Guanaja, in the Department of the Bay Islands, is located east of Roatan and across from the coasts of Trujillo and Punta Castilla. Known as miniature Venice, the island is hooked up to mainland Honduras by sea, mainly with La Ceiba, and by air by means of an airfield on Grand Island.
Discovered by Christopher Columbus in the wake of his last journey to America in 1502, the Great Admiral gaped at the countless amount of pine trees he saw on the island as he was looking for water. For that reason, he called it the Isle of Pines. Today, Guanaja still sports a considerable patch of Caribbean pines that give this island a look of its own.
Guanaja has been populated on and off. When Columbus arrived, the island was peopled by Paya Indians the Great Admiral saw canoeing down the rivers and seas.
This is the right spot for those vacationers seeking a different and isolated location away from swarms of tourists. This is one of the few unexplored natural paradises in the Western Caribbean, featuring gorgeous white sandy beaches blessed by fresh breezes.
A considerable chunk of its 10,000 islanders live in Bonacca, located on two keys near the island.
