Guanaja is an island paradise of Honduras located in the Caribbean. (Jim Wilson, QMI Agency)

GUANAJA, Honduras -- If I didn't know any better, I'd swear there was a three-foot tall man waving at us from below, shouting "De plane! De plane!"

And as we stepped onto the tarmac at what passes for an airport at Guanaja -- the least-visited of the idyllic Bay Islands off the Caribbean coast of Honduras -- I almost expect a man in a white suit resembling Ricardo Montalban to wander out and greet us.

In fact, there was no one, at least until a 7-metre skiff arrived to pick us up at the adjoining dock.

On an island with no roads, cars or much of anything really, this is the only way to travel.

And as we cruised past mountains of lush cedar and pine tropical forests, warm salt water splashing in our face, I fear this might not be Fantasy Island after all. More like Jurassic Park.

Soon, an archipelago of a dozen little cays unfolds before us, indescribable shades of blue blending together into the world's second largest barrier reef and an aquarium of coral and marine life.

This, you tell yourself, must have been what it was like 500 years ago, when Columbus stumbled upon these sugary beaches and swaying palm trees, representing no more than 100 sq. km. Venture inland and you might find a hiking trail leading to spring-fed waterfalls where you can bathe in the swimming pond below, or to panoramic views of 415-metre high Michael Rock.

Virtually the entire population of less than 10,000 is crammed into the capital of Bonacca, a series of homes, schools, hotels and dozen churches built largely on posts on a 4-hectare sandbar about 1 km from shore.

Settlers here initially sought refuge from mosquitoes. Now with its labyrinth of canals and boardwalks, it's known the "Venice of the Caribbean."

While most tourists flock to the new "it" spot of Roatan, 20 km away, the few people who come to Guanaja do so for adventure -- in particular bone-fishing and nearly 50 dive sites -- or for solitude and secrecy.

The latter is what has attracted the likes of Jimmy Carter, Carlos Santana and Johnny Depp; the former is what beckoned Bettye Clement, a retired university professor from Denver, on this perfect February day.

Armed with little more than a backpack, fishing rod and e-reader containing about 5,000 books, she was headed to Graham's Place, one of a handful of small family run inns, to spend five weeks as a "hermit," and to "eat a lot of fish and drink a little beer."

When Lane Pettigrew first arrived several years ago, he saw neither. He saw opportunity.

The so-called "architect laureate of the Caribbean" has developed more than 100 prestigious resorts and homes in 22 countries, including the award-winning Sugar Beach in St. Lucia. Now he has set his sights on this mysterious island, 75 km from the Honduran mainland, notably a smallish peninsula and its 2 km of coastline, where construction has already begun to expand La Giralda, a smallish property he took over several years ago, into a five-star boutique hotel with three restaurants and a series of 30 exquisite, independently owned villas.

From the deck of one renovated cottage, an afternoon sun twinkles off the sea and red starfish can be seen below.

He buzzes along the cart paths pointing out the details: The spa will go there, he says, indicating a point above a small eddy; an infinity pool over here. The bay will be partially dredged to make a room for a small marina.

He makes no excuses that this "secret paradise" won't be for everybody; only the "one half of one percent" with the desire -- and wherewithal -- to bathe not only in privacy but in water as clear as the sky above it.

GETTING THERE

Regional airlines TACA and SOSA fly regularly to Guanaja from international airports in La Ceiba or San Pedro Sula on the Honduran mainland. From there, a water taxi (best arranged in advance) will take you to your accommodation. La Giralda has arranged for private charters from San Pedro and Roatan.

WHERE TO STAY

Some villas are open at La Giralda and come with a "Friday" personal assistant with an introductory rate starting at $300 per night. Quaint and quirky, Graham's Place also has its following for about $100 per night per person.