Experiences in Honduras
GASTRONOMY AND CULTURE
HONDURAN PEOPLE MUSSEUM, TEGUCIGALPA, FRANCISCO MORAZÁN , you can visit his collection of paintings by Honduran artists, the religious or his Reina Sofía Library, specialized in art. In it works the Restoration Workshop Miguel Ángel Gómez that has recovered more than 400 works. It is the stage or the promoter of a great amount of concerts, literary and cinematographic activities. It is on Avenida Cervantes, in the former seat of the Supreme Court of Justice and may be the first station of your tour on foot by “El Centro”.
GASTRONOMICAL TOUR, COPÁN , traditional Honduran cuisine is heavily dominated by corn, which is the food base of Mesoamerica since its prehispanic peoples inhabited it. And Santa Rosa is famous nationwide for a cuisine that preserves many elements and traditions. The best places in the memory of flavors of those that have ever visited Santa Rosa de Copán are baked “chanchita” (piglet), the atol chuco (or dirty atol, fermented maize atol) and the totopostes (homemade corn cookies, stuffed and toasted). Along the way you’ll try these and other typical snacks, drinks, traditional sweets and culinary innovations based on ancestral ingredients like loroco, chipilín and an assortment of herbs, vegetables, fruits and seeds.
COFFEE TOUR BY FINCA SANTA ISABEL, COPÁN , 30 minutes from Copán Ruinas, Finca Santa Isabel, home of some of the best cafes in the country, “Café Welchez”, opens its doors to show you how to grow under the shade, in a sustainable and organic environment the roasted, And blended following traditions developed and perfected for decades. The tour takes you from one of the corners of the central park of Copán and after a guided tour – in English or Spanish – breakfast, lunch or refreshment, according to the time of day, and returns you to Copan with the aroma of still fresh, The green feel of the farm on the skin and the taste of an award-winning coffee by the experts and by totally independent palates like yours
TABACO TOUR, COPÁN , is one of the best tobacco producers in the world. This exclusive and interesting tour consists of a tour of the Flor de Copán cigar factory, where you will see the processing of the tobacco, from the arrival in leaf and the beginning of the fermentation, the despalillo, curing, aging and elaboration of the pure by hand until Arrive at its delicate packaging and the shipment of cigars made by copanecos artisans and distributed all over the world.
SOUTHERN GASTRONOMY , many of the most popular dishes in southern Honduras come from their local produce. The fruits (melon, watermelon, pineapple and mango) are consumed in their natural form, or others like the ‘jocotes’ (plums) seasoned with salt, also from the area. Livestock supplies dairy products, such as dry and semi-dry cheese, different kinds of cheese and curd, as well as beef and pork on the grill in skewers. The artisanal fishing brings to the famous sea soup: crab, shrimp and fish, and to the ceviches and cocktails: fish, shrimp, curiles and helmets. Another traditional soup is homemade chicken. A very popular dish of the area are the pupusas, made with corn dough and quesillo or pork crackling. But the most missed product are the donuts, corn dough, cheese, curd and cream butter, and the tustacas that also carry dulce de panela. Very simple flavors to which Hondurans always expect from anywhere in the world.
COLONIAL CITIES
SIGUATEPEQUE, COMAYAGUA, is the center point of Honduras and halfway in the route between Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula. At a height that reaches up to 1200 msnm, it is the second most important city in the department of Comayagua. It has extensive pine forests that accompany the traveler throughout the visit. As they go through the city, visitors can find a number of charms Which start with a break in a restaurant near the town center, as well as ecotourism centers and public squares.
LA ESPERANZA, INTIBUCÁ, has a cool and pleasant climate, contact with nature, thematic places and the kindness of its people. Here you can find an infinity of natural, religious, cultural and historical attractions, making La Esperanza a tourist place of high affability.
SANTA ROSA DE COPÁN, COPÁN, considered the development pole of the country’s west, Santa Rosa de Copan stands out for its colonial architecture, historical heritage, and the charisma and hospitality of its people. The historic center of Santa Rosa de Copan has been declared a National Monument and Cultural Heritage of the Nation and offers the visitor the enjoyment of its colonial architecture, heritage and the effort of tobacco harvesters. Its cobbled streets and roof tiles take us back to a laborious village that retains its cultural and historical wealth.
COLÓN, COLÓN, is the Honduran department geographically located on the coasts of the Caribbean. Its departmental head is the port city of Trujillo, the first Capital of the Province of Honduras and the city where the Spanish Conquistadors celebrated the first mass on American mainland.
GRACIAS, LEMPIRA, has great tourist treasures. One of its attractions are its hot springs, which are world famous for their natural forest environment and its relaxing waters.
