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GUANAJA
OFF THE BEATEN PATH
by Madelyn Miller
Actually, in Guanaja, paths are all they have.
Well, that is not quite correct. They do have a small airstrip down
on one end of the island. When guests arrive, they are picked up by boat
(because there are no roads) and ferried to Posada Del Sol.
Tucked between a mountain ridge and the clear, azure of the Caribbean,
Posada del Sol can only be reached by water from the island's lone airstrip.
The secluded 70-acre paradise is the perfect blend of manmade amenities
and natural splendor. A palm-lined stone walkway connects the Spanish mansion
and its 24 guest rooms and hillside cabins to beaches, boathouse and the
spacious sun-washed deck that cradles the freshwater pool.
But everywhere, man's handiwork is overshadowed by nature's fragrant
hibiscus, wild orchids, native Gumbo Limbo trees and the hummingbirds who
hover for their own sip of nectar at the bar. Because time stands still
at Posada del Sol, the magnificent Spanish villa resort secluded in the
foothills of the mountains on over seventy acres of oceanfront tropical
forest.
You awaken to a sunrise over the barrier reef and the crisp, clean smell
of the the trade winds as they blow gently from the sea. Then wander through
exquisite grounds resplendent with over 400 varieties of flowering shrubs
and wild orchids and listen to the morning song of native birds perched
high in the gumbo limbo trees.
Over 50 world class dive sites to explore are just minutes from the
resort, including a 6,000 foot wall that starts 20-30 feet from the surface,
magnificent caves, wrecks, pinnacles and even an underwater volcano. For
the novice diver or snorkeler, there are scenic "aquarium" dives with caves
and grottoes teeming with colorful marine life.
The centerpiece of this Caribbean resort lies beneath the surface. Posada
del Sol rests on the edge of the world's second largest barrier reef. Expert
dive masters and three 42-foot dive boats with walk-through transoms and
waterline dive platforms make the journey from dockside to underwater reef
wall easy, safe, and enjoyable. From the remains of the Caribbean's best
dive wreck, the Jado Trader, to spectacular coral formations, grottoes
and caverns, and awe-inspiring marine life such as curtains of Silversides,
giant Grouper and twin Moray eels, the water surrounding Posada del Sol
is teeming with adventure for both experienced and novice divers.
When Christopher Columbus landed on Guanaja during his fourth and final
voyage, he declared the water to be "the purest and sweetest he had ever
tasted." The drinking water today still streams plentifully from those
same artesian springs high in the mountains behind the resort.
Guanaja. To the ancient Payan Indians, it was a sacred island paradise
free from the mainland's conflicts. To the adventurer Christopher Columbus,
it was a pristine new world untouched by the civilization he'd left behind.
To the fabled buccaneers, it was a secret refuge unknown to all that pursued.
Today, the lush Bay Island of Guanaja on the Caribbean coast of Honduras
remains hidden from popular view, beckoning only to a discrimination few
seekers of paradise, adventure and escape.
POSADA DEL SOL, ISLAS DE LA BAHIA, GUANAJA, BAY ISLANDS, HONDURAS, C.A.
800-642-DIVE.
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