Day Tours

• MANGROVE Kayak to the North Side  (3/4  day)

• UTILA CAYS Kayak  (full day)

• SNORKELING and Kayak with Marine Naturalist (1/2 day)

• Custom Kayak Tours   (Instruction, Skills, Shorter trips, etc)

• Reservations:  Its best to reserve at least 48 hours before your trip day – more if you want to be sure we are available as we do fill up and we typically don’t mix groups (so essentially every trip is a private trip with just you and your friends/family).

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Mangrove Kayak

Mangrove Channel Kayak to the North Side~

Time:
9:30am meet up, return about 3:30pm.   Plan on  1.5 hour paddle each way- this includes plenty of  time for stopping, picture taking, and learning about the mangrove ecosystem.  We also take time for an awesome mangrove snorkel,  and 1.5  hours on the beach with picnic lunch and a swim.

About the Trip: 
This ecotour is a great activity for getting to know the REAL Utila!  Mangroves, Fish nurseries, Birds, Beach lounging, Swimming.   This is about a fabulous way to explore Utila! 

We’ll start with a paddle introduction to show you some good techniques and then enjoy a leisurely paddle through the lower lagoon heading into the Mangrove Channel, learning about the mangrove ecosystems along the way.  This channel connects to the North Side, opening up to the fantastic bay of Rock Harbor.

 Total paddle time is about 1.5 hour one way, which includes time to stop along the way for photos, bird sightings, and exploring and enjoying the mangrove environment-

Once at Rock Harbor, we can do a little Mangrove Snorkel (bring your snorkel gear!)  in a shallow area- teaming with small fish and activity.  Then we’ll paddle down the bay- getting a few minutes of more “ocean paddling” in, before  stopping at a nice sandy beach.   Kayak Utila brings  lunch with sandwiches, fresh fruit, cookies, and more.  You’ll have at least an hour or more to enjoy the beach before making a leisurely return home.

What to Bring: See bottom of page for what to bring on our trips  (#6 under “A few notes about your trip with Kayak Utila)

 

 

 

Price:  (Includes: kayak, naturalist guide, snacks, juice, lunch)

• 5 pp or more: $40 usd per person
• 2-4 people:     $45 usd per person
• 1 person:         $75 usd (this is a private trip for 1 person)

Gratuities very much appreciated.

 *Note: these prices are for how many total are on the trip. So if 2 people book and they are okay having others join, their price will go down if others sign up for the trip. Cool, eh?  We pride ourselves on private trips- not mixing groups, but if you are okay with it, its good with us too!

See more photos of the KAYAK UTIKA  Utila Mangrove Kayak day trip 

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Utila Cays via Kayak-  fabulous full day trip!

Kayaking the Utila Cays (with water taxi back!) 

- Kayaking the South Shore, Swimming, Snorkeling, Lunch at the Cays, Water taxi back.

Who is this For:  
For all level of kayakers, but those new to kayaking should already be active in some type of fitness activities and in good condition.  

Timing:
This is a full day trip- we’ll meet at about 8:30 am, and on the water by about 9am.  We’ll be back by about 4pm.  Don’t worry -we are not paddling the whole time!   Total paddle time is about 2.5 hours, which is broken up by 1-2 swimming/ beach  stops en route to the Cays, then lunch at the Cays, and then time to enjoy Water Cay of course!

About this Trip:

We love, love, love this trip!    We take our time getting to the Cays, as in this case, the journey is truly as important as our destination!  

 Seas are generally calm, though sometimes we will have a little wind chop or small swell towards the latter half.  In general, this  trip is relaxed and moderately paced. As noted above, some level of physical fitness is required- you should be in good shape, but you don’t need kayaking experience.

We’ll start with the basic techniques and tips from your trained kayak instructor.  Then we’ll start off through the lagoon out to the oceanside of South Shore.  We’ll stop once or twice along the way on beaches to enjoy some swimming / snorkeling / dock jumping or just some time relaxing. 

One of our spots will be for snorkeling (bring your mask!)- walking off from the beach.  If new to snorkeling, your guide will go over the basics to make sure you feel comfortable. 

