Útila is a Honduran island very easily reachable from the coastal town of La Ceiba. The small island is especially known for it’s low diving licence prices. Apart from that, however, Útila also has numerous beautiful beaches and an a really relaxed backpacker vibe.

Personally, Útila – and in particular getting a diving licence – was never really on my agenda. But as I basically ‘passed by’ Útila on my trip through Central America, I thought ‘Why not?’, and ended up also doing my Advanced course at the end 😀
One very important thing to know: if you do a diving course on Útila, you’ll be staying at the diving school. Meaning the accommodation costs and everything else are already included (food isn’t). That’s why there are hardly any hostels on Útila, as almost everyone stays in one of the diving school-“hostels”.
But even if I set that aside, Útila would still be worth it, because Útila has some really beautiful beaches and the vibe is very laid-back. Meaning most people end up staying a bit longer than planned – or even moving here and staying for good 😀 Plus I personally met a very good Guatemalan friend of mine here, with whom I explored Útila 😊

What else is there to know about Útila? It’s a charming little island with loads of character, a party atmosphere, plenty to explore and a chance to unwind. Plus really fantastic prices if you want to learn how to dive. One small warning though: the crossing from La Ceiba to Útila can get quite rocky. I loved it, but if you’re prone to seasickness… you might want to take precautions 😊 Otherwise, the island is very peaceful and there’s basically just one “thing” (supermarket, restaurant…) of almost everything on the island. So if you urgently need anything – toiletries or the like – I’d buy a bit extra beforehand so you’re not reliant on the supermarket actually having it in stock. Like it’s an island 😉

Go or not? Definitely. Quite apart from the fact that you have a great time on Útila, I merely paid $250 for my diving certificate and then the same again for my Advanced course. That’s really cheap in comparison. Even solo dives cost 50 or so. So passing by Útila is definitely worth it.