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In 1809, while most of the Caribbean was known through sugar, slavery, and war, a lesser-known travel log offered an unexpected window into the serene yet strategic Bay Islands of Honduras. That log belonged to Captain George Henderson, a British officer stationed in the region, who documented his journey aboard His Majesty’s schooner Monkey, under the command of Lieutenant Smith. Their route through the islands—Ruatan (Roatan), Morat, Barbarette, and Bonacca (Guanaja)—reads

Before the bright colors, the parades, and the fireworks, the Utila Carnival started with something much simpler: a group of islanders trying to help their neighbors after disaster hit. It was after a late 90’s hurricane swept across the island, leaving some families without homes and others with roofs and walls barely standing. Communities organized themselves to respond. There was no big outside aid. What there was, though, was a whole lot of heart. Each community committee

Just under two kilometers from Pumpkin Hill and only about 300 feet from Ironbound Beach, there's a place on the North Side of Utila that feels like something out of a storybook, or maybe like something our ancestors left behind. That’s exactly the goal of True Utila  a botanical garden and conservation project dreamed up by Trey and Marichi, the same couple behind The Safe Spot. Trey is originally from the U.S., Marichi from Guatemala, but their love for the island is deep a

Growing up, I always thought some of the things my grandfather said were just island slang, funny phrases that didn’t quite match the English I was learning in school. As someone who’s half islander and half foreigner, my English leaned more American, so hearing things like “ova yanda” instead of “over there” always stood out to me. I’d smile, repeat it in my head, and wonder, “Where did that even come from?” It wasn’t until I was in 4th grade at ESBIR (Roatan Bilingual Schoo

It’s not often you can say with certainty that you’re walking exactly where an explorer did over a hundred years ago. But this was one of those rare moments. With a book in hand, we followed one of the oldest and most detailed documents ever written about the archaeology of the Bay Islands: Archaeological Explorations in the Bay Islands of Honduras, authored by American archaeologist William Duncan Strong and published by the Smithsonian Institution in 1935. Strong wasn’t jus

St. Helene has always held its secrets well, 29 documented caves and counting, each with its own story carved into stone. But the island still has more to give. This cave, found recently by our local guide Amilcar, isn’t on any map. It’s one of two new caves he’s come across, and this one in particular feels like a quiet revelation. From the outside, it’s easy to miss. At first glance, the opening doesn’t look like much, just a split in the ground. But when you take a closer

There’s a cave in St. Helene that just about everyone on the island knows. It’s not marked, there’s no sign pointing to it, but ask around and someone will show you the way. Over the years, it’s become the place people go when a hurricane’s coming. Locals have been using it for decades, maybe longer. It’s one of the most common shelters here, especially before people had concrete houses or access to warnings ahead of time. The cave’s big enough to hold a crowd and feel protec

The Royal Readers were once standard classroom material across much of the British Empire, from England and Scotland to far-off colonial outposts, including the Caribbean colonies. In fact, it’s rare to find physical copies these days, which is why the small collection housed at Brian Bush’s place in Utila is such a treasure. He finds these little gems online and purchases them to add to his very valuable collection. These books didn’t just teach reading; they carried with th

When Reverend F.J. Bomford sat down to type the account of what happened aboard the schooner Olympia in 1905, he wasn’t just recording a tragedy, he was preserving the testimony of a survivor, and with it, a profound act of faith. His writing, titled Elsie Morgan’s Heroism, documents one of the most horrifying events in the history of the Bay Islands. But more than that, it reveals the unseen emotional and spiritual labor of a man who had to bear witness to a story few could

Back in 2022, in a bid to find historical sites, I had one of those unexpected little adventures that stick with you for years. It wasn’t planned, just one of those moments where weather, timing, and a little bit of luck come together to lead you somewhere completely new. James Bodden and I were heading out on his small boat from Sandy Bay, just behind Hotel Utila. It was the four of us: James, his younger sister Aleah, and my daughter, who was only a year and a half at the t

