Guanaja

Guanaja
Satellite image of Guanaja
Waters	Caribbean Sea
Archipelago	Islas de la Bahía
Geographical location	16 ° 28 ′  N , 85 ° 53 ′  W Coordinates: 16 ° 28 ′  N , 85 ° 53 ′  W
length	17 km
width	4 km
surface	70 km²
Highest elevation	400  m
Residents	4535 (2001) 65 inhabitants / km²
main place	Guanaja

Guanaja is an island in the Islas de la Bahía in the Caribbean . It is located about 100 km off the coast of Honduras , to the west is the neighboring island of Roatán . Guanaja are upstream several small, on a coral reef lying Cays . More than half of the population of Guanaja live on Cay Bonacca . The island is about 20 km long and the highest point is 400 m high.

For a long time there were no roads on the island, so traffic was carried out by boat. For several years there has been a road that leads from Savannah Bight via Mitch to Mangrove Bight. It is located in the eastern part of the island. Most of the traffic is still handled by ship, however.

The island was discovered by Christopher Columbus on July 30, 1502. The navigator went ashore at Soldadao Beach on the north side of the island. He called it Isla de Pinos .

The Caracol live on the island , descendants of the English-speaking immigrants who immigrated from the Cayman Islands since 1830 .

In 1998, the island was badly affected by Hurricane Mitch .

Divers love the great variety of corals around Guanaja. The crystal clear warm water and spectacular, colored walls, small canyons and caves complete the diving experience. You can regularly see large perch , moray eels , turtles , rays and, in the spring months, a whale shark every now and then .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Diving Areas - Honduras. Globetrotter Travel Service, accessed May 31, 2011 .