IGUANA STATION

How much does it cost?

Most volunteers find it useful to know how much money they can expect to spend during their time at the station. Expenses are likely to be as follows:

Volunteer fee

Volunteers have to pay the equivalent of €55 in LEMPIRAS for each beginning week to live at the station, because the project has limited financial support. We charge less if volunteering time is 3 months or longer (please ask). The volunteer fee is needed for the feeding of the iguanas and the rest of the animals at the station, running costs of volunteers (Eg. electricity, gas, water, etc.) and maintenance of the Station (Eg. repairing cages, all kind of reparations in the station, etc.)

For the european volunteers: euros can not be easily exchanged in Honduras, and particularly in Utila, therefore it is better to exchange your euros to dollars before coming to Honduras, or if you do it here, be sure to do it in a bank in San Pedro Sula or La Ceiba. Though, dollars can be changed throughout Honduras easily. For information on exchange rates the website http://www.xe.com/ can be used.

Researchers fee

Researchers have to pay the same amount as volunteers, the equivalent for€55 in LEMPIRAS for each beginning week. If someone needs more private space, we offer single rooms for US$90.

Living expenses

Utila is more expensive than the Honduras mainland, but all in all, it is much cheaper than Europe or the US. Nonetheless, we recommend to bring some things that are very expensive here, for example, sun-cream and some imported goods.

To give an idea of the lifecost, here are some prices:

• Average meal at a restaurant (with a drink and tips included): L.150 ($8.00).
• Beer (Salva Vida, por favor): L.30 ($1.60).
• Snorkel rental (per hour): L. 35 ($1.70).
• Open Water SCUBA diving: L. 4515 ($239) with EcoMarine.
• 10 dives with EcoMarine for L. 3778 ($200), and you can share them between 2 people.
• Entrance to the "Reef Cinema" movie theatre: L.45 ($2.40).
• Bike rental per day: L.100 ($5).
• Kayak rental per day: L.200 ($10).
• Food in the supermarket per week (milk, juice, bread, meat, rice, pasta, veggies, fruit): L.1000 ($53).
• Washing machine at the station: L. 50 ($3).
• Internet per week at the station: L. 100 ($6).

The station provides some basic products, for example: sugar, salt, spices, sauces, vinegar, oil, soap, detergent.

Flight Costs

The cost for the flight from Europe to America is subject to strong fluctuations which depend on both the dollar exchange rate and the demand for flights. Flights from the USA to Honduras surprisingly are not much cheaper than flights from Europe. Flights cost between €800 and €1300 for a round-trip. It is not possible to get a last minute flight to an “exotic” country such as Honduras from Europe, so you should compare different prices and book early. Usually, before arriving to Utila and to the station, you have to spend one night in Miami or San Pedro Sula (where we would advise you to land in Honduras). Booking in advance is recomended, to avoid hassles.

If you decide to come to Utila by plane from San Pedro Sula, you have to use a local company, Aerolínea Sosa. The flights are available only on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday and they leave early at 2:30 PM. The one way flight from San Pedro Sula to Utila costs around $118 and is about 1h. The return from Utila to San Pedro can be done on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 6:00 AM and the round trip cost $213.

Bus, Taxi and Ferry Costs

Concerning the bus to La Ceiba, the Hedman Alas bus company is recommended. Tickets can be bought at the airport, and the bus leaves from there. The trip is approximately 3 hours long, but very comfortable. All buses have air conditioning, a restroom and televisions with the latest hollywood films. The bus cost approximately $21 and it leaves from the Airport of San Pedro Sula at 9h30 am, 2h15 pm, 3h55 pm and 5 pm.

Concerning the ferry to Utila, you need to take a cab from La Ceiba to the ferry terminal, which is called Muelle de Cabotaje. This will cost around $3. The ferry goes to Utila twice daily, leaving at 9:30am and 4pm. You have to be at the terminal 45 minutes before departure.

Hotel Costs

If your flight arrives late in the day, we recommend you stay in San Pedro Sula for a night. We advise you to stay at the hotel Villa Nuria which is a little pricey for Honduras, but it is safe and they provide a shuttle service to and from the airport or a bus line. Then you can take your plane to Utila or bus to La Ceiba and the ferry to Utila.

If your flight arrives early and you decided to travel to La Ceiba by bus, you can stay at the Hotel Catracho, which is reasonably priced, and take the ferry the day after.

Money

You can pay on Utila with Lempiras and nearly everywhere with dollar. Some shops accept travelers cheques (US$), and there is one where they can be exchanged in Utila. Also, credit cards are usually not accepted and you have to pay a high fee if you use them. You can withdraw both dollars and lempiras in the ATMs on Utila. For the journey you should also have some cash with you, about $200 should be enough.

For safety you can distribute your money on your body, for example put a part in your shoes, your belt and so on, but you should have some in your money bag, too!

Attention: The bank agencies in Utila accept ONLY Visa-Cards (no Master Card) or American Express Travelers Cheques (no other Travelers Cheques!)

Visa

European volunteers do not need to obtain a “visa” in advance of coming to Utila. It is suffcient to have a passport valid for at least 6 months longer than your stay here. Most European citizens are allowed to get a visa stamp in their passport with residence permission for 90 days, ask the person at the airport desk for it. US-citizens get only 30 days residence permission. The renewal of your residence permission is possible, but costs about €20 for the next month. If your stay in Honduras is longer than 6 months, you have to leave the country for a few days then you can get a new residence permission.