Summer Blues

Summer Blues in Honduras?

Honduras is officially in its summer season, more commonly referred to as “Verano”. The season, which is synonymous to dry season, is when Hondurans flock to the beaches at the first opportunity.  The season begins just before Semana Santa, or Easter Week and lasts until the rains start. This is usually towards the end of May or beginning of June in central and southern Honduras. This is by far the hottest time of the year in the country. Locals seek to escape the heat of the cities by visiting the beaches on either coast. If you do not like crowds, then the beaches can quickly turn into a case of summer blues during your visit to Honduras!

Traditionally, those that live in Tegucigalpa flock to the Southern or Pacific coast. The the resort town of Coyolito, and the island of Amapala, as well as some beaches such as Cedeno and Punta Raton being the most popular.

For those closer to the Caribbean coast, the destinations vary, but Tela, in Atlantida is by far the most popular summer destination, especially for those that live in the metropolitan Sula Valley area, which includes the cities of San Pedro Sula, Choloma, El Progreso, Villanueva and La Lima.

Omoa and Puerto Cortes are another popular destination for those that live in or around the Sula Valley.

For those that live in the departments of Yoro, Colon and Olancho, the destination of choice is Trujillo. This is in a lovely historic bay where Christopher Columbus himself arrived in 1502. This was during his fourth and last voyage to the “Indies”.

All of the above means that the beaches, no matter which destination you choose, will be quite full over the weekends. If you are a traveler visiting Honduras, plan in advance and make sure you avoid the beaches. This of course,  if you do not like crowds. It is also a time for high occupancy at the beach hotels, so reservations are a must! Many times these beach goers visit the beach only for the day. This translates into more traffic on the roads. This makes them even more hazardous than what they regularly are. So now you know, the best way to avoid getting the summer blues, is to avoid the beaches on the weekends!

Although the Bay Islands receive fewer tourists, the beaches there are also very popular with the locals, and you will find the nicer beaches very crowded during the “verano” or summer months!