Kayaking into the Utila Cays

Kayaking to the Cays  (with the Todd Family)

Jan 21, 2012: We had another great paddle along Utila’s South Shore and Beaches down to the Utila Cays!  Swim and snorkeling and dock jumping at a great beach along the way, and then plenty of time for picnic lunch and enjoying the beach at Water Cay~

Great job Pa-pa!

And how cool that “Pa-pa” did this trip at 79 years old!

For more photos of this Kayak Trip to the Cays, check out the album on our Facebook Page!

Thanks Laura and Melissa for a great day~

Click to view slideshow.

These 2 Australians made for a great kayak through the Mangrove Channel to the North Side.  We took our time going through the mangroves, really checking out all the critters that live in this amazing ecosystem- fish, crabs, oysters, birds, and of course the mangroves themselves.

Then on to the North Side Rock Harbor for a paddle down the bay and a relaxing lunch.  These 2 took a walk down the beach, and then back into our boats to play in some small swell trying to catch some rides (we did a little!) before a leisurely trip back.

Thanks guys for a great trip!

Click Here to see photos of this trip on our Facebook page .

To Book your Utila kayak trip:

If you are looking for a great eco-tour or Utila activity, Visit us at www.KayakUtila.com or stop by the folks at Sand Beachwear and Snorkel Center, next to Bushs’s Supermarket in the center of town.

Want to really see Utila?  Check out Kayak Utila’s day trips– either through the Mangroves to the North Side or along the South Shore down to the Cays.  Whatever you choose, you’ll have a safe, professional guide, lots of time for stopping and checking things out, and truly a unique experience. Check us out at www.KayakUtila.com

Weather held out perfectly, we had a fantastic group of woman, and of course the fabulous waters of Utila!

Leaving from lower lagoon, we had a leisurely paddle down to the Cays- with 2 stops enroute for beaches, snorkeling, and swimming.  Once at the Cays we enjoyed a nice lunch at Cayview on Pidgeon Cay and a short stroll,  before continuing on to Water Cay.  A nice after – paddle salva vida on the sandbar at Water Cay  and then our pre-arranged water taxi home.

Couldn’t have been better out there ladies! – Andi

Kayaking to the Cays is one of our favorite trips- come join us!  www.KayakUtila.com

Check out our photos from the day:

After an orientation to our boats and basic paddling skills, we set off for a leisurely trip through the mangroves arriving at the gorgeous Rock Harbor.  Waters were flat calm, so we continued on around Rock Island and paddled outside the reef for a bit, before coming into a nice beach lunch.

A bit of rest and chatting, and some more kayaking through the bay and back through the channel home. Thanks Lori for a great day out there!  -Andi

To join us on a guided kayak trip around the waters of Utila, Honduras,  check out www.KayakUtila.com

Contact us at www.KayakUtila.com to find out more about stand up paddleboards and kayak trips on Utila. Great activities for the whole family!

Utila Cays – Private Multi-Sport Retreat

(Stand-up Paddleboarding, Kayaking, Snorkeling and Yoga)

Overview

Join Kayak Utila as we partner once again with USA based Uncommon Adventures for a new multi-sport trip in the Utila Cays!

 The Caribbean island of Utila is located in the beautiful Bay Islands of Honduras. Beautiful paddling, turquoise waters, easy access to snorkeling and fishing. Utila is often referred to as “what the Caribbean used to be” — No high rises, golf courses or big resorts here, just a safe, small, friendly island that is known for its laid back attitude and beautiful waters. 

Fill your days with kayaking, snorkeling, stand-up paddleboarding and yoga. 

This trip is based out of our own private island (cay) surrounded by gorgeous coral reefs. Food will be a combination of locally provided fare and our own recipes fresh from our the new  cookbook from Uncommon Adventures.

We will be paddling in expedition style, cockpitted boats (not sit on tops) from Current Designs, Valley and Dagger. Experience in very helpful, but not mandatory. You can develop your kayaking skills with an ACA-certified open-water instructor throughout the week as you learn to handle a sea kayak in wind and waves. Being on a tropical island in the trade winds presents great opportunities for gentle paddling as well as rough water paddling without the dangers of cold water.

You can also learn how to snorkel right out of your kayak on a fantastic living coral reef! For more advanced snorkelers, there are excellent opportunities to hone your free diving skills and marine ecology knowledge.

