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Harnessing Honduras: The tourist destination hat trick
If you're in the tourist frame of mind when planning your trip to Honduras, three regions are going to come forth as possible locations to visit: The Bay Islands, The Northern Coast and Copan. Each destination serves a special purpose, each a varied look into the prism of Honduras. Let's take a gander through each area and highlight the benefits – if you're quick enough you can visit all three in a week long trip.
The Bay Islands (above)
Lauded as one of the best diving destinations in the Caribbean sea, Roatan, Utila and Guanaja make up the three largest and most popular Bay Islands north of Honduras. It's a great place to book a beach cabana, kick back and enjoy the relaxing Caribbean atmosphere, even if you're not going to go in the water. The West End and West Bay regions of Roatan are a bit more developed than areas on the other two islands, with multi million dollar resorts spotting the beach, higher prices and a few trendy boutiques. Utila caters to more of a backpacking crowd, while Guanaja, the smallest of the three, is further off the beaten path.
One can fly to Roatan directly from the United States and the two largest islands can also be reached from the mainland of Honduras via either ferry or aircraft. Check out the Hidden in Honduras logistics post for more details on that.
The Northern Coast
As Honduras is just starting to gain steam with its tourism industry, many parts on the northern coast haven't developed an infrastructure for visitors. But that doesn't mean that the region is without attraction. Several excellent beaches spot the coast, and if you settle into the right pocket you can find a series of fascinating, relaxing communities.
The northern coast is also a nice alternative to the Bay Islands if you haven't got enough time to make it into the Caribbean. Connections from the mainland can be time consuming and difficult and if you're not careful, they can eat up a good portion of your trip.
Whether or not you're headed to the Bay Islands, the most logical destination to visit on the northern coast is La Ceiba. At about three hours from San Pedro Sula, it's the third largest city in the country and is fairly well known as a tourism and nightlife hub. Lodging options are widespread, from the all inclusive resorts on the beach to the budget hotels in the city to the eco-lodges in the Pico Bonito national park. Just make sure that if you're planning on indulging in the wild nightlife that your hotel is close to the bars -- several of the eco lodges are pretty deep in the jungle.
Another popular city on the northern coast is Tela, which is about halfway between San Pedro Sula and La Ceiba. Tela hasn't got the nightlife and numerous fancy activities that La Ceiba has, but the beaches are a little bit more deserted and picturesque. Among Lonely Planet's teaser photos of the country is a shot taken from Tela.
Copan
The Maya ruins at Copan are a magnificently restored tribute to the ancient culture. Situated on the western border of the country near Guatemala, one can reach Copan via bus in a few hours from San Pedro Sula or alternatively stay at the bordering town of Copan Ruinas and walk into the complex. Entry fees are around 15USD per person, with supplemental fees for the museum and underground tunnels.
Read more dispatches from Honduras in the Harnessing Honduras Series
Filed under: Honduras, Central America, Caribbean
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
josh Jun 29th 2009 11:11AM
Are you on the ground in Honduras? What has the affect of the coup been in these areas?
Grant Martin Jun 29th 2009 1:26PM
We actually pulled out a couple of weeks back, just before the earthquake.
According to @reidontravel, everyone is safe but indoors. Ruckus seems mostly confined to TGU.
eileen Jun 29th 2009 1:23PM
psst, it's La Ceiba, named after the giant, buttressed tree.
Also curious to know if you're on the ground and if so, what you're seeing there.
Adalberto Hernandez Vega Aug 26th 2009 8:56PM
La Ceiba is indeed named after the tree: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Ceiba#History
Situation in Honduras is calm, please see this comment: http://www.gadling.com/2009/06/29/harnessing-honduras-the-tourist-destination-hat-trick/comments/21160652/
TheAirlineBlog.com Jun 29th 2009 1:27PM
test!
frinkman Jun 30th 2009 12:53AM
If you're a Scuba Diver UTILA ISLAND is a must it offers some of the most cheapest and breathtaking views as well as being yet to be commercialized with all you're modern amenities. a scuba diver and a vacationers dream!!
Adalberto Hernandez Vega Aug 26th 2009 8:53PM
Utila, in the Bay Islands, Honduras is one of the 10 best scuba diving destinations, according to OpenTravel site. Other places include: Australia, Mexico, Indonesia, Belize, Micronesia, Vanuatu, Egypt, Thailand, and Maldives.
Check out this post about it: http://bit.ly/od82G
Joe Dunsavage Jun 30th 2009 6:16AM
Hey there, I agree about the area being very beautiful and an amazing place for diving and scenery... However, my father disappeared from Roatan on Mothers Day May 10th, 209 and we have yet to find him or any leads to his disappearance (Not him or the boat he was said to be on.) If you or anyone you know was in West Bay (Near Bananarama) on May 9th or 10th I would like to speak with you and see if you have any pictures of the Bananarama area.
Thanks and hope all is well.
Joseph Dunsavage Jr
Adalberto Hernandez Vega Aug 26th 2009 8:39PM
Check out Canopy Tour "Los Sapos" in Copan: http://bit.ly/t4wEv
Adalberto Hernandez Vega Aug 26th 2009 8:49PM
Most touristic activity is done in the North Western area of the country, some 500Km away from Tegucigalpa the capital city.
Situation in Honduras is calm in general. In the touristic areas such as Roatan, Copan, and North Coast, there have been no disturbances at all. Most of the activities from protesters happened the first week in Tegucigalpa.
There is no curfew in effect anymore.