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Best Places to Visit in Honduras
'Must-See Places'
The top 10 places to
see in Honduras?
Before we look at areas/cities in depth, let's do a quick overview by looking at
my favorite 10-best places in Honduras. Once you have read through them,
take some time to dig away at the links on the left that will give you a fuller
description of each place.
A Flight
into one of the Bay Islands
When you fly to the Bay Islands (Roatan,
Utila, or Guanaja) out of La Ceiba or San Pedro Sula, you will be
treated to the most spectacular view of the richest blue waters of your life. The Bay Islands boast of the 2nd
largest barrier reef in the world. One view of these azure waters quickly
tells the story why divers and snorkelers from around the world find their way
to the Bay Islands.
Roatan
– What’s not to like about
Roatan?
Take off your shoes and visit the shops along
the beach of West En d, stopping every 100 feet for a soda, a Salva Vida
(the Honduran beer, literally Life Saver), or a coffee.
Visit
Rudy’s for a
smoothie and a chat with the most hospitable man on the island. Take a water taxi to West Bay (better yet, stay there for the
quiet).
Sit on one of the piers and watch the sun slowly plunge in the
west. Then, visit one of West End's bars and take in some distinctive
island music.
Swim, snorkel, scuba dive, or sea kayak the day away at one of the fine
beaches at West End or West Bay. Eat at the Lighthouse Inn (West End) at
about 3 p.m. when they aren’t so busy, coaxing owner Miss Mavis out of the
kitchen. She is one of the finest storytellers you will ever have the
pleasure of meeting.
● Need up-to-the-minute info on Roatan? The
Bay Islands
Voice is published bi-weekly and the
Roatan
discussion group on Yahoo can keep you informed.
● Day visitors from
cruise ships - Wonderful day-trip ideas are offered from
Roatanonline.
More about West End, West Bay and Roatan on
sidewalkmystic.com
►
Copan Ruinas
(often referred to by tourists as just "Copan," which is actually the name of
the department, not the town) –
No trip to Honduras would be complete without a stop at the
ruins.
Current projects under the supervision of the Copan Maya Foundation are listed
here.
But
what would Copan Ruinas be without the ruins? It would be a delightful,
charming city of 6,000 that is tourist-friendly while not being overly “touristy.” Visit the
market (immediately behind
the municipal building, off the square). Spend time in the city square.
Evenings bring out entire families. Just slow down.
● After dinner, saunter over to the Welchez
Café (near the Hotel
Marina
Copan – same owners) for the apple pie, ice cream, and espresso coffee. Yep, I
said apple pie and it’s very good. Pick up several pounds of local coffee to take
home.
● In Copan,
as elsewhere in rural Honduras, make sure you look upwards each evening for a
sky amazingly awash with stars. Unbelievable sight. No light
pollution permits a view that is unrivaled.
● Visit
Macaw Mountain
Bird Park & Nature Reserve, an innovative
tropical bird reserve in western
Honduras that cares for rescued and
endangered birds of the American tropics.
For more ideas on what to do in Copan Ruinas, as well as arrange personalized
tours, visit
Twisted Tours by Tanya.
San Pedro Sula –
Maps of San Pedro Sula are hard so you might want to print out this
map of San Pedro Sula.
Without a doubt, a visit to the
Museum of
Anthropology and History is worth it. The two-story museum is
manageable. Arranged as an inviting series of displays, you will walk
through the history of the San Pedro Sula valley, the arrival of the Spaniards,
the conquest, and the interplay of the Spanish and Indigenous cultures. Many of the
displays have English placards (more so in the 2nd half of the
museum) that enhance the time spent here. Plan on
about 4 hours to do the museum any justice. Open Tuesdays - Sundays.
● While San Pedro Sula boasts a
large open-air market, it is over-stocked with $3 tourist items. There are
better open-air markets throughout Honduras so there is no need to spend too
much time here. One part of the market not to miss is the northeast
corner where about 100 women each has a small cooking area, making tortillas by hand as they have
been made for centuries. San Pedro Sula residents come in for their daily
2-dozen ‘to-go.’
Road between San Pedro Sula and Tela/La Ceiba
– This leg of the vacation is marvelous just for the miles and miles of bananas,
cacao, corn, beans, sugar cane, pineapples, citrus and African palms. Like no
other region of Honduras, this area offers a window into Honduras agriculture.
● The Nombre de Dios mountain range juts up to the east and south of you as you
travel through the lush tropical region. Keep an eye out for the llama del
bosque (flame of the forest), a tall tree crowned with gorgeous red flowers.
(2nd Top Five cont'd on
next
page)
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