The primary source of income for the islanders is fishing and shrimping. Tourism is confined to a handful of small resorts that cater to divers, snorkelers and adventure travelers. The island's warm, clear waters support an extensive coral reef that is part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef and second only to the Great Barrier Reef off the coasts of Australia. Currently, there is still access to fresh water on Guanaja, and several waterfalls can be seen.

History

Guanaja was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1502. Also this was the first time he came across with cacao, which has been the core of chocolate. He landed on Soldado Beach on the north side of the island. In later years Cayman Islanders settled in the Bay Islands, which explains the diffusion of Spanish and English language.

Homer Hickam, author of Rocket Boys/October Sky, was one of the first scuba explorers of Guanaja, first visiting in 1973. Along with a team of other scuba explorers, he extensively mapped the reef system around the island for sport divers. He still owns property on the northeast end of the island.

In late-October 1998, most of the buildings and homes on the island were destroyed by Hurricane Mitch. The islanders have since rebuilt, and although there are still repercussions to the economy from Mitch, tourism has been recovering. The majority of the mangrove and pine forests, which were destroyed as a direct consequence of the passage of the hurricane sweeping across the island for two days, are slowly making a comeback.

Demographics

Caracoles

The Caracol people are an English-speaking people who have been established in Northern Honduras (specifically, the Bay Islands) since the early 1800s and are mainly of European British-Caribbean descent. Caracol is a Spanish term that literally translates as conch, snail or shell and relates the people of the Bay Islands to their unique environment and their sea faring culture. In its current usage, the term caracol refers to all people born in the Bay Islands region, and their descendents. The region of the Bay Islands encompasses the three major islands of Roatan, Utila, Guanaja, and the smaller Islands or keys.

The English language spoken by the Caracol changed over time from the English spoken by the first European settlers to arrive in the Bay Islands. The language differs mostly in morphology but also in pronunciation and accent and, to a lesser extent, in syntax and vocabulary, from that of the other British Colonies, although the languages are still similar enough to be mutually intelligible.

Guanaja is incredibly diverse during the summer, when it receives tourists from all over the world. Although the bulk of the tourists go to Roatan, if you really want to experience a third-world country without roads, cars, and especially McDonalds, Guanaja is the place to go.

The majority of the island speaks Spanish. However, English, especially among younger adults, is taught in schools and is widely known. When in doubt, ask a kid.

Transportation

Transportation is sparse, and as of 2006, there were only three cars on the island. While there is only one road, from Mangrove Bight to Savannah Bight, the most common means of transportation are boats. A channel locally known as "The Cut" allows access from the south to the north side of the island without having to go all the way around. Guanaja is served by the airport (GJA).

As of 2009, access to Guanaja is only by air flights from the Honduran mainland town of La Ceiba and a weekly ferry from Trujillo. Except for private boat or charter plane, there is no direct transportation, between Guanaja and the other Bay Islands.

Currently, the main transportation remains to be boats. However, there are many more cars and small motorcycles that you can rent, but you won't get anywhere. The road is only two miles long. It's highly recommended that you hike to the top of the island, where you can clearly see the coast line(on a clear day) as well as getting the full perspective of the entire island, and surrounding reef.

External links

• Guanaja Island at NASA Earth Observatory
• Guanaja Guide - island travel guide site. Learn more about the island hotels and resorts, real estate, weather, map, location, local news, local information, and things to do like diving on your next vacation.