Honduras

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Overview

Honduras travel guide, including a map of Honduras, key facts, travel tips, attractions, culture, food and drink and weather in Honduras

Little-known Honduras is the second biggest country in Central America and jam-packed with things to do.

Trekkers can choose between jungle, lakes, mountains or coast; water-lovers can swoosh down rapids, snorkel, swim or dive; bird-watchers can take their pick of the natural parks while history-lovers can potter around colonial cities or ancient Mayan ruins.

Honduras is also a cheap yet professional option if you want to learn to dive, with numerous dive-schools on the islands of Roatán and Utila. When you think you’ve done everything Honduras has to throw at you, head to the Caribbean coast for some me-time in the hammock.

Wanderlust recommends

Go underwater
Explore the waterways of Honduras’ Mosquito Coast
White-water raft down the Rio Cangrejal in the Parque Nacional Pico Bonito
Journey through the rainforest around Pico Dama
Have a well-deserved beer at Honduras’ only microbrewery near Lago de Yojoa, Honduras’ largest natural lake
Snorkel, swim and snooze on the tiny Caribbean islands of Cayos Cochinos

Wanderlust tips

Pick up a copy of the English newspaper; it is full of local news and top tips.

I wish I'd known...

Wanderlust web intern Thomas Rees on the thing he wished he'd known before he arrived:

"Leave plenty of extra time when travelling by local transport. Minivan collectivos rarely run to a schedule and leave only when all of the seats have been filled. If you're travelling outside of peak-times or to out-of-the-way destinations you can be in for a long wait.”

Capital of Honduras: Tegucigalpa
Population of Honduras: 8.3 million
Languages in Honduras: Spanish; indigenous languages
Time in Honduras: GMT - 6
International dialling code in Honduras: + 504
Voltage in Honduras: 110/60Hz
Visas for Honduras: Honduras visas
Money in Honduras: Lempira (HNL). ATMs are common in large towns but not in rural areas. Credit cards are widely accepted. US dollars are easy to change.
Honduras travel advice: Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Honduras tourist board: Honduras - The Central America you know

When to go to Honduras

The coastal lowlands are humid and hot, with temperatures ranging from 28 to 35°C plus. Central highlands are cooler.

Usually the rainy season lasts from May to October, although there is often a three-to-four-week dry spell in August. Hurricanes are most likely to strike the Caribbean coast of Honduras between September and November.

July 16th is the date of the all-night dancing competition and peak of the Garifuna Festival in Baja Mar.

International airports

Toncontín International Airport (TGU) - 6 km from Tegucigalpa

Getting around Honduras

Buses are a cheap and easy way of getting around Honduras. Services labelled directo are worth paying for - they are much faster.

Rental cars are available in all the major cities. Cycling is not common. Bring your own bike and plenty of spares and get local advice about roads to avoid in Olancho – roadside robberies have been known.

Domestic flights in Honduras are relatively cheap.

Honduras accommodation

Honduras has something for everyone when it comes to accommodation. It’s worth booking online for the top-end chain hotels.

Note that budget hotels often don’t have hot water and that motels usually charge by the hour…Double check that B&Bs do actually offer breakfast.

Homestays are common; most language schools can point you in the right direction or just ask around in rural areas. Campsites are scarce in Honduras but it is possible to camp in the national parks.

Honduras food and drink

The national dish, plato típico, consists of beef, rice, beans, fried plantain, sour cream and a stack of tortillas on the side.Fried chicken is also common, while grilled fish is available along the Caribbean coast.

At Garífuna villages, you may be served variations, such as coconut rice and brittle pancakes made from pulped cassava roots.

Health and safety in Honduras

As well as the usual vaccinations, a course of malaria prevention should be discussed with your doctor. Take plenty of insect repellent, plus a mosquito net. Sand flies often seem immune to DEET – instead locals use baby oil or Avon’s ‘Skin-So-Soft’ to deter them.

Don't walk at night in big cities or on beaches. Honduras still has some instability after the 2009 coup – avoid protests.