Once we pull into the Pidgeon Cays, we’ll take a slow waterfront tour of the buildings and fishing boats; there is time to chat with the locals if you want as well.   You have the option of stopping at one of the restaurants at Pidgeon Cays for lunch or Kayak Utila will have brought a picnic lunch to have on the uninhabited Water Cay. (Both options are included in the price.)     We can take a little stroll on the Pidgeon Cays and hop back into our kayaks by about 2pm for our final 15-20 minute scenic paddle to get to the uninhabited Water Cay where we park our boats and enjoy the sand bar and beach.  

Dockside parking, Utila Cays style

At the end of the day (about 3:15), we’ll load our boats in water taxi for a boat ride back, having you back in Utila about 4:15pm.

What to Bring: See bottom of page for what to bring on our trips  (#6 under “A few notes about your trip with Kayak Utila).  Also, snorkeling gear and the water taxi fee as noted below.

 

Cays Kayak Price:  

• 4 pp or more: $50 usd per person +  $11 per person for water taxi
• 3 people:          $55 usd per person + $15 pp water taxi
• 2 people:          $60 usd per person + $22 pp water taxi
• 1 person:         $85 usd + $43 for water taxi (this is a private trip for 1 person)

* Prices above and are all inclusive (except for gratuities) and  INCLUDES kayak rental, private guide, snacks, lunch, Water Cay access fee, and water taxi back as noted. (Please bring correct change for the water taxi- lempiras is fine. Bank exchange rate is 19 lemps to $1 usd).  

About the Water Taxi:   We work with some great local Captains for our water taxi back from the Cays.    Water taxi rates are about 800 lempiras ($43-45 usd ) per group  for 1-4 pp and 1000-1200 lempiras ($53-63 usd)  for a group of 5-6 pp.  Please note:  We don’t charge anything additional beyond what the Captains charge, and you pay the Captain  directly, as price out above.  IF for any reason seas have really picked up and a larger group (5 or more) needs to be split into 2, the clients will need to pick up the extra water taxi fare.

* (Note: As with the Mangrove Kayak, these prices are for how many total are on the trip. So if 2 people book and they are okay having others join, their price and everyone elses too- will go down if others sign up for the trip. We pride ourselves on private trips- not mixing groups unless those in the group agree.)

Variations of the Cays Kayak Trip:

Version 2: Round Trip Water Taxi Both Ways:  Great for newbies or folks who just want to play around at the cays with kayaks and a marine naturalist.

Version 3:  Paddle both ways – Much less expensive because there is no water taxi, but for experienced kayakers only and we will need an earlier start at about 730 am, and we will have shorter stops along the way.

 

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Kayak and Snorkeling with a Marine Naturalist

Kayak Snorkel with a Marine Naturalist:  Combine the best of 2 great water activities!

Time: Total trip time is about 3-4 hours.   Low wind days only, as snorkeling is not so great on higher wind days and most of the snorkeling spots are down wind from where we take off.

The Trip~ Kayaking, Snorkeling, and Enjoying the Scenery of the Harbor and South Shore- This is about a great way to travel and explore Utila’s reef!

Before we leave shore, your guide (an American Canoe Association – ACA Instructor) will go over basic kayak techniques to help you with more efficient strokes.  She’ll also help you fit your snorkeling gear and give you and introduction to snorkeling if you are new to it or want a review.

 Then we’ll paddle out to a mooring buoy (about 30-45  minutes of paddling, depending on the group) and we’ll tie up our kayaks. Another option, depending on conditions, is to do a drift snorkel from our kayaks- with our kayaks accompanying us as we drift with the curents over the coral reef.

 From our kayaks, we’ll slip on our snorkel gear right on the kayaks and then dive into the sea to explore Utila’s beautiful underwater reefs!  Your guide is also a marine naturalist guide who will give you some great insights and information on what you are seeing, including fish and invertebrates identification, but also behavior and general marine ecology of the coral reefs.

After a great snorkel, we’ll hop back into our kayaks (always a fun photo moment), and paddle back to base. If the group wants to kayak more, that is no problem!

Kayak Snorkel Price: (Includes: kayak, marine naturalist/kayak guide, snacks)

• 4 pp or more:   $40 usd per person
• 2-3 people:       $45 usd per person
• 1 person:           $65 usd (this is a private trip for 1 person)

Tips very much appreciated.

