Slightly spontaneously we decided to hit Honduras during our trip last November and December. We had heard about the superb diving possibilities around the Bay Islands, which was enough reason to take the plunge and to include the country in the Latin American itinerary.
I really loved our time in Honduras. The trip was way more relaxed than I expected it to be plus the things to do over there are just super diverse. Jungle adventures, marine life, friendly locals, Mayan culture, abundant wildlife, gorgeous beaches; this country has it all and its citizens really deserve a better future.
Guidebooks won’t do for up-to-date info about Honduras. Personally I looked for bits and pieces online, talked to a lot of other backpackers and expats in Honduras and that’s how I created this itinerary. So I’m gonna smash it online now; just to make things a little easier for you!
Hiking around the Omega Lodge in Pico Bonito
Safety
First things first. I realize that Honduras doesn’t exactly have an immaculate reputation. Diving and crime; probably those two words used to be my first association when thinking of Honduras. Figures will show you Honduras is one of Central America’s most dangerous countries after all. And yet, we noticed very little of all of that. Except for the diving; superb indeed.
I wouldn’t recommend this country to your niece though. You know; the one that is about to start her first backpack journey (I’m only thinking about my own self in here when I was 19), but if you think you’ve passed the ‘rookie-phase’, I’d say go for it. Just plan a tad in advance and have a plan B ready. That never hurts anyway. In La Ceiba I even needed a plan C, when I found out that the hotel I planned to go to (in case I’d miss the boat, which I did) didn’t exist anymore. Suddenly I was dropped at sunset in a city that I didn’t know at all. Not the best situation to start first day in Honduras with.
But anyway, all of these spots below are very well reachable. If you don’t deviate from the main important stops in the country and stick to the transportation I recommend you to go with (next paragraph) I think you’ll be good.
- Copán is super safe. So safe that we in fact were able to walk over there at night. We can’t even do that in Costa Rica.
- La Ceiba was totally different, it felt kind of sketchy and I wasn’t too pleased to stay over there. I was forced to though, since I missed the ferry ride to Roatán, but I wouldn’t recommend this city personally. Especially the suburbs can be dangerous. If you have to stay there book a hotel downtown.
- Regarding San Pedro Sula (at some point known the city was also known as the world’s capital of crime) I can only say; the bus station is safe. I drove through the city twice and it seemed quite okay, but obviously that doesn’t say enough. I personally wouldn’t stay there.
- Roatán felt super safe to me
Of course my experiences aren’t a blueprint. This is just how I perceived things, but they might give you an impression nonetheless.
Transport
With regard to safety this paragraph might help you out as well.
I personally arrived in Honduras after a very long shuttle drive from Río Dulce in Guatemala to La Ceiba in Honduras. I organised this via Rooney Shuttle Service. Although I wasn’t too pleased about the speed of the ride (I waited for hours that day, both during the early morning pick-up and later on the day when they were switching shuttles), in general I would recommend this shuttle service as it felt safe to me. And that’s something pleasant too, when in Honduras. Better late than sorry.
From La Ceiba to Copán we again arranged the drive via Rooney. We had a super nice driver this time and he telling us all about his previous life in the States and the situation in Honduras. Perhaps this conversation was one of the best insights we got during our stay in Honduras.
Regarding Roatán: you’re able to reach the island either via boat or via plane. From La Ceiba I took the ferry ($33,- USD, it goes twice a day; check the schedule in here) to Roatán.
The ferry ride to the island was very choppy. Two staff members were handing out plastic bags and after I couple of minutes I realised what they were for…
My husband on the other hand arrived by airplane. From Central America you can fly from both El Salvador and San Pedro Sula to the island. And if you come from the east from both the USA and Canada you might even be able to fly directly to the island. What a luxury!
Regarding leaving Honduras: we both took a flight from Guatemala City. But note that getting there from Copán took us 7 hours (instead of the 5 we were told). Another option we were considering was the airport of San Pedro Sula.
View from the ferry in La Ceiba
Overview itinerary:
5 days on the island of Roatán for a chilled stay + beach bumming + excellent diving + great food
2 days in Omega Lodge along Río Cangrejal in the Pico Bonito park for adrenaline adventures + jungle vibes
3 days in Copán Ruinas for Mayan culture + spa relaxation + chocolate indulgement
If you have extra days:
3 days on the island of Utila for an extra change to see that whaleshark
3 days along the Lago de Yojoa in the D&D Brewery for kayaking + hiking + cave dwelling
Itinerary in detail:
Here we go!
5 days: Roatán
Excellent diving & stunning sunsets – the island of Roatán in front of the coast of Honduras was a winner for sure in my book.
Roatán isn’t the only island you can visit from La Ceiba. Utila, Guanaja and Cayos Cochinos attract visitors too. All four of them are basically like the quintessential tropical dream.
Since we only had a couple of days we knew we couldn’t see them all and we had to make a choice which one we would visit. Both Guanaja and Cayos Cochinos are difficult to reach. These islands don’t have regular shuttle services. I’m aware that because of this, staying at one of these islands can be very attractive. But you also have to bring in a LOT of dough, not only to reach the islands but also to stay there, plus you’re very dependent on the efforts of others.
So our choice was narrowed down to Roatán and Utila.