In 1917, the world was at war, but not all soldiers carried rifles. Some carried notebooks. Sylvanus Griswold Morley (1883–1948) was a Harvard-trained archaeologist, famous for decoding ancient Maya inscriptions. But during World War I, he had another job, one the public wouldn’t know about for decades. He was a spy for the U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence. Morley’s official cover was his work for the Carnegie Institution of Washington, mapping Maya ruins. His real mission:

As many of you know, I’ve been visiting different churches around the island to learn more about our religious traditions, especially the Protestant ones that have shaped so much of our culture. This is the first of several articles I’ll be writing about the Church of God, starting with my experience in Coxen Hole. Before attending, I met with Kimberly Raymond, who grew up in the Church of God in French Harbour and later, when she married someone from the western side, transf

If you’ve ever stepped into a Church of God (Evening Light) service, chances are you’ve seen a well-worn copy of Evening Light Songs sitting in a pew or clutched in someone’s hands. It’s not just a hymnal, for this community, it’s part of their identity, a way of keeping their history and faith alive through music. This book was created specifically for the Church of God (Evening Light), a branch of the holiness movement based in Guthrie, Oklahoma. If you’re outside that circ

If you spend enough time in Utila, you’ll hear people talking about the “Cays”, pronounced “keys” by the locals. This little collection of islets sits just off the southwest corner of the main island, and while each one has its own character, together they tell a story that blends natural beauty, rich history, and everyday island life. Water Cay is probably the most famous of the bunch, and for good reason. Picture a stretch of soft sand surrounded by blue water so clear you

Back in the 1980s, life on the island of Utila moved at its own gentle rhythm. Neighbors were close, everyone knew everyone, and friendships crossed fences and front yards. You could borrow sugar, chat over a gate, or help each other in small ways, but when it came to social gatherings, there were lines people didn’t cross. Birthday parties, dances, and Sunday school events? Those were another story. At the time, Utila had a kind of informal segregation. People got along in e

Years ago, I found several long, thin pieces of obsidian that, at the time, I only knew were old. Now, with research and the help of archaeological studies, it’s clear what they are: prismatic obsidian blades, razor-sharp tools shaped by the Pech people, one of the oldest Indigenous groups of Honduras. These blades aren’t random shards. They were made intentionally, struck from prepared cores to produce long, thin pieces with edges sharp enough to handle everything from food

The Bay Islands are full of history, sometimes in the most unexpected places. At the Wesley Methodist Church and School in Coxen Hole, right behind the basketball court, there’s a broken tombstone that many people barely notice. My sister went to school there for two years, and when I asked her about it, she, like others I spoke to, didn’t remember ever being told whose grave it was. Students just recall seeing it there, often sitting on it during lunch breaks. It turns out t

During the summer of 1939, R.W. Feachem paid a visit to the Bay Islands, joined by Mr. Derek Leaf for most of the time. They did an expedition out there. For local and European reasons, the expedition was cut short, but in the time available, they were able to accomplish much. The support of Lord Moyne of the Royal Geographical Society, the University of Cambridge, the Faculty of Archaeology at Cambridge, and Trinity College made the expedition possible, and the generosity wa

Every old map has a story to tell, and few do it with the elegance and precision of the 1775 work titled “Ruatan or Rattan, surveyed by Lieutenant Henry Barnsley, with improvements by Thomas Jefferys, Geographer to the King.” Printed in London on February 20, 1775, by Robert Sayer, this map is more than a piece of parchment with ink, it’s an image of a world in transition, when empires were staking claims, sailors were risking everything on the sea, and the Caribbean was in t

When people picture Roatan today, with paved roads across the island, it’s hard to imagine a time when getting around was next to impossible. But in the late 1960s, roads were little more than muddy scars in the floor, usable only in dry weather, and in the rainy season, nearly impassable. To build a resort on the north side of the island back then meant more than vision and money. It meant carving a road through some of the roughest terrain in the Bay Islands. That’s exactly