SANTA LUCÍA, FRANCISCO MORAZÁN, is a small colonial municipality near Valle de Angeles, and one of the oldest ones. It is ideal to escape the city (Tegucigalpa, the nearby capital), because of its living history, culture and tradition. It possesses great natural wealth, including a beautiful lagoon, and fresh weather.
COMAYAGUA, COMAYAGUA, it is one of Honduras’ wonders that has become a national and international tourist attraction. Dozens of travelers visit the city every week, interested in their colonial heritage. This city is famous for its beautiful churches, like the Santa Maria Cathedral (in the heart of the city), and it has one of the oldest clocks in America. The Church of the Merced is the first church built in the city. Likewise, Comayagua has the San Francisco Church and the San Sebastian’s Indian’s Church.
SANTA BÁRBARA, SANTA BÁRBARA, more than a fascinating, natural and colonial destination, Santa Barbara, the land of junca and coffee, has become a meeting point for tourism lovers looking to get away from routine and enter a small world full of culture and history. Santa Barbara stands out for its exquisite coffee production, junco craftsmanship and the local fair held in December.
VALLE DE ÁNGELES, FRANCISCO MORAZÁN, Leave the capital behind and follow the road to Valle de Angeles, a charming village where a surprise awaits in every step. It is considered a tourist paradise where visitors find the perfect excuse to get away from city life. Its people, atmosphere, gastronomy and climate, make Valle de Angeles an out-of-the-ordinary destination.
BIRDING
SANTA BARBARA MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK / PANAMOSAB, SANTA BARBARA, Located 13 kilometers east of the city of Santa Bárbara, it is the second highest peak of Honduras, after Celaque, with a height of 2744 msnm. It is a protected natural area with an average of 70 fern species, 90 types of orchids and more than 50 percent of the bird species in the country, making it the perfect place for birdwatching.
CERRO AZUL MEÁMBAR NATIONAL PARK – PANACAM, LAKE YOJOA , Get in touch with the art of nature with a majestic deep blue cover. Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park offers trails that lead you to explore its flora and fauna intimately. And for adrenaline lovers, a high-speed canopy tour that satisfies the senses.
CUERO Y SALADO WILDLIFE SHELTER, ATLÁNTIDA , It is a natural protected area located in the triangle formed by the Cuero and Salado rivers, with dry and fluvial channels where animals can be appreciated in their natural state, along with very interesting birds. Here, about 35 species of animals are protected. Attention to tourists in the shelter is in the hands of the co-driver Fundación Cuero y Salado, FUCSA (or Cuero y Salado Foundation), and of the guides and families of the local communities associated with the community tourism company LARECOTURH.
THE LODGE AT PICO BONITO, LA CEIBA, ATLÁNTIDA , This establishment has a long history of service to birdwatchers. It knows the market, participates in international fairs and has put the name of Honduras and Pico Bonito in the international market. Both the Lodge as well as the driveway areas are suitable for birdwatching. The Lodge area has a high level of security.
LANCETILLA BOTANICAL GARDEN, TELA, ATLÁNTIDA , It is one of the main sites for birdwatching in the country, with more than 300 species identified. This makes it an exceptional site for birdwatching. Fans of plants and animals, hikers and birdwatchers have in Lancetilla a place in which to spend a lot of time.
CELAQUE NATIONAL PARK AND DRY FORESTS AROUND GRACIAS, LEMPIRA , It already has an area allocated for public use, and has recently had the support of donations to improve the visitor center and its respective access, as it will as well have a bird sighting tower. The park also has trails with good maintenance and signaling. However, it is necessary to investigate other accesses to the park to facilitate the observation of birds of interest. The Honduran emerald hummingbird has been reported in several places with dry forest in the area, but it is necessary to study the local distribution in more detail to be able to predict the places where it can be observed with greater security. The birdwatching club has been formed; it is necessary to expand it and deepen bird research in the region.
CHOLUTECA, It is one of the largest birdwatching niches in Honduras. Here, millions of birds come every year. It is one of the richest areas of the country for birdwatching and the most diverse.
MACAW MOUNTAIN BIRD PARK AND NATURE RESERVE, COPÁN, It is a great attraction, a conservation and breeding, rehabilitation center and bird lodge waiting for you a few kilometers away from the center of Copán Ruinas, on the road that leads to Aguas Calientes. A colorful ecological park surrounded by centenarian native trees and a coffee farm, and crossed in half by the refreshing waters of the Cakaguatales ravine, where you can have breakfast, a snack or lunch after walking among more than 180 species of Honduran, Central American and some South American birds. Do not miss out on the chance to feel the legs of a red, green or blue macaw as they lean on your arms, shoulders or head and spread their wings open wide. That is the best moment to take a photo of your holiday, worthy of sharing with your friends.
