Is Honduras as Dangerous as They Say it is?

/ , 1 Comment

The answer is no. But then why then why do the different countries in the world issue travel warnings that say it is? It is true that back at the beginning of the decade (2010) Honduras was dangerous. But the safety situation has changed for the better. The current government has been quite successful in fighting organized crime. Friendly governments have invested heavily, both financially and providing much needed know how to fight organized crime. Today, I can clearly say that Honduras is safer than some cities in the USA! This is the reason why we wrote the Honduras Travel Advisory 2019 in our Destination Guide. I encourage you to read it! There are many safe destinations in Honduras that you should visit!

Is Honduras as Dangerous as they say it is
Pedestrian Street in Tegucigalpa.

As a country, Honduras has a homicide rate of 36 per 100,000 persons. Most of these statistics are from two specific areas in Honduras: Tegucigalpa and Metropolitan Sula Valley area. Almost half of Honduras’ population live in these two areas. Some cities in the USA are way higher than this. For example, Saint Louis, Missouri, had a murder rate of 61 per 100,000 persons. Baltimore, in Maryland has a murder rate of 51 per 100,000 persons. These statistics are updated to 2018, and are taken from the U.S. Census Bureau and the CIA World Factbook according to an article posted by brietbart.com this week.[themify_hr border_width=”1″ width=”1″ color=”light-gray”]

So, when you ask is Honduras as dangerous as they say it is, the statistical numbers prove that it is not. Unfortunately, some publications, such as Fodor’s insist on putting Honduras in their do not travel list. True, numbers are cold, and every person’s life matters. Yet it is true that Honduras is much safer than the departments of state in different countries say it is. The bottom line is that in most cases, the warnings are a way to pressure the local governments to be more efficient in the fight against drugs and corruption. They use the travel warnings as bargaining chip to force governments of small countries like Honduras to comply with their needs and requests.

A full size replica of the Rosalila temple can be seen at the Museum of Maya Sculpture. Photo by Peter A Hughes

The dangers of traveling through Honduras are more related to falling in love the country and its people. It is no wonder that despite the travel warnings, many travelers do visit Honduras and love it. They all feel safe and are happy they did visit. Without doubt, Honduras has World Class attractions, such as the Mayan Ruinas of Copan and the coral reefs of the Bay Islands. We have more protected areas than Costa Rica has as a country. Best of all, Hondurans are friendly people that will open their hearts up to you. If you are in the planning stage of your trip o Honduras, I invite you to read our new post about cities to visit in Honduras, this new year.[themify_hr border_width=”1″ width=”1″ color=”light-gray”]

Perhaps you are thinking and asking yourself: yeah, what about these migrant caravans from Honduras? As a rule, these Hondurans are doing the same that many have done before them: Chasing the American Dream. Most face economic hardship at home and have few or no options to get a decent job. They are honest and hardworking law-abiding people that do not want to resort to crime to make a living. They are simply doing what many Europeans did in the late eighteen hundreds and early nineteen hundreds. Looking for an opportunity they can not find at home. That is understandable, and I can only admire the risks they undertake to achieve that dream!