(Accurate as of March 2025, but be sure to check their website to confirm sailing times.)
Útila is a little gem of an island off the coast of Honduras that is popular with scuba divers from around the world. It’s home to several world-class scuba training centres and a popular destination for professional-level training (PADI Divemaster and PADI Instructor Development Course). Also part of Útila‘s charm is what it doesn’t offer: large hotels and resorts, vehicular traffic… and an international airport.
Lacking true international flights, most people arrive in Útila by ferry from the nearby island of Roatán. (Although island hopper flights are also available.) Roatán is a popular scuba diving destination itself, but Útila has created a niche as a scuba training destination. Roatán’s Juan Manuel Gálvez International Airport receives international flights from several US and Canadian airports. From Roatán, it’s an easy ferry hop over to Utila.
The main ferry between Roatán and Útila is operated by Dream Ferries with a very modern, spacious, high-speed catamaran. It’s a very smooth ride when the weather is nice, but if you’re caught in a storm, it can get choppy.
There’s one trip daily between Roatán and Útila in each direction. You depart Roatán at 2pm and arrive in Útila at 3pm (the Saturday departure leaves and arrives 15 minutes later). When leaving Útila, the ferry departs at 10:20am and arrives in Roatán at 11:20am. If you’re desperate and need to arrive at either destination earlier, there’s a route that makes a stop on the Honduran mainland, but then it becomes a lengthy 3h30-4h trip.
Large baggage gets checked at the ferry terminal for free. You’re given a numbered luggage tag that you need to match up against your bag at the destination, so don’t lose it! Once in Útila, the checked bags will be carted out behind a barrier where you’ll identify your bag and hand in your luggage tag.
A VIP ticket (not promoted on their website, but available at time of purchase) gives you access to an exclusive air-conditioned front room with the captain, and a free non-alcoholic beverage (water/soda). You get spectacular views of the sea and the approach to the island, but some people actually find it too cold in this area, and move out to the main cabin.
There is a small bar on the ferry that offers a few beverages and basic snacks for purchase. A washroom is also available.
I’ve never seen the ferry sell out, so you can purchase your ticket when you arrive at the ferry terminal. However, it’s definitely easy and convenient to purchase your ticket in advance through their website (and large signs at the terminal encourage you to do so!). After purchasing online, you’ll get an email with your ticket QR code attached. You don’t need to check in or anything at the terminal—simply show the QR code as they start boarding, usually 10-15 minutes before departure.
They encourage you to arrive at the ferry 1 hour before departure, which is definitely a good thing to plan for because traffic in Roatán can be unpredictable. However, as long as you arrive at the terminal 20-30 minutes before departure, you’ll have no problem checking your bags and getting on the ferry. I’ve even seen some people arrive minutes before without issue, but this is risky!
In Roatán, the ferry terminal is only a 10-minute taxi ride from the airport if your flight times align (including enough time to get through immigration). There are plenty of regulated taxis at the airport so no advance planning is necessary. This has rarely aligned with my flights, so I typically spend a night in Roatán before catching the ferry. Unfortunately this adds some expense with extra taxi rides, but that’s part of the adventure in getting to Útila.
So with that, happy planning and enjoy your visit to Útila via Dream Ferries!
Scuba Duo 
Leave a comment