Honduras Travels

I looked out our twin engine aircraft’s window at the island of Guanaja’s verdant peaks. We had just landed on the airstrip in this valley. The “terminal” was a thatched roof house set off to the side. Moments later we were cruising over a cobalt sea, past a jungle choked coast that looked as if it might conceal Jurassic Park.

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On the way, we passed a town that rose out of the sea on posts. This was Bonacca, the island’s capital, a town that outgrew two tiny cays, forming a 17 acre stilt village. It was christened a “little Venice of the Caribbean” by author Jane Houlson (Blue Blaze, 1934).

Past Bonacca, the coast grew even more dense and mysterious. Huge outcrops of volcanic rock jutted between white sand beaches crowded with coconut palms. Behind, lush hillsides arched upward toward pine topped mountains.

Just when all signs of human habitation seemed behind us, a Spanish villa peeked out of the greenery. I had been here before and knew what to expect, but the other guests onboard were in for a surprise.

I have found a most pleasant mixture of nature and development in Guanaja, at a place where there are many miles of wilderness reef tract and a resort that looks as if it popped off the pages of Architectural Digest. The impression presented by Posada del Sol’s mainhouse is of a mansion in the jungle. The handsome two story structure has an exterior of beige stucco, a red-tiled roof with accents and an interior of native hardwoods. Inside is the resort’s social focus - a beautiful restaurant with high cathedral ceiling, a charming indoor/outdoor bar, reading and TV lounge, a registration/information desk and a boutique/gift shop.

The outdoor patio forms the roof of the beachside guest wing and the floor of the poolside guest wing. A third villa/guest wing is hillside, a short walk away. The wooden patio surrounds a swimming pool and includes an outdoor restaurant for breakfast, lunch and snacks. Guest rooms are spacious and richly appointed with hardwood furnishings, tile floors, marbled bathrooms, slatted windows and ceiling fans. Outside, stone pathways lead through groves of fruit and flower trees, past tennis courts and picnic area, to the marina and dive shop. Also at the marina is a guests wet storage, a photo/video shop and a complete workout center. A fleet of well maintained mid-sized boats is poised to take small groups of divers to dive sites.

Once the private villa of an eccentric millionaire, Posada del Sol was discovered and converted into a complete dedicated dive resort by George Cundiff. A former entrepreneur in the field of commercial diving, Cundiff had previously owned and designed an impressive dive resort in the Cayment Islands. Now, on Guanaja, and with Posada del Sol, he found his personal “Shringri-La”, and it is available for all to share.

Excellent diving, and beautiful accommodations were what I experienced. I highly recommend Guanaja to any world traveler with a taste for both natural and man-made beauty.

Submitted by Jenn, written by Becki Gall