HONDURAS: THE GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS

Honduras is the second largest country located on the Central American Isthmus and is bordered by Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. To its north lies the Caribbean Sea and to the south the Pacific Ocean. Much of the country is mountainous, with lowland areas in the north east which follow the coastline east The Caribbean Bay Islands offer some of the most pristine beaches left in this area. The country can be divided into 5 different natural areas plus the unique zone of Copan with its Mayan important remains. The dry season, or verano, in Honduras is from December through April , with March and April being the hottest and driest months. The rainy season, or invierno, is from May through November and the wettest months are August and September.  One can especially appreciate the country's natural splendor in the large tracts of protected land in the provinces of Gracias a Dios, Colon, Yoro, Olancho, and Francisco Morazan. Let's visit these splendid natural areas one by one.

Central Zone

As a main tourist attraction, the Central Zone has Tegucigalpa, the political center of the nation. The city's topography and urban design reflect its colonial mining town origins. Its nostalgic air of old traditions conserves a great part of the religious patrimony and architecture from colonial Honduras. In fact, the town's historic central district is home to a handsome cathedral and other edifices built during colonial times.  A generator of great cultural activity and commerce, Tegucigalpa is also a stepping stone to the nearby picturesque towns of similar mining origins: Santa Lucia, Valle de Angeles, Cedros, San Antonio de Oriente and Yuscaran. Special mention must be made about Comayagua, Honduras' first capital. Central Honduras is mostly known for the city of Tegucigalpa, its capital, its surrounding silver towns and beautiful parks. A city with very pleasant climate, Tegucigalpa is nestled in a valley at about 3000-ft making its climate ideal. As the capital of Honduras since 1880, along with neighboring Comayaguela, Tegucigalpa forms an important, complex urban center in the middle of a mountainous land 3,085 feet above sea level. This capital city is known as Cerro de Plata, or Hill of Silver, since its name comes from two indigenous words Tegus, meaning hill, and Galpa meaning silver.  Although it is an urban center, it has a peculiar air of a small town with an incredibly well-conserved colonial flavor.

Shortly after the silver beds were discovered, it was founded as a small Spanish mining camp. It grew to become a city, eventually earning the title "Real de las Minas de Tegucigalpa."  Finally, in 1762, it became one of the most important mining districts in Central America. Then, in 1880, decades after Honduras had gained its independence from Spain, Tegucigalpa became the nation's capital and the seat of government was transferred from Comayagua. Today, even with its first class hotels, restaurants, commercial centers, banks, and administrative buildings, Tegucigalpa is characterized by an enchanting colonial atmosphere. Streets named Calle de las Damas, El Arbolito, la Calle de la Fuente suggest a lost era that seems to have been frozen in the surrounding buildings' facades and walls. Easily accessible to the Honduran capital are smaller colonial towns like Santa Lucia, Valle de Angeles, Cedros, San Antonio de Oriente and Yuscaran. They are cradled in the skirts of the mountains and maintain the tranquil atmosphere that has long defined mountain towns. Travelers will find they are well-worth visiting. Tegucigalpa's origins date to the 16th century.

Northern Zone  

The nation's Caribbean coast has a skirt of lowlands and beaches that seem to be guarding the El Merendon Mountains. The Caribbean region has the most fertile and productive lands in all of Honduras. Plantations of bananas and other fruit grown for export cover thousands of acres in this area. It extends from the valley of the Ulua River toward San Pedro Sula, the nation's second largest city with a population of 400,000. From a small agricultural town, it has transformed itself into a dynamic urban center. In fact, it is one of the most industrialized cities in Central America. Because of excellent land and air communications, temperate climate, and surrounding fertile lands, San Pedro Sula is a choice destination with many places just outside the city, like Pulhapanzak Waterfalls, on the River Lindo, with a canyon surrounded by a thick tropical forest. S. Barbara National Park also has one of the highest peaks in the country— Maroncho Peak, at about 9,000 feet above sea level. Additionally, Yojoa Lake has one of the most beautiful environments in the entire region: it is bordered by cypresses, and, beyond them, the mountains rise to meet the skies. Sports fishermen love this lake because it is excellent for catching bass. Just under an hour's drive north travelers will find two places worthy of visiting: Omoa and Puerto Cortes. Nearby are first-rate beaches: Coca-Cola, Baja Mar, El Faro and Travesia, easily accessible and very popular with tourists and residents alike. Some nine miles north of Puerto Cortes are the ruins of the fortress of San Fernando de Omoa, built in 1777 by order of King Fernando of Spain to protect the coast from pirates. North of San Pedro Sula, is the port city of Tela, characterized by its incessant movement as a free exporting center, especially bananas and pineapples. The center of town maintains a picturesque and nostalgic air, with many interesting places to visit, among them the Lancetilla Botanical Gardens. This garden, created as a tropical research station by the United Fruit Company in 1926, spans about 1,800 acres. Here is one of the best botanical collections in the world, especially when it comes to tropical plants. Many plants are very rare and were first planted here, then transplanted to the rest of Central America. 

