Services

By Mike Karanicolas

Utila is a small town, but the massive flow of tourists has left it better provisioned than many of Honduras' cities in terms of tourist services. For starters, it's equipped with several Internet shops, a few of which offer WiFi. At the time of review, the one next to the crossroads had the fastest and cheapest service. Some dive shops also offer cheap or free internet for guests, so shop around.

The island only has one functioning bank, but there are three different ATMs, all of which are located just up from the crossroads. Currently, there have been several reports of the HSBC machine dispensing fake bills, but this may have been an isolated occurrence due to a single bad batch. All three ATMs frequently run out of money on weekends, so if you need cash don't wait until you're broke on Saturday.

There is a pharmacy on the Main Street just up from the crossroads, as well as two health clinics. One is five minutes down from the cross and the other is on Airport Road, just past Bar in the Bush. Serious medical cases should take the ferry back to La Ceiba, and if your medication is rare or difficult to acquire be sure to stock up before you get to the island.