Ways to Save  A Buck:   If you have your own kayak, take $10 off the price per person.  If you are asking ”How would I have my own kayak?”, then  see our Rentals page)

* Prices Include: Kayak rental, private guide  / marine naturalist, kayak skills review, snorkeling skills introduction/review (if wanted), and snacks.  We also have some snorkeling gear that we can include without charge -plenty of masks and snorkels and 3 sets of fins. Check ahead of time…

* Note: for most of our snorkel spots, we’ll be getting into the snorkeling FROM our kayaks- we will show you how before we leave and let you practice so you feel comfortable.   If you have physical limitations which may prevent you from getting back into your kayak from the water, let us know and we can find alternate options. For a little longer paddle, we can get in to snorkeling from shore.

Custom Kayak Tours- Instruction, Skills Workshop, Shorter Tours and more!

Time: 2-4 hours

The Trip:

A great way to hone your kayaking skills or see  Utila’s coastline!

Your guide is an ACA L2 Instructor / L3 skills and can work on a variety of stroke techniques.   Not interested in the technical skills but just looking for a paddle buddy or to get started in kayaking? No problem- We can tailor this trip to you- making for a nice entry level paddle or a more extreme longer paddle.   Depending on the group, we can find a nice sandy cove to tuck into for swimming and lounging too!

We can also  combine this trip with the snorkeling one above.

This trip is great for someone who wants to explore the coastline with an experienced guide.

Water Taxi Option: – Another option we have is to head down the South Shore, but call a water taxi back…Plan on about $40-$55 usd for the water taxi- for the group.  We don’t charge anything on top- you pay the Captain directly.  The South Shore is down wind from town- so this makes for a nice option to explore this coastline without worrying about paddling against the wind. Perfect for every level of kayaker!

 

Prices:

• 4 pp: $35 usd per per person for first 2 hours, then $5  usd pp per hour after.
• 2-3 pp: $40 usd per person for 1st 2 hours, then $7 pp per hour after.
• 1 person private class:  $50 usd per person for 1st 2 hours, then $10 per hour after.

Tips very much appreciated.

*We aim to keep our prices affordable and will work with you for larger groups, special trips, etc. Just ask us!

Take a look below for details on the above trips.  To see photos of some of our recent trips, take a look at our BLOG or visit us at Facebook

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A few notes about your trip with Kayak Utila:

1) Our trips are generally PRIVATE trips.  This means we do not combine groups- unless those in the group agree.

2) Kayak Utila is primarily a guiding service.  As such, though we do have our own boats, we often will supplemement them with kayaks from local venues.  While this helps to support the local economy, this also means these rental boats are often older in style (but still safe!).   Click HERE to read more on why to go kayaking with an experienced guide.

3) We tailor our trips to you- and can modify these trips for the  for the Beginner to the Experienced Paddler!

4) Payment can be made in Lempiras (at standard bank rate of 18.895 to 1, as of Nov 2011) or Dollars.  Sorry, we can’t take credit card at this time.

5) Want to try something different?  You can do most of these Utila trips by STAND UP PADDLEBOARD too!

6) What to Bring:

• Full water bottle for each person,

• Wear and bring sunscreen,

• Wear clothing that can get wet (typically bathing suit or surf trunks),

• A Hat! You will want this~

• Sunglasses- ideally with strap. You can pick up straps at a few spots in town.

• Shoes- if you have water shoes or booties, thats best.  Some people bring old sneakers that can get wet.

•  Rash guard or sunshirt.  We have extra if you need- let us know in advance.

• For those sensitive to sun, a sarong or omething for your legs as most of our boats are sit on top.

• Snacks if you want (we’ll have some too, in addition to lunch),

• Waterproof camera (we’ll bring ours too!)

• We’ll bring an extra dry bag for personal items but please don’t bring anything you don’t need for the day.

• Gratutities very much appreciated- your guide works hard for you! If you enjoyed the trip, please tip your guide.

For further information or to book, contact KayakUtila.com  or stop in at our friends at Utila Realty (main street, ground floor, next to Munchies), and they can call us for you!