Honduras Travel

Amapala is a beautiful island in the Pacific, just off the coast of mainland Honduras.

A few days ago I was talking to my brother about options for traveling not very far away from Tegucigalpa, and he told me about a trip he recently made with his family to Amapala, Honduras.

I have been to Amapala a couple of times before, but the last time was several years ago. When my brother mentioned Amapala, I was surprised to notice that I haven’t been there for a long time. Why I haven’t gone to Amapala recently? I really don’t know; it’s a very good option for people who live in Tegucigalpa since it is not very far away, and it’s a really beautiful place to visit.

The majority of Honduras’s tourists come from the US, flying into the small, efficiently run airports (toilets are spotlessly clean, as they are in the main petrol stations) in San Pedro Sula, La Ceiba and the capital, Tegucigalpa (pronounced Teg-goosie-galpa). Honduras has an excellent internal flight network, and it was an easy 30min/55km hop out to Roatán, the biggest of the three Bay Islands.

The Bay Islands of Honduras have always been knwn as one of the world’s most inexpensive places to learn to dive. Don’t think that because it’s cheap, it’s any less amazing.

The Meso-American Barrier Reef System, begins off the Honduran coast, and then continues past Belize to Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula. It is the second largest barrier reef, and much more accessible than the first largest, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.

The Bay Islands can be considered sea-life central. People dive alongside whale sharks, hammerheads, dolphins, manta rays and beautiful vibrant corals, all in abundance. The islands have a very Caribbean feel to them, even though they are considered Latin American. Roatan has indigenous Garifuna tribes, who are of African descent, and English is primarily spoken.

The island of Utila is host to a throbbing nightlife fueled by a steady stream of thirsty backpackers. Locals and travellers mix freely in such popular places as Treetanic, a massive outdoor assembly of gangways, platforms, sweeping archways and a funky marine decor.

Despite its undeniable charm, Utila remains a well-kept secret unblighted by tourist overkill. Utila is a haven for the weary traveller, a place of sunshine, warmth, and relaxation where time stands still and tickets home have a tendency to mysteriously disappear…Read Utila story here.

“Get down!” our rafting guide shouted as our boat passed through a labyrinth of towering rocks about the size of a two-story house. I myself was a river guide, many years ago and the razor-thin passageways along the “Rio Cangrejal” (Cangrejal River) in La Ceiba, Honduras were bringing back memories of nasty flips and scary swims.

“Get up!” Our guide yelled right before entering a passageway. I sprang up, ready to paddle. “Forward! Forward! Go!” I quickly dove my paddle into the water, and found I was competing for space with the towering rock wall. Suddenly, the rock walls fell away and we entered a technical rock garden with no end in sight; but I couldn’t have been happier with the less-claustrophobic challenge ahead.

Today, I was walking in the Tegucigalpa of my childhood, I went to visit the old presidential palace, which is located next to the congress house, the National Bank, and the Choluteca River; across the river is the City of Comayaguela which is the poorest part of the Capital where people live.