Utila is known as a party island, attracting a lot of early twenty backpackers. This has to do with the fact that Utila is also the cheapest island to stay at. Roatán attracts a far more midrange crowd than Utila, and unfortunately has less budget options. The island’s accommodation mostly comes in the form of luxury resort packages, but there are some good budget options and even better; we’ve found them for you!
Both Roatán and Utila are known as superb diving destinations. It was the main reason why we wanted to visit these islands, plus doing a fair share or ‘hammocking’. Because I really wanted to chill and not being disturbed by late night vomiting vibes, ánd because one of us had to fly to the Bay Islands and Roatán has the best airport, we decided visit Roatán first and see if we would later make it to Utila as well. But we liked Roatán and its laid-back vibe so much that we decided to stay over there for the rest of the time!
Where to stay on Roatán?
Nearly all backpackers that visit Roatán find their temporary home in West End, where most of the budget options are found.
If you’re looking for a private budget cabin then I’d absolutely recommend Hotel Chillies. Note that I’m not getting paid or anything to write this down. I just really liked the property, especially its location directly along the shores and its lovely jungle garden ↓
I you want to book a dorm spot, room or cabin as well in here, try to contact Michele (the owner of Hotel Chillies) directly via Facebook. We stayed for four nights in here and paid $36,- USD per night for a private cabin with a warm shower.
The cabin had a lovely porch with a hammock, a lot of (humming)birds that kept us company during the day and during the night we were surprised by a cute (and very noisy) armadillo!
The only thing I disliked about the cabin was the bathroom: it didn’t have a door! Just a curtain. Not the best idea if you’re looking for a romantic getaway…
What to do on Roatán?
I wrote an entire guide about the island, so check that stuff out in here!
2 days: Rafting + jungle adventures @ Río Cangrejal near Pico Bonito
After our ultimate chill-out-beach-bum-hammock-style kind of stay on the island of Roatán, we were absolutely ready for some adventure time on Honduras mainland.
Luckily for us, quite close to La Ceiba there’s this giant and slightly under-appreciated national park of Pico Bonito (meaning in English: ‘pretty little point’). It takes an hour on a bumpy road to get from La Ceiba to this wilderness, which is home to loads of monkeys, birds, reptiles and even some jaguars.
While being on Roatán we were advised by several expats to stay at the Omega Lodge, an eco-lodge located along the Río Cangrejal in between both Pico Bonito and the park of Nombre de Dios (“Name of god”).
The lodge is run by a couple from Germany, Udo and Sylvia, who already came to the area some 25 years ago. Udo was a member of the national German rafting team and always on the lookout for great rapids. He found his ultimate river paradise in Honduras and decided not only to offer whitewash rafting tours in the area, but also to built a lodge from scratch to hosts his rafting visitors. And the couple has been expanding their property with cabins ever since.
Fresh food, a lush environment, awesome canopying and rafting, some jungle trails and playful dogs; this place had it all in my opinion! Our stay in here was absolutely superb and a nice addition to our days on the beach. Read more about our rafting adventure and stay at Omega Lodge!
Note that from La Ceiba it takes a full day to reach the next location from La Ceiba.
3 days: Copán Ruinas
Meet the cosiest town of Honduras: Copán! We stayed there for a couple of days on our way from La Ceiba in Honduras to Antigua in Guatemala and I have to say; it’s difficult not to fall in love with the cobblestoned streets of Copán. The nearby crumbling Mayan ruins dot the outskirts of the city and clearly point to the cultural past as well.
The vibe in Copán is entirely different compared to the rest of Honduras (or at least, the parts that I’ve seen). Copán feels much more Guatemalan and considering that is almost next to the border Guatemalan-Honduran border that ain’t a surprise. It’s basically like they have cut of a little part out of Antigua and put it on a hill in a lush mountainous environment.
Most folks come here just to see the famous Maya ruins, but there’s a lot of other fun stuff to do in Copán. If you want to see and do all of the things below, try to linger a little longer; at least three days I’d say. Otherwise two would be the bare minimum. Or one if you just want to see the ruins and get out after that.
Here’s what to do and where to eat in Copán!
Where to stay in Copán?
There are quite some downtown budget options. We checked out Hotel Via Via (for just $10,- USD per private room with private bathroom!!), which looked great. However, since it’s located next to the only club in town I wouldn’t advise you to go there in the weekend. Even earplugs won’t help you in here.
We stayed at the nearby Iguana Azul (private room for $19,- USD, shared bathroom. Dorms are available as well), which was basic but very decent and had a laid-back backpackers vibe. The great thing about this hotel is the next doors breakfast area, which is set in a very laid-back and lush garden. ↓
Extend that itinerary!
If I had another 6 days I would have stayed 3 more days on the island of Utila (or perhaps more days on Roatán since I loved it so much…) just to include even more dives.
Another location I would absolutely would have visited is the Lago de Yojoa! I heard a lot of nice stories from other backpackers about this lake and especially about the ho(s)tel B&B Brewery. Apparently the lake is great for hiking, to do a coffee tour, a bit of kayaking and cave-dwelling. I’m sure a stay over here would make a trip to Honduras even more diverse!
Here’s where to find the spots in Honduras:
