Guanaja

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Guanaja is one of the Bay Islands of Honduras, and is in the Caribbean. It is located about 70 km off the north coast of Honduras. It is about 12 km from Roatan, One of the cays off Guanaja, also called Guanaja or Bonnaca (or just simply, The Cay), is just off the main island, and contains most of the 10,000 or so people who live in Guanaja. The cay has been described as the Venice of Honduras because of the waterways that run through it. It is completely packed with people and their houses. The other two main settlements on Guanaja are Mangrove Bight and Savannah Bight. Guanaja was "discovered" by Columbus in 1502. He landed on Soldadao Beach on the north side of the island. In later years Cayman Islanders came to settle in the Bay Islands and that is why both Spanish and English are spoken there. In late-October of 1998, the town of Mangrove Bight was nearly destroyed by Hurricane Mitch. Most of its buildings and homes were destroyed by the storm. The islanders have since rebuilt and although there are still repercussions to the economy from Mitch, the island is once again a lovely place to live or vacation. As of 2006, there were only 3 cars (all privately owned) on the island. There is only one road, from Mangrove Bight to Savannah Bight. Getting around is mostly by walking or taking a boat. There is a channel that locals call, "the cut", that allows access from the south to the north side of the island without having to go all the way around. Guanaja is often visited by divers and has warm, clear waters that support a beautiful coral reef. This reef is part of the 2nd largest coral reef in the world, second only to the Great Barrier Reef off Australia. There is also plenty of fresh water on Guanaja and several waterfalls to visit.