Travel from Rio Dulce to La Ceiba

Main Overland Travel Routes from Guatemala to Honduras

There are two main routes for travelers crossing into Honduras from Guatemala. The first one takes them through the El Florido border into Copan Ruinas. The second follows the Caribbean Coast, through the Corinto Border over the Motagua River. As a general rule, travel from Rio Dulce to La Ceiba uses the second alternative.  This route is useful to those that need to exit the CA4 treaty region  from Honduras into Belize to renew their travel visa in the Bay Islands.

The route takes the CA13 highway from Puerto Barrios to Puerto Cortes. This road is on the coastal plains of the Motagua River. This makes it an easy highway to travel, with few curves and some scenic lookout points along the coast. From Puerto Cortes you will continue south to San Pedro Sula and then east again towards the city of la Ceiba. The road is in good shape, although you may find some delays due to to highway construction between San Pedro Sula and Tela.

The distance between Puerto Barrios and La Ceiba is approximately 350 km. (220 miles). Total travel time between both cities, including the border crossing is 7 hours.Most travelers on this route are actually on their way to the Bay Islands of Honduras. Because of this, the shuttle service is planned to get you to the ferry terminal in La Ceiba in time for the ferry departure. Both the Utila Dream to Utila and the Galaxy Wave to Roatan leave at 4:30 PM. This is great news, because you can travel from Rio Dulce or Puerto Barrios and get to the Bay Islands of Roatan or Utila on the same day.

Best Option to Travel From Rio Dulce to La Ceiba

There are several different shuttles operating on this route. Roneey Tours departs Rio Dulce every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. The departure point is at Brunos Hotel in Rio Dulce. Departures are at 5:30 a.m. and the first stop is at Puerto Barrios. If you are in Puerto Barrios and want to catch the shuttle to La Ceiba, head to the Municipal dock, as this is where the meeting point is. Departures are always right on schedule at 7:00 a.m.

The trip is in an air conditioned Toyota Hiace van with air – conditioning, free wifi and even movies on board. Comfort depends on how many passengers are traveling that day. The capacity is 14 passengers plus the driver. Bags are all tied up on the overhead rack and covered with a tarp, just in case you run into rain along the route. The shuttle will take you direct to the Ferry dock in La Ceiba. There you can buy your ticket and continue your travel to the Bay Islands of Honduras. Currently, the cost of way shuttle to travel from Rio Dulce to La Ceiba is $60US. The cost of the service from Puerto Barrios to La Ceiba is $50 US.

Useful Information for Your Trip From La Ceiba to Rio Dulce

Are you are planning to travel from La Ceiba to  Puerto Barrios or Rio Dulce? Roneey Tours offers three weekly departures: Sunday, Tuesday and Friday. Departures are at 9:00 a.m. prompt from the Burger King restaurant located next to La Quinta Hotel. The schedule to gives you time to take the morning ferry out of Utila or Roatan to La Ceiba.  From there get a cab to Burger King for breakfast and board the shuttle. Morning departures from the Bay Islands do not make it easy to have breakfast before taking the ferry.

You can book your tour online at the Roneey Tours web site. Of course if you are on your way to Livingston or even Belize, this route is ideal. Roneey Tours offers assistance with connections beyond Puerto Barrios. These include both Livingston in Guatemala and Punta Gorda in Belize.

If you do use this shuttle to travel from Rio Dulce to La Ceiba, you should certainly consider spending a couple of nights at the Cangrejal River Valley. This is a magnificent valley that separates Pico Bonito and Nombre de Dios National Parks. There are several different lodges in the Cangrejal River area. You will find that this can be one of the highlights of your trip to Central America.