PICO BONITO NATIONAL PARK, VISITOR CENTER ENTRANCE IN THE CANGREJAL RIVER BASIN, LA CEIBA, ATLÁNTIDA, Currently, the preferred area to take visitors is the Cangrejal River area, where there are several tourist establishments and, additionally, the Visitor Center of the Pico Bonito National Park is located on the site. There are more than 200 species registered in the Cangrejal River basin, with specific investigations that have generated information and species identification sheets, and bird monitoring has been carried out. There are also initiatives that have strengthened local capabilities for birdwatching and monitoring.
ECO ARCHEOLOGICAL PARK LOS NARANJOS, YOJOA LAKE An exceptional place to observe birds due to the number of species, natural landscape nd trails, including a raised path. With more than 292 birds species reported, this site is suitable for viewing many migratory bird species, as well as resident birds such as Lineated Woodpecker (Dryocopus lineatus), Olivaceous Piculet (Picumnus olivaceus), Red-lored Parrot (Amazona autumnalis), Black-headed Trogon (Trogon melanocephalus) and White -winged Becard (Pachyramphus polychopterus). A place of great anthropological importance for its prolencas’ and Mayan settlements, with an occupation registered since 800 BC. up to 1250 D.C.
THE GRAVES AT COPÁN RUINAS CULTURAL MONUMENT, LA LAGUNA/SAN FRANCISCO, AND THE AREA DEDICATED TO COFFEE PRODUCTION ON THE ROAD TO SESEMIL, COPÁN, Copán Ruinas is a destination of archaeological and natural importance. It is home to the Copán Ruinas Cultural Monument, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1980. A fascinating city of the Mayan civilization, considered the Athens of the New World. The destination has a proper tourist floor and great possibilities of considerably increasing tourist visits.
LAKE YOJOA SUBBASIN, Lake Yojoa is a protected area of great local and regional importance, with the category of Multiple Use Area. This is the region where you can see more birds in Honduras. It has 11 ecosystems less than an hour away, including wetlands and cloud forest. It has a local birdwatchers’ club and the region is already included in the current birdwatching tours’ offer. The lake’s shores are very suitable places to observe birds. There is private offer for access to docks, boats and trails on its premises. There is also a tourist floor with capacity to adapt to birdwatchers’ needs. It is located in the center of the country, and therefore close to other birdwatching regions.
HONDURAN EMERALD HUMMINGBIRD WILDLIFE REFUGE, YORO, Even though it is located in the department of Yoro, tourists stay in La Ceiba, from where they leave to visit the refuge. It has the only endemic bird of the country, the Honduran emerald hummingbird.
RÍO SANTIAGO PRIVATE RESERVE, ATLÁNTIDA, It’s a private reserve located in the buffer zone of the Pico Bonito National Park. Large numbers of hummingbirds can be observed due to the installation of artificial feeders in the restaurant area.
DIVING
ALTON’S DIVE CENTER, UTILA, BAY ISLANDS, has diving sites to show in the best way all the beauties of the whale shark, dolphins and whales, among other marine species, that will amaze you. It is the only dive center that offers you the option of diving certifications at NAUI or PADI. Additionally, you can enjoy excursions in Cayos Chochinos Marine Reserve, for the best and most memorable dive in the Bay Islands.
CORTÉS DIVE CENTER, PUERTO CORTÉS, CORTÉS, offers a wide range of activities on the north coast of Honduras, from tours and diving courses to snorkeling, including tours of the Alvarado Lagoon and the Chamber Channel, visits to Garífuna communities, recreational fishing, hiking in Cuyamenl National Park and Tulian River basin, and excursions to Punta Sal.
CAYO CHACHAHUATE ECO LODGE, CAYOS COCHINOS, BAY ISLANDS, is located in the tiny Cayo Chachahuate in the Honduran Caribbean. It is a good option to stay longer in the area. Ideally, one of the three rooms of the eco lodge, built by the scientific station and WWF, would be rented.
BANANARAMA DIVE RESORT, ROATÁN, BAY ISLANDS, is located in the heart of West Bay Beach, with a beautiful view of the white beach and crystal clear waters. This establishment has more than 20 rooms with all the necessary services for visitors to enjoy the best vacations, which you can only enjoy on the island of Roatan.
GUANAJA CARIBBEAN COTTAGES, GUANAJA, BAY ISLANDS, They’re single cabins in front of the Caribbean Sea, with amazing sunset views. The estate is within walking distance of the town and the waterfalls.
BACKPACKER’S LODGE, ROATÁN, BAY ISLANDS, is found in the quiet and friendly neighborhood of Sandy Bay, a few steps from the Hunters-Ecomarine scuba diving school. Located a minute away from the beach, it offers private or shared rooms, a communal kitchen and a relaxing atmosphere to chat and eat with friends or family.
