Honduras/Guanaja/West
Peak Inn - 1997
Please note: Guanaja was especially singled out for
devastating treatment by hurricane Mitch.
Consequently, much of the information on this site is out of date.
New information will be forthcoming shortly.
Please note - this web site is a historic archive
storage and does NOT REFLECT the present
We Flew in from La Ceiba with Islenia Airlines to a small
airstrip which we reached at dusk. We thought we'd have to spend the night at the Hotel
Hillton near the airport. However, luck was with us. Captain Waverley - an
austere looking woman with a soft heart - took us to West peak Inn on board her very
powerful water taxi.
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The Bar/Restaurant |
The journey takes you through the canal on the West side of Guanaja, cutting the
travel time down significantly. There are few signs of civilization on the twenty-five
minute journey, and you are dropped off on the West Peak Inn Peer. We walked onto the
coral sand beach in the gloaming and up to the main house where everything was bathed in
candlelight. The beer was deliciously cold and the food was being prepared.
Set back in from the beach about two hundred feet, the rooms are individual houses with
double beds. Very new, very clean; good bug screens, so you won't spend the night slapping
mosquitoes. Bathrooms and showers are communal, but they too are clean and have great
water pressure.
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New rooms |
$35.00* a day - for room, all meals and snorkeling equipment.
Sea Kayaking packages for about $100.00 a day are available.If you have three days to
spare, this is a great way to see the island. The package comes complete with guide who
will show you all the best places to snorkel and eat as you make your way around the
island.
If you just want to stick around, the beach by West Peak Inn is astonishingly beautiful;
Palms give way to blindingly white beaches and crystal clear water. Four hundred yards out
from the beach coral reefs teem with marine life. The Inn has a motorboat, and if you ask
nicely they will take you out to the reef for a snorkel excursion.
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The main house |
A walk along the beach is a treat. There are hints of real estate activity, but it hasn't
really taken hold. Grab a machete and start walking; if you get thirsty, treat yourself to
the coconuts that lie aplenty on the sand. We walked an hour down the beach without seeing
anyone. There are no-see-ums that feast on your flesh if you dally on the beaches
unprepared, but the Inn has ample supplies of baby oil to keep them away. At night is is
recommended that you put on long trousers and socks if you are hanging around the beach.
If you want to be a total layabout, the palm-thatched bar/restaurant is a delightful place
to hang out. The locals come by from time to time; they are great conversationalists and
love to meet visitors. If you are the silent reading type, there is a shelf of books
available.
Aside from the white background noise of nocturnal wildlife, the star-filled nights are
wonderfully quiet; you're likely to get a really good nights sleep.
We had a great time; highly recommend the place. Visit here before it becomes overrun with
tourists.
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