Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, and to the north by the Gulf of Honduras, a large inlet of the Caribbean Sea. The country was home to several important Mesoamerican cultures, most notably the Maya, before the Spanish invaded in the sixteenth century. The Spanish introduced Roman Catholicism and the now predominant Spanish language, along with numerous customs that have blended with the indigenous culture. Honduras became independent in 1821 and has since been a republic, although it has consistently endured much social strife and political instability, and remains one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere.
So what is the deal? Half the people you talks to say you need to be going, the other half say, “NO WAY.”
Facts you need to consider:
The greater urban areas of San Pedro Sula, Tegucigalpa, and La Ceiba have notably high crime and violence rates. - The U.S. Embassy restricts U.S. government staff from traveling to the Department of Gracias a Dios due to frequent criminal and drug trafficking activity.
- Public health officials have reported that mosquitoes in Honduras are infected with Zika virus and are spreading it to people.
Here is what we think. Travel smart (as you should anywhere):
- Plan your trip. If you are unfamiliar with the territory you should likely not consider backpacking. Know where you are staying, be aware of travel advisories, know where you are going.
- Avoid traveling or being alone. Especially [unfortunately] if you are a woman.
- Don’t flash cash and leaving all the cancellation details for your credit card with a friend at home.
- Hondurans are extremely kind, welcoming, and protective of tourists. Make friends and be respectful.
- If Zika is an issue for you, plan accordingly.
Some of our favorite things to do:
PULHAPANZAK FALLS, LAKE YOJOA, when the course of the Lindo River runs out of soil, it falls 43 meters in Pulhapanzak with sufficient flow to cause a ‘roar’ that carries the fine breeze that feels some distance from the falls. The spa also offers you an hacienda where you can share the milking of cows and cheese making and lodging in cabins. Something less known is that on the site there are important pre-Columbian footprints of a stone walkway and a square surrounded by 4 mounds of the classic period (600-900 BC) The Rio Lindo follows its course with some fast sections that you can descend on a giant float (River tubing) for 2 hours. If you are looking for more adventure you can zigzag up to the cataract in one of the 12 canopy lines that also take you to the nearby forest. Pulhapanzak, part of the area of influence of Lake Yojoa, is in the village of Buenaventura, 17 km from Peña Blanca and overflows with that risk always covered with water that you can not stop photographing.
YOJOA LAKE, is the only lake of volcanic origin in Honduras and the largest reserve of fresh water in the country. In 2005 it was recognized as a Wetland of World Interest by the UN, through the RAMSAR convention. For tourists, the place offers multiple options to spend several days in the area with a wide variety of restaurant, recreation centers with pools, and aquatic amusements, and zoos. It is surrounded by great mountains that reach heights of more than 2,600 msnm. Some of these mountains are listed as national parks, among them are the Blue Meambar National Park on the south shore of the lake and Santa Barbara to the north.
THE CANOPY OF THE CAMPA, The colonial city of Gracias located in the foothills of the national park Celaque, is one of the oldest cities of Honduras. More important still is the invaluable value of the Lenca spirit that survives in the city and its nearby mountains. Bastion of the lenca culture, Thank you a window to the descendants of the most important indigenous people that the Spaniards found when they arrived. If you like nature and strong emotions, you can not stop trying on the Campa, Gracias, Lempira. With 600 meters in length, 200 meters high, makes it the longest and highest canopy in Central America.
TRAIL RÍO ZACATE, LA CEIBA, CORTÉS, his route is another way of exploring the Pico Bonito National Park, where water is the protagonist from beginning to end and you can find several species of tropical birds, such as toucans and swallows. Through the trail you follow the course of the Zacate River and its crystalline waters, sometimes close by, sometimes far enough to appreciate the river’s landscapes, until you reach a beautiful waterfall of about 40m in height.