Count on learning a host of new paddle and paddleboarding skills, lots of snorkeling and learning about the coral reef, plenty of time for relaxation, and spectacular backdrop.

This trip is co-led by Michael Gray of Uncommon Adventures (ACA L-4 instructor, WFR), and Andi Shluker Ryon, a marine naturalist and experienced kayak guide who is a 6+ year resident of Utila

Cost:

$1895 per person (double occupancy) from Roatan.  Includes all food, lodging, guides, kayak gear, stand up paddleboard gear, and tranfers from Roatan, Honduras.

Registration:

A $300 registration is required to hold your reservation and is refundable until 30 days of departure.  Balance is due 30 days before departure. When we receive your deposit, you will receive a personal equipment list, a participant profile (so that we may tailor your trip to your interests and tastes in food), and any other pertinent info we can find.   

Dates for 2012:

February 19 – 25; Additional custom dates may be possible- contact us!

Contact US if you have questions about any of it at all!

More Information:

Tropical Equipment List    

Tropical FAQ    

The Food    

Participant Profile Form

Looking for a great activity on Utila to do with the kids?  Follow in Daniel and Keri’s footsteps (paddlestrokes) and bring the kids along for a day trip with Kayak Utila! 

We headed down to the Cays with Daniel, Keri, Amalie, and Keegan, as part of a birthday gift that Amalie chose for herself (which we thought was pretty cool!).

We started off with an orientation to some paddle strokes and basic safety,  and then headed off in the calmer lagoon to get the feel of our boats.  Then out through the channel and into the sea we ventured for a nice downwind ride to the Cays!

We stopped after an hour or so to enjoy a little beach time, and stretch our legs.  Keegan then impressed us with his coconut tree climbing skills, as up he went to harvest a coconut- allowing Andi a great offering to open up for all to enjoy the fresh taste of the coconut water (and they learned there is a bit of skill to actually get the water in the mouth!).

After a nice little break we loaded back up into our kayaks and continued down to the Cays- but not before visiting another great little sandy beach stop.  Here we did some shore snorkeling, which although was in about 5 feet of water, was really fantastic.  After some snacks and water refills, we made our last push to the Cays- which was only about 30 minutes or so due to the downwind trade winds.  The family also got to play in some nice swells and they did great!

Pulling into the Cays, we did a slow cruise down the fishing villages of Pigeon and Suc Suc (Jewel) Cay, before we tied up at Susans Fishburgers for some good grinds. While waiting for lunch, we pulled out the marine identification cards for a review of the critters and fish we saw today.

The family had some time for exploring the ”sidewalk main street” of these unique Cays, and then we loaded the boats up onto a water taxi  with Austin Jr. and visited Water Cay. 

Water Cay is always a favorite for its shallow sand bars and gorgeous turquoise water, and today was no exception.  There was a bit of a current,  so we had some fun with it and “walked up” the sand bar to try to “ride” the current down- with lots of laughing along the way. 

A boat ride back home rounded out this great day.

Thanks you guys- what a wonderful family, and I really enjoyed being out there with you!   Happy Birthday Amalie, and Keegan, I’m inspired by your tree skills!   ~Andi

See the family’s review of this trip on Trip Advisor:

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 To learn more about kayaking in the Utila Cays, see:

•  http://kayakutila.com/tours/    (day trips)
• http://kayakutila.com/extended/ (weeklong trips)

To learn more about the island of Utila, in the Bay Islands of Honduras, see:

• www.UtilaGuide.com

To learn more about the Utila Cays, see:

• http://utilaguide.com/activities/cays/
• http://www.visitUtilaCays.com
• http://www.utilacaylife.com
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Weather was perfect for us- through the channel we went to the fabulous Rock Harbor.  Nancy had a few laughs along the way as she worked the fine points of navigational skills in maneuvering through the channel which gets pretty narrow -about 3 feet- at times…but she did great. 

Once at Rock Harbor we took a little paddle to explore and then headed towards a sandy beach to park the kayaks.  The couple had a  nice little walk on the beach while Andi prepared a   beachside picnic lunch.  Then a little dip for everyone in the sea and a leisurely paddle back.

Thanks Nancy and Ken for joining us out there!