A Hidden Gem in the Caribbean

It’s not often when the warm ocean breeze and crystal clear blue waters of the Caribbean call your name. I recently discovered a group of small secret islands off the Honduras coast. Cayos Cochinos are 13 tiny sandy islands that seem to float peacefully in the Caribbean.  The Cayos are located 30 km from La Ceiba and on the north coast of Honduras, and 45 km from Roatán. They can easily be visited as a day trip La Ceiba or even Tela. In Cayo Menor there is a a visitor center, which provides information on the rules of use and behavior of the Marine Natural Monument. Various laws protect these waters and prohibit all types of commercial fishing, nets and traps within the marine park.

These islands are famous for their sandy beaches, sea turtles, coral reefs, snorkeling, abundant fishing and Garufina culture. The lack of big resorts, overtourism and environmentally damaging habits, is a refreshing change of pace for this part of the Caribbean.

Getting To Cayos Cochinos

Getting to Cayos Cochinos is relatively easy. Travel to the community of Sambo Creek, located about 12 miles east of La Ceiba, on the way to Trujillo. From there, you can take a boat that will take about 45 minutes to travel across the channel to this lovely and quite pristine set of islands with some of the best preserved reefs in the planet! Keep in mind that the ocean gets rougher as the day progresses. Because of this, boats depart as early as possible, and plan their return to the mainland between two and three in the afternoon. Tourist Options a local tour operator based in La Ceiba offers daily tours departing from Sambo Creek at 8:00 a.m. They also offer pick up service from your hotel in La Ceiba.

Seeing the Islands

Most of the small islands are private. However three of them belong to Garifuna communities. They are fishing outposts for different Garifuna Communities from the mainland. Of these, the best one is Cayo Chachauate. There are plenty of locals to talk to and if you are lucky, they may even let you try some of the local homemade spirits. Gifitti is the kind of booze you want to have no more than 3 shots of . I only had 2 so I survived. 

The snorkeling is top notch since the islands are a Marine Protected Area and are managed by the Honduran Coral Reef Foundation. The coral reef here is part of the world’s second largest coral reef system known as the Meso-American Barrier Reef. 

Cayo Chachahuate is like a time machine to when the Garifuna people had just arrived in Honduras. The community of several hundred people still lives on the beaches and builds their homes out of wood and thatched palms. Many of them have stopped fishing for income and have turned to tourism. The town is picturesque, the locals are chill and the food is tasty. It’s a laid back Carribbean scene that is beautiful in it’s simplicity. I now understand why the Cayos Cochinos Marine Monument is the most visited national park in La Ceiba

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• Caribbean travel
• Honduras
• Island hopping
• Islands