View from an ocean-front guestroom balcony,
down towards the dock for the Dunbar skiffs.
The water is ultra-warm, clean & great for safe
shallow swimming or snorkeling for new divers.

The Dunbar Villa / Nautilus Dive Resort package includes: 7 nights lodging in a quiet, friendly inn of modest amenities + 5 days of 3-tank boat diving + 6th day of 2-tank boat diving (2nd-to-last day) + 3 hearty home-cooked meals per day + 1 free night dive per week (weather & currents permitting) + round-trip airport transfers on Guanaja (pronounced Gwa-NAH-hah) + all hotel sales taxes pre-paid. Tips are optional. All beverages & water-taxi transportation for personal side tours are extra costs. The gracious staff at Dunbar Villa / Nautilus Dive Resort essentially becomes your private Domestic Dream Team for a week. You will have your own personal chefs, maids, gardeners, divemasters & boat tenders. It's been described to us by delighted clients as "having your own staff of personal valets!"

The cheerful & optimistic native people of Guanaja are always looking ahead with a strong spirit of positivism & dedicated client service.

Second -- Dunbar Villa / Nautilus Resort now has a brand-spanking-new guest inn, with spectacular ocean views unique anywhere in the Bay Islands, perched atop a 30-foot-high rock pinnacle in the middle of Sandy Bay, barely 300 meters from the end of the Nautilus dock. There are 4 guest rooms in this beautiful private home, all of which are so close to the ocean you literally can fish out off your balcony, if you wish. Now Nautilus Dive Resort will be able to accommodate 12-16 guests at a time -- & in style despite offering the lowest prices of any reputable dive resort in the Bay Islands! Wait until you see this wonderful new villa over the water on Dunbar Rock. The owners are calling it "Villa at Dunbar Rock" & it is one of the most compelling & unique 3-star lodges anywhere in the western Caribbean, we feel.

Because the Honduras Bay Islands got such an unfairly bad portrayal by the American TV media in 1999, who exaggerated the extent of storm damage considerably, the people of this lovely island are on their toes for tourists in a big way. You will never see such an attitude of respectful & solicitous service, as the Bay Islands scuba diving community is offering these days. They WANT you to be there, & they will bend over backwards to make sure you have the best time possible, so that you not only come back some day, but you bring friends & family. As far as prices & the attitude of classic customer service go, this is the best time to visit the Bay Islands, & especially Guanaja, in the last decade.

Call the U.S. DIVE TRAVEL hotline in St. Paul, MN
for reservations or information -- 952-953-4124.

There's more than Guanaja dive packages to entertain visitors here. Among the many rural charms of Guanaja island, there are miles of beautiful -- & rugged -- hiking trails within close access of the resort. There's a fun, moderately strenuous 3rd-class scramble for a couple hundred meters up a rocky buttress to gain the mountain ridge behind Nautilus Dive Resort. Then you can hike & bushwhack for miles in near wilderness, with thousands of towering Norfolk pines everywhere, & lush jungle below on the mountain's flanks. No worries about evil critters here, just bring some bug juice. Also bring good Vibram-soled hiking boots & 2 or 3 water bottles.

For apres-diving nightlife, there is a small sister resort just down the beach on Guanaja, where you can find cold beer & good conversations. You can ask the staff to arrange, for small extra fees, a private picnic on a pristine deserted cay near Guanaja island, where you can laze or romance the day away, far from any human contact if you wish. Guanaja also offers outstanding opportunities for deep-sea fishing. Furthermore, some of the world's best topwater bone-fishing is right near the Dunbar Villa / Nautilus Dive Resort shoreline. (The world-record bonefish was caught off Guanaja, not far from Nautilus, just a few years ago.) Nautilus Resort's owner was so excited he phoned us just to report this amazing catch.

Click here: HOT TIP for a SIDE TRIP to the INSPIRING MAYAN RUINS at COPAN !!

