Cayos Cochinos

Cayos was pure magic. I did not want to leave. We took the lancha from Sambo Creek and arrived 45 minutes later, happy and soaking wet. The view was breathtaking. 
The water is crystal clear and has the most beautiful blue colors, the beaches are made of smooth white sand, there are seashells the size of my head and precious pieces of coral. The people on the island of Chachauate are very friendly and the island is full of kids, there are children everywhere. I would say the children are the soul of Chachauate. They help their parents fishing, selling bread or sweets and they are all over the place, playing, jumping into the sea, hanging out with the tourists. They are very social and not a bit shy. We became friends with a couple of them, super sweet kids. 

 In La Ceiba, the night before going to the islands

 Sunrise in Sambo Creek

 First photo at Cayo Grande 

 Chachauate

 Our tree terrace

 Having some agua de coco

Everything is done on island time, which is Honduran time plus more, but I love it. There is no reason to be stressed, so what if it takes half an hour to get a cup of coffee? And the food! The food on Chachauate is delicious, I had a sopa de mariscos to die for, the best baleadas I have tasted so far with frijoles, egg and cheese, fresh fish straight from the kayak with rice and beans made with coconut milk, and the coconut bread is one of the most delicious breads I have ever tasted. If you go there, don't miss the pan de coco! 

 The eclipse

 Lunch

 At Cayo Grande

 Punta

We were only about fifteen persons staying on Chachauate, the other tourists came to visit from the other islands and went back after lunch, so we and the Islanders had the beach to ourselves most of the time. It is a small island and has about 70 persons living there all year around, but in summertime the population is more than twice as big. The electricity is only available between 6 and 9 o clock in the evening and most of the people live in simple homes with sand floors. They make a living from selling home made bread, coconuts, food, sweets, jewelry made out of seashells, guifity (the local drink) and offer different activities for the tourists such as snorkeling or hiking. 

The island life is easy; we just woke up, had breakfast, went to the beach, took a swim, ate, swam some more, had some drinks, played with the kids, ate some more, talked to the islanders, took a swim and so on. At night we made bonfires in the moonlight, layed on the beach, took night swims. We were super lucky the whole trip, we even got to see a total lunar eclipse while we were there. The first night we stood on the beach, observing the moon getting covered. The second night, the kids showed us how to dance punta, suddenly I was dancing with them next to the bonfire under the moonlight of the blood moon. Surreal. 

 Tryg, the little mermaid

 Kids everywhere

The blood moon

You literarily become one with nature while staying on Chachauate, there is sand everywhere, there is no shower and there is no way to hide from the salt water so you're always covered with salt and sand (including my camera). But I like it! Forget bringing the hair products, perfumes or makeup. You will not be using it. And, another really incredible thing; there are no mosquitos! We could be outside in the evening without getting bothered. Although there is some kind of sandfly and ants that sting you, but it quickly goes away and is not that annoying. Another thing that could be good to know is that you can attract small jellyfishes that sting you if you pee in the water, so try to not pee in the sea. 

One day we went snorkeling in the coral reefs close to the bigger island, Cayo Grande. It was incredible, so many kinds of fishes in different colors and shapes, beautiful sea plants and coral, and I saw a turtle!! I followed it for a while before it disappeared, what amazing creatures! So, needless to say, I was more than pleased (plus the snorkeling guide was very cute). We also took a walk on Cayo Grande, which is more or less a big jungle, and we saw like five pink boas. We also saw a lot of punta dancing and I teached some girls some swedish and tried to learn some expressions in Garifuna. Unfortunately, the only thing I remember now is how to say buenas noches: buiti gunyo.
This trip was so very relaxing and good for both the soul and the body, swimming in the ocean, getting some sun, laying in the shadow talking, reading. And thanks to my crazy funny friends, the people and the kids, it never gets boring! 

 Me and my buddy Manitza

 Me and Felix

Chachauate is truly one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited, I hope it stays simple and charming and that the islanders can keep on living their life the way they want to. There are other islands apart from Cayos Cochinos such as Roatan or Utila, but they have a completely different feeling. They are very touristic, there is no Garifuna population and there are expensive hotels and party all night long. These islands do also have their charm, but I hope Cayos Cochinos stays less exploited.  

If you ever get the chance, visit this little paradise!

My Cayos video