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Roatan tour
I flew back to Roatan where John was awaiting my return. He had hired a car for a few days to enable us to get a few supplies and to be able to tour the island. We set off the following day towards the eastern end of the island.
The main roadway is for the most part paved but when you branch off for the smaller lanes they are all dirt, rocky and in some cases washed out.
We bumped our way east to just past Camp Bay Village where we encountered gates and a private sign. Assuming that was the end of the road we made our way westward stopping along the way at various settlements and beaches.
Our main problem was that signs are practically non existent, so we had to just guess if the small turn offs were for certain places by looking at the gps on the phone.
I believe we visited Camp Bay village and beach, Paya Bay, Diamond Rock, Punta Gorda and Pollitily Bight. All of these settlements and beaches were very scenic, quiet and friendly.
We then headed westward to view the lighthouse on top of Difficulty Hill and drive back via Flowers Bay.
It was a lovely tour of Roatan.
Cayos Conchinos
A few days later we headed back to Cayos Conchinos. We had a lovely sail over, were relieved to see 2 sailboats leaving – which meant a mooring should be available – and our friends on First Light at anchor there.
The Cayos Conchinos or Cochinos Cays are made up of two small islands – Cayo Menor and Cayo Grande, and 13 more small coral cays. They are situated 30 kilometers northeast of the northern shores of Honduras. They are reputed to be exquisite!
“The two Hog Islands, the 13 tiny coral cays and the seas around them comprise a marine reserve – it’s illegal to anchor on the reef, and commercial fishing is prohibited. Consequently, the reefs are pristine and the fish abundant. Diving and snorkeling are excellent around the islands, with black coral reefs, wall diving, cave diving, seamounts and a plane wreck. The islands are also known for their unique pink boa constrictors and the strength of the local Garifuna culture.” – Lonely Planet
As we had previously purchased a month pass to the area we didn’t have to pay the parks folks when they arrived. They didn’t seem as friendly this time, and again told us the park regulations.
The next day we went in the dinghy to circuit the island adjacent to the anchorage – Cayo Menor. This is the isle where the Smithsonian has an institute situated to study the area.
-“Cayos Cochinos are one of the most important parts of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, and its environment and waters have been protected as an ecological marine reserve since 1994. There is a very rich flora and marine life that cover an area of almost five hundred square kilometers. Commercial fishing, as well as fish trapping, is forbidden within the marine park. However, local Garifuna inhabitants have permission to fish only with hand lines. In some specially designated areas qualified local Garifuna fishermen can also catch lobsters.”
However they had allowed the TV Survivor series to set up camp and play their games on this isle. (Apparently there were 10 contestants left).
As we started to round the first rugged point we saw a lovely beach and spotted a “survivor” wading in the shallows while others lurked in the palm trees.
The island’s reefs looked lovely, the scenery was rugged and wild but it was windy so the seas were quite rough. We passed another Survivor camp area, where they looked to be restocking and then a palm thatched construction which was where they do their tribal councils.
The institute was at the other end of the island which we just saw from the distance on our way back.
Off to the Lighthouse
The next adventure was when we set off on the main island to find the trail to the lighthouse and along the ridge line. We had a general idea of where the trail started and so leaving the dinghy on the beach we walked towards the area where the water carriers went.
The water carriers are men who came daily to the area with many plastic bottles to fill with water from the well. They then load the water into their small canoes and paddle the full load out to the outer cays where they live with no water source. We had been told that the trail head was near the well.
Upon arriving at the well we met one of the water carriers filling his many containers. John helped him carry some of the heavy jugs to the beach and then we set off.
Well we looked and looked, followed all sorts of paths and did not find the trail head. Returning to the beach we met Bill and Bunny, who said they were visiting and that Bill knew where the path was as he had already been up to the lighthouse.
So off we set again following Bill. Anyway long story short, Bill didn’t find the trail, so John set off ahead to bush-wack and find the trail. Bill set off on a slightly different route, I was really struggling on the steep, rocky, slippery slope that was covered in all kinds of foliage and goodness knows what else.
Bunny was sort of following me, but finding it very hard going too. In the end John said he found the trail, but we had lost him and each other and had to shout just to go in the direction of his voice. I finally made it to where John was and collapsed with my water bottle vowing to never do that again.
Bill finally emerged and John had to head off to find Bunny. She says he saved her life, she had slid backwards, done head plants into the earth and was done in, but with John’s help she made it to the trail. She also confessed to having a heart condition! We also found we had overshot the trail by 100s of feet, and had to back track to the lighthouse!
Finally we made it to the lighthouse, John and I climbed to the top. Now it’s not an ordinary lighthouse climb, it is just a cylinder shaped metal tube with enough room for an attached metal ladder to the top, where you climb out the hole at the top and down onto a rusty platform, then around the platform to another short ladder up to the final platform at the top.
The climb is really tiring as all you have are your arms clinging to the ladder and there’s no resting place, but the view from the top was well worth it. You can see all around the beautiful Cayos Conchinos. Now the lighthouse also sways so I took my shots and did not hang around up top.
Once back on the path we took the trail heading to where Bill said they were staying, he assured us it was a wide and much easier way, so off we went….
We emerged just above a few of the small homes and followed Bill and Bunny to where they were staying. This was a beautiful home, which was apparently owned by a group of business/property investors. There we had a cold drink and said our good byes.
Wonderful snorkeling…
Most of the days we were in the Cayos Conchinos we snorkeled in different areas and once John dove.
The reef all around the Cayos Conchinos are spectacular.
The corals, fish, and sea life is plentiful and the water just crystal clear.
The outer cays
We went one morning to visit the outlying cays of which there are 13, but we only passed 7. We started with the one where the water carriers come from everyday. I believe it is called Chachahuate and is a Garfuna settlement whose inhabitants come from Nueva Armenia, Jutiapa. Some say they were exiled out there others say they choose to be there. Anyhow the Garfuna live in small thatched huts on the small sand cay with a few palm trees.
They are allowed to fish with hand lines but otherwise rely on what comes over in the supply boats.
The next cays we passed in the dinghy were small too, but most had trees, some had grass and homes which were fancy and I imagine owned by the wealthy. All in all the cays are lovely too.
We were invited to the home which Bill and Bunny were staying for dinner. There we enjoyed a very nice dinner a few drinks and the company of the visitors.
The correct trail to Lighthouse
Practically our last adventure was to head back to the lighthouse via the route we took to get down. Then to find the path we “missed” the first time around. It was just a matter of the steep uphill to the ridge line, then along the same path which leads through some attractive forested slopes.
This time I actually saw lizards and hermit crabs, unfortunately we still never saw the famous Rosy Boa that is resident.
At the lighthouse we didn’t climb just continued passed and followed the wide pathway down the steep forested slope to the beach.
We found that the path came out on the other side of the well from where we were looking, so we missed it from lack of scouting about.
It was a very pleasant hike, took just over an hour as opposed to our 4 hour thrashing about up the steep forested slopes the first time.
The week in the Cayos Conchinos went quickly, we both fully enjoyed ourselves and vowed to return someday.