COPAN - The ruins of the monumental Mayan city-state of Copan are about 96 miles west of San Pedro Sula. Despite the passage of time and the force of nature, Copan preserves the grandiosity intended by that civilization of mathematicians, astronomers and architects.  In 1200, the city of Copan was abandoned by its more than 30,000 inhabitants. The quickly growing surrounding jungle took it over. It is hoped that these and each new discovery will bring us closer to the mysteries of this great civilization. The biggest attraction at Copan ruins is its ceremonial center, with a vast display of buildings, stairs, and platforms. It has strategically placed intriguing monuments of intricate designs. Under the pyramids of the Copan temple, hidden prayer rooms, tombs and other structures have given scientists a greater understanding of the Maya. -  Click for more information on Copan

Approximately an hour away is La Ceiba, the nation's third largest city. It is sheltered by the Nombre de Dios Mountains, whose Bonito Peak reaches almost 8,000 feet above sea level, surrounded by banana and pineapple plantations. The town is named after the ceiba tree, which apparently was used as a reference point for travelers and as a meeting point for local barterers and traveling traders. As an Honduran popular saying goes, "Tegucigalpa thinks, San Pedro Sula works, and La Ceiba celebrates". And "celebration" is a word that best sums up the marvelous expressions of folklore and color that make up the spring festivals, always held on the third Sunday in May. The northern zone is unusual because it is the home to the Garifunas, or Black Caribs, the descendants of the African slaves and indigenous Caribs of the Antilles. Centuries ago the English brought them to Honduras by force to avoid a possible uprising in their then Caribbean colonies. With the exception of Haiti, the Garifunas today make up the most African of the ethnic groups living in the Caribbean Basin. Each year during the spring, thousands of visitors come to La Ceiba to take part in the Festival de San Isidro, or Great National Carnival. It is held the last week in May, and festivities include a parade, Garifuna and Caribbean dances, multi-colored costumes and musical concerts—all conducted in a joyful spirit. Nearby la Ceiba, in Trujillo Bay, is Trujillo, Honduras' oldest city, founded in 1525 by Francisco de las Casas. Near there, Christopher Columbus landed on the continent on August 14, 1502, having come from Jamaica on his fourth and last voyage. 

Southern Zone & Pacific Islands

Choluteca, capital of the province with the same name, is the largest city in the southern part of the country. It is an important agricultural and commercial center, a kind of hub for the traffic moving to the southern region. The riches are in the waters of the gulf—rich in fish, that is, particularly sailfish, dorado and tuna. The handsome fan of the archipelago contains 30 islands, the largest being Tiger and Zacate Grande.  The white sands, the transparent waters, the beautiful flora and fauna of these islands offer a paradisiacal place for rest and recreation.  The southern part of Honduras opens onto the Pacific Ocean by way of the Gulf of Fonseca—shared with El Salvador and Nicaragua— and comprises a series of high mountain ranges that gradually give way to savannas. 

Mosquito Coast & Eastern Honduras

The region known as La Mosquitia makes up the northeastern part of the country. It is quite different from the rest of Honduras, for its vast coastal plain is sparsely populated, and covered by forests. The landscape is only occasionally cut by winding rivers. No roads lead toward the interior of this vastly unpopulated land. There are, however, a few indigenous communities who live in La Mosquitia. These are the Miskito Indians, and small tribes of Paya and Sumo, all distinct in their cultures. It is one of the lesser-known and explored lands in Central America. In this Mosquitia land, travelers who love adventure and unspoiled nature will discover the enchantment that perhaps is only found in the most hard-to-reach places, like the Mato Grosso in Brazil. 

Bay Islands 

Thirty miles off the northern coast of Honduras, the Bay Islands group is an oval chain of eight islands and 65 small cayes forming the largest and most southerly chain of Caribbean islands at the end of the barrier reef. The Bay islands have been inhabited for more than 1,000 years and have an interesting history, including evidence of Maya occupation. Columbus landed here during is 4th voyage in 1502 and the islands were used by British, Dutch and French pirates as a base for raids on Spanish treasure ships during the 18th C. Utila is a low sandy piece of land and the cheapest of the Bay Islands to visit and basic budget facilities are predominant.  Roatan is the largest and most popular of the Bay Islands. Some of the resorts here rank among the best sun and sea destinations in the world.  Guanaja, the easternmost of the group, was declared a forest reserve in 1961 and is now also a marine national park. -  Click for more information on the Bay Islands