Ask about our fun, low-cost 3-day tours of the ancient Copan Ruins, in the cool mountains of the Honduras mainland near the Guatemala border. (See the Copan file at the end of the Dive Resort Index.) This lost Mayan metropolis is dazzling in complexity & size -- more than a square mile of ruins. Copan's architecture & history, the saga of its 17 god-king dynasties, will thrill you. Copan is so magnificent it makes Chichen Itza seem like an Old-World parking garage. We were amazed by the almost palpable mystery & magic that Copan radiates. To visit Honduras for the first time, yet miss a chance to see the Copan Ruins, is not unlike visiting Paris & missing the Eiffel Tower or the Champs Elysees. One loses a good share of what the local culture is really all about. We consider the Copan Ruins a must-see. Call us about a possible Copan side tour, which we can arrange in a jiffy. It's safe & economical.

Also, call us about U.S. Dive Travel's ultra-low discount airfares from most major U.S. cities to Honduras, via Continental Airlines. We frequently offer the lowest wholesale air tickets in the nation to Honduras, secured through a special sweetheart contract that our partners have held for years with Continental Airlines. What's more, during the last decade we have mastered the art of securing the lowest commuter airfares, & perfect connecting flights, from San Pedro Sula out to Guanaja island. This is an easy hour's flight, maybe a bit more if you stop in La Ceiba on the North Coast. The vistas of the unspoiled Honduras North Coast are primo.

The motto at Dunbar Villa / Nautilus Dive Resort is, "Come as a guest & leave as a friend." The resort's two owners, German nationals with Central American wives, are among the most creative & honorable businessmen that U.S. Dive Travel has ever worked with, in the 25 countries we represent worldwide. They have hand-crafted a special haven in Nautilus Resort a place where you truly can escape from everything about city life that's been grinding you down. This place has a magical touch that's ineffable; it is bound to drain your city stress away.

A beautiful half-day trek is exploring the Guanaja
Waterfall, a refreshing respite from summer heat.
Photo courtesy of James L. Wilson of CA.

Typical guest room at the original mansion, Nautilus Resort.

That Dunbar Villa / Nautilus Dive Resort has held the line on prices for several years is one of the little-known bright spots of Caribbean tourism. This isle of Guanaja is so sweet of spirit, so free of the bustle & greed that have sullied many Caribbean islands, that you may be changed from the inside out once you visit Guanaja. That's what happened to us one Spring. That's why we feel a little twinge of happy envy each time we book another couple or family into Nautilus Dive Resort. The resort leaves a subtle & healthful mark on your heart. Guanaja is not a place people forget easily, we assure you.

The historic island of Guanaja sits about 40 miles off the northern coast of Honduras, maybe 20 miles East of Roatan. Nautilus rooms give you sweeping views of an ante-bellum plantation estate, perched 100 meters up a gradual hill above the beach. The broad upstairs balcony overlooks miles of the blue Caribbean. This comfortable & romantic old mansion has only 6 guest rooms -- never a tourist crowd -- & was built by descendants of British buccaneers. No kidding, matey.

First spotted by Columbus in 1502, Guanaja was a sprawling haven for brawling pirates of the 17th Century, including the infamous Blackbeard, Barbarosa & Sir Henry Morgan -- you know, those bearded, growling miscreants that Errol Flynn used to swashbuckle over the railing into Davey Jones' Locker. Jesting aside, those pirates were painfully real; they lived large on Guanaja; they plundered the British & Spanish armadas off & on for about 200 years, amassing vast fortunes. And they left many sons & daughters among the Mayan-African-mixed people of the Bay Islands. Some of their descendants are still living in Guanaja's little village cay called Bonacca Town. They are beautiful, generous people with sable-cinnamon skin, proper British surnames & a singsong "Be Hoppy Mon" accent that will lilt you back to a time in the Caribbean when the sextant & the saber were haute technology.

Guanaja's terrain is fresh & unspoiled, as exotic as Tahiti with none of the dross, nor the sullen energies of Papeete. You'll love Guanaja for its pristine little cays, coves, mountains & fringing reefs. Yet Guanaja has none of the bumbling Bermuda-shorted hordes that invaded & infected so many cultures throughout the Caribbean. There are no roads, no industrial centers, no high-rises & no pollution on this 7-by-3-mile island. The turquoise waters, tall fragrant pines & the trail-rich hillsides are a hale hiker's heaven. This is serene, clean Caribbean life like it was more than half a century ago. It is a wonder such a place still survives, hard on the dawning of the 21st Century. Thank God that Guanaja island is too mountainous to build a long landing strip that handles jumbo jets. That fact alone may be why Guanaja was spared the cultural ransacking of islands like Hispaniola.

The quiet, clean beach of Nautilus Dive Resort,
about 1,000 feet long & downhill from the inn.

Scuba divers & snorkelers will be delighted to find brilliant, unspoiled reefs surrounding nearly all of Guanaja, an ancient island near the Southern Belize Barrier Reef. Here some of the Western Caribbean's most colorful marine life is thriving, including magnificent hard corals & sponges. We've seen tube sponges as tall as a man, & barrel sponges so huge a woman could swim down inside one -- except we don't touch one living thing on these virgin reefs. We urge our clients to look at, but never fondle, these delicate sea creatures. They are candy for the eyes only. So look lots, but don't touch, mon. Muchas gracias, amigos del mar.

The clear Guanaja waters are safe & fun for snorkelers & scuba divers all year-round. Ocean temps will likely be 80-84 degrees F at the surface. The climate is delightful, except in deepest summer, when the sun is high & hot, & humidity is also intense. Expect scuba "viz" from 80-120 feet! Imagine -- a bad viz day being 80 feet, as you lollygag in lapping currents & sea water that's bathtub warm, while a 200-lb grouper as mellow as a manatee drifts past you, friendly & unflappable; & large green morays sway from their cubbyholes, gaping like curious kids.

One afternoon, following lunch after your morning dives, you can take a water taxi over to the picturesque old-world village of Bonacca. This bizarre little hamlet, less than 100 acres, is home to about 3,000 friendly Caribbean people. These good folks live in 2- & 3-tiered stilt homes, piled atop each other like shoe boxes, flanked by boardwalks & concrete catwalks along narrow Venice-like canals that weave through the island. Incessant ocean tides sweep through the village day & night. Affable Bonacca Town seems a page ripped from some 19th Century schoolbook, yet it even has its own churches, hotels, bars, discos, police force & snack kiosks, all hovering over the big blue Caribbean! Bring a lot of color film, because Bonacca will get you snappin' like Art Wolfe on high-test cappuccino.

Another day, your divemaster guide will speedboat you through the island's canal, & around Guanaja to the Northwest side, out to a scenic trek up to the island's main waterfalls. Some geologists believe that Guanaja, more than 40 miles north of the Honduran coast, is blessed with a strange & almost baptismal link to the mainland. The first time we heard this story we were astonished by the weird science of it all.

The massive tropical rainfalls that inundate the Honduras North Coast & eastern Mosquitia regions have created vast underground lakes of fresh water, whose hydraulic pressures over the eons have pushed through solid rock strata under the ocean floor -- drilling 40 miles through this ocean substratum -- reaching all the way to Guanaja's hillsides! Here, the theory goes, that abundant crystal-clear water gushes freely from rock springs much of the year, pushed by unimaginable forces all the way from the mainland, then up into a mountain's inner depths -- all deeply underground. Even Bill Nye the Science Guy might be amazed at this far-out factoid. But we have the waterfall photos to prove it !

The wealth of water, plus acres of tall timbers back in the hills -- perfect girth for ship mast repairs -- were main reasons the old pirates favored Guanaja & the Bay Islands. You can still hear some of their briny 18th Century lingo in the sing-song slang of the local people. Guanaja is an island where not much has changed in half a century.

Except the tourists. Nearly every person who visits Guanaja, & is blessed to experience the quiet excellence of Nautilus Resort, comes away with a refreshed perspective on how good it is to be alive, to be young enough to taste the ocean, embrace the cool blue currents & kiss the sky, all in a single day; young enough to lay down after a hard day's play in the throe of the Bay Islands' sea breezes, that lull you away in a minute.

Then you sleep so deeply that you dream like a child dreams, of deep blues & vivid greens, of flashing orange reef fish & windy ridgeline sanctuaries, of safe harbors for slow boats & tired souls, where stress & anxiety are somebody else's fractured reality, which you can laugh at from afar & discard. When you awaken, hummingbirds flitting outside your window, a mango tree rustling, a ripe fruit plopping to wet earth, the smell of breakfast bread baking in the kitchen -- your dream has not gone away. You're still in it, mon. You're on Guanaja & the dream is alive. You are living it today. Really living. How long can you afford to stay away from Guanaja island?

The BEST CLASSIC DIVE SITES on GUANAJA ISLAND:

• Wreck of the Don Enrique --

• Michael's Rock Reef --

• Vertigo --

• Black Rock Canyons --

• Jim's Silverlode --

• The Jado Trader --

• Gorgonian Wall --

• The Pinnacle --

All dive package prices listed here are subject to possible change in this steadily evolving travel market. Lodging, side tour & diving prices are traditionally stable, while air prices can fluctuate daily. Until air tickets are issued, all airlines reserve the right to change airfares without notice -- an industry standard per FAA rules. We at U.S. Dive Travel will price-protect you to the utmost of our professional ability; & that has been our pledge for more than 15 years now. Remember please, the federal government has deregulated all U.S.-based airlines, so only they control their pricing -- not any travel professionals. Early is good when seeking the best air ticket rates.

Unless specifically noted, these above scuba diving packages are prices for only the land-based portion of the resort, in all cases reflecting double-occupancy rooms. International air tickets & commuter "island-hopper" seats are always extra above these land costs. Nominal service fees are also extra for air tickets & the vessel + side tour components. The baseline tariffs for all clients start at $55 per person for the land portion + $35 pp for the air tickets. Late-booking clients may receive slightly higher tariffs on the lodging + diving at many of our dive resorts. Solo clients will always pay a single supplement to secure a private room -- normally USD $377 more than the standard double-occupancy rate at Dunbar Villa

The required payment mode for all of our dive resorts, side tours & wholesale air ticket specials is by cashier's check, brokerage wire or traditional bank-wire transfer in U.S. dollars. All clients living outside the USA or Canada will need to pay for their dive vacations via direct wire transfer only. No personal checks will be accepted for the land portion or air ticketing of any reservation. Thank you for your gracious understanding. Our service level is the highest & our prices the lowest in this industry, & thus we need to preserve a reasonable margin. For published-fare air ticket bookings, USDT always accepts Visa & Mastercard. For ultra-discount wholesale air tickets, USDT accepts only cashier's checks or wire transfers, please.

Remember, all tropical vacation clients to Guanaja island will be charged about USD $15 for a "reef preservation fee", assessed by municipal officials right as you deplane at GJA Airport. Also, you will be asked by Honduran emigration officials at SAP, upon departing the airport on your final day, to pay a nominal government departure tax, usually between USD $35 - $40 per client. USDT cannot collect this tax beforehand, so you simply pay it down there, in your host country. Be sure to stash away a little cash for this final moment at the airport, so you'll get your exit visa stamped quickly with no fuss; & away you go. Best of luck with your dive travel plans. We hope your scuba diving vacation is a safe & satisfying adventure. Blessings & best wishes with ALL your Honduras dive vacations.

Best fishes too!

>////*>   <*\\\\<

John Hessburg & Susan Hessburg, Mgrs.
U.S. Dive Travel Network.