THE MOSQUITIA, GRACIAS A DIOS, the most remote area of Honduras is also the most biodiverse and the most ethnic. Here is the largest tropical rainforest in America after the Amazon, formed by the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve that since 1982 is a World Heritage Site of Humanity; The Patuca National Park, the Tawakha Anthropological Reserve, the Caratasca Crustacean Wildlife Refuge and the Rus Rus Biological Reserve. Adventurous in La Mosquitia, assisted by expert guides, is to explore one of the most extreme areas of the continent. On the other side of the village of Las Marías you enter a timeless world where the trees do not allow the sun to see, live with wild animals and travel downstream, overcoming jungle, savannahs and lagoons, until you reach the Caribbean to tell – maybe – the best adventure of your life.
SENDERO GUARUMA, LA CEIBA, CORTÉS, a community experience and environmental conservation from its origins. This route, traced by the young volunteers of the Guaruma Organization, begins in Las Mangas, one of the 72 communities in the buffer zone of the Pico Bonito National Park and is divided into two: the Flores Trail and the Trees Trail. Young natives of the Cangrejal River basin guide you for 2 km of natural adventure, suitable for all ages, where you can find orchids, medicinal plants, fruit and timber trees, various species of birds, such as hummingbirds, mot mots, Water, white herons, fishermen Martínez, moray eels, oropendolas or swallows. This option to explore the Pico Bonito National Park, allows you to have direct contact with the daily life of the community of Las Mangas, and takes you through all this nature lived by the Flowers and the Trees, through a hammock bridge with very Good views, to the crystal clear ravine “La Muralla” in which you can also bathe.
LA CANASTA TRAIL, LA CEIBA, CORTÉS, as happens around the world, many times the flashy part of a place, sooner or later, ends up being part of its name. This happens with the trails of the Pico Bonito National Park, like this one, baptized by the way in which the adventure begins: crossing the Cangrejal River in an aerial metallic basket. Start in the community of El Pital, where you can buy handmade embroidery and maybe see its manufacture, and in addition to crossing the river hanging in a basket, you test your adventurous spirit with a walk that rewards you with a pool hidden among the trees.
CAPIRO REEF, TELA, ATLÁNTIDA, the fishermen had some “stones” between Punta Sal and Punta Izopo. And in 2009, scuba divers discover an underwater coral range, largely alive, that forms the Capiro reef. About 8 km of coral reef in three colonies, submerged in the center of the Bay of Tela, protecting its beaches with transparent water at 28-32ºC. The Capiro reef houses the color of a large number of Caribbean fish and several species Of coral, that form the furrows and ridges that rise from 25 m to 10 m deep. The predominant species of the bar is the coral lettuce, which in some areas occupies 90% of each coral m2. To reach it you travel between 7 and 8 km from the coast and you can receive PADI courses for beginners and experts, or immerse yourself in the 20 sites identified along the submarine novelty of Tela, another unexpected adventure.
CANOPY IN PICO BONITO, LA CEIBA, CORTÉS, are 9 high adventure cables. Each cable has its own personality and offers you a stimulating experience. The last cable that is 600 feet long will take you into the darkness of the jungle over the river, at a very fast speed. It includes on the tour a short walk where you will learn a little about the flora and fauna inside Pico Bonito.
CANGREJAL RIVER, LA CEIBA, CORTÉS, the streams of the Cangrejal river cross the Pico Bonito National Park and the rest of the Nombre de Dios mountain range, forming some of the best rapids in Central America. Few cities in the world share with La Ceiba the possibility of rafting just a few kilometers from the city center. An exciting natural experience, whether you are a beginner or an expert, you live in Cangrejal in rapids with difficulty levels 2, 3 and 4, assisted by qualified personnel and with equipment that meets the international requirements for rafting. Experienced guides give you an adequate training for what will come downstream, and already on the raft, with all the security measures reviewed, you are ready to fight against the strength of the river and take advantage of it to get round your course. Winter is the best time to rafting in a mighty Cangrejal. Canopy, walks, riverhiking and various river activities are a complement to your main attraction.
For more information visit: www.honduras.travel
