An essential day trip from Utila, our guide has everything you need to know before visiting Water Cay.

From how to get there and what you need to bring, you’ll also find useful tips like where to find the best snorkelling spots and why you absolutely need to fill that cooler!

It's a running joke for us at Team ADR that whenever we make the effort to get to a remote island, we soon hear from a local that the place you actually can’t miss is the smaller, more difficult to access neighbouring island.

This 'Matryoshka dolls' logic is the same whether it's Colombia, Cambodia, or Scotland - and it applies here in Honduras too.

Budget, time or inclination sometimes means being unable (or unwilling) to make this extra effort; however, the tiny little island of Water Cay was worthy of expending all three on a day trip from Utila.

Picture in your head, if you will, an uninhabited tropical desert island.

Got it?

Well, what you’re imagining is probably very close to the reality of Water Cay.

Palms heavy with coconuts young and old, and a beach of fine white sand. Shallow waters of kaleidoscopic blues and a small reef housing rainbow coloured fish.

Little more than a speck on the map, it takes less than ten minutes to slowly walk its perimeter and less than one to cross over - but you’re not here to roam. You’re here to swim, to snorkel, to lay beneath the shadow of a gently moving tree, to drink cold beers from a cooler of melting ice and enjoy - if only for a while - what feels like your very own slice of paradise.

Water way to spend a day (apologies, only Alan Partridge fans will get this reference).

The Water Cay Essentials

What / Tiny speck of an island 30 minutes from Utila
Book / Two companies offer boat transfers (Bush’s and Sunbliss) costing $20 USD per person
Bring / Everything with you - no facilities on island
Do / Snorkel, swim and sunbathe
Plan / Our Utila guide

How to Get to Water Caye and Cost

Water Cay is located just off of the south west coast of Utila - you can find it here on Google Maps.

The only way to access it (assuming you don’t have your own sailboat!) is with one of two companies on Utila that arrange daily boat trips and private charters:

· Bush’s Bay Island Charter - you can find their offices here on Utila’s main street, just to the left hand side of Bush's Supermarket.

· Sunbliss - find their offices here.

We went with Bush's Bay Island Charter and can happily recommend them.

Each afternoon, they place a whiteboard outside the office with the next day’s boat trip times; the departure times are different every single day, typically determined by the first person or group to book the boat. The times are then advertised on the whiteboard to fill up that boat!

So, it’s best to pop by the day before you want to head over to Water Cay to check out options and secure your place. If you’re super organised, you can even be the person that sets the time of the first boat!

Sunbliss operates the same system for departures and bookings, but do let us know in the comments if this change.

If it’s a week day, expect a single departure which takes you back to Utila four hours later.

On weekends, there may be as many six different departure times listed, and therefore six different boat trips each day.

For this reason, we’d highly recommend trying to visit Water Cay during the week when smaller numbers means a much more chilled atmosphere.

The return boat trip costs $20 USD per person, which includes a free cooler for chilled beers & drinks, but snorkel rental is in addition. The journey time is between 20 and 30 minutes.

If you’re a big group, it’s possible to charter an entire boat for $120 USD.

Facilities & What to Bring to Water Caye

There is a warden and two toilets on the island (we can’t attest to their quality as we didn’t use them, but we can’t imagine they’re in the best of states), but no other facilities or amenities.

This is a good thing, and really allows you to lean into the whole ‘deserted tropical island vibes’ but does mean that you’ll need to bring your own ice, drinks, food, and anything else you need for a beach day.

Food & Drinks | You’ll be given a cooler to take with you on the boat, and we highly recommend utilising it. We took a few cans of beer, some soft drinks and enough water to keep us hydrated alongside some snacks and fresh fruit. If you’re super organised, picking up a freshly made baleada in Utila would also be a great addition!

Just don’t forget to buy some ice for the cooler too!

Snorkel | As we were diving almost everyday in Utila, we weren’t terribly fussed about snorkelling in Water Caye, however the crystal clear waters lack of boat traffic and people make this a wonderful spot. These can easily be rented from your tour company at the time of paying for the boat.

If you’re going to get your PADI by the way, then make sure to also check out our guide to diving in Utila.

Waterproof Bag | We don’t travel anywhere now without our trusty waterproof bag and highly recommend investing in one if you’re backpacking through Central America, as you’ll inevitably spend a lot of time by the water - they’re particularly ideal for bumpy boat rides!

Water Shoes | Not an essential, but if you’ve got them in your backpack, they will prevent any reef-related injuries. Alternatively, wear a pair of sandals that are attached to your feet with straps (as opposed to something like Birkenstocks).

Additional Items | A towel, a camera (phone will do if you’re not a photographer), book etc.

There’s usually the option to leave Water Cay early to allow for a lunch on the neighbouring fisherman’s island; the majority of our group chose to do this, and we simply picked them up on the way back to Utila - we preferred to to eat our snacks and have the extra time on the island rather than go to a restaurant.

Travel Tip // It’s really important that you pack up and take back any rubbish you create in Water Cay. There are a couple of bins, but we’re not sure how often they get emptied as they were overflowing a tad when we were there. And definitely don’t litter; nobody will pick up after you, and trash left behind would quickly destroy the beauty of the island and likely enter the sea.

Things to Do in Water Caye

This section is perhaps a tad redundant, as most of you will come here wanting to do precisely, well, nothing!

However, we just wanted to cover three areas before you head over:

The Beaches | Whilst the island is quite small, if you’re wanting a more secluded spot, just head away from the section of the beach where you’ll get dropped off and get out and explore the island (don’t worry, it won’t take you long). Depending upon the tide, there are lots of small coves to lay your towel, and you could quite possibly not see another soul for the duration of your visit.

The Snorkelling | If snorkelling’s your thing, head over to the south side of Water Cay, where you’ll find plenty of coral structures and marine life. The reef starts just off the shore, and while the rocky, shallow patches can be tricky to navigate (those water shoes we mentioned earlier are ideal for this), it soon drops off into the most incredible water, teeming with fish.

The Swimming | For those that prefer to keep their head above water, we recommend sticking to the north side of the island where the water is shallow, warm and crystal clear. Most importantly, unlike the south, it’s completely sandy so you don’t have to worry about accidentally standing on some coral.