Tegucigalpa
Ringed by forested hills in a highland valley, sprawling Tegucigalpa enjoys a relatively fresh, mild climate and a spectacular setting. It's a bustling and dynamic place, but one that many travellers minimize their time in or skip over entirely. This is a shame, as while Tegus (as all locals call it) is no beauty – streets are choked with traffic and its resultant pollution, along with high crime statistics – it's still a fascinating place, with some good museums, restaurants and the air of a place on the up.
Downtown Tegus is the neglected heart of the nation, a cluster of once elegant but now faded streets where ropa americana (used clothing) outlets have replaced department stores. For a feel of the city, stroll the pedestrianized Calle Peatonal, visit a couple of the city's decent museums and grab a snack at the market.
maphub-meta:{"marker-color": "#e32c31"}

Parque Nacional La Tigra
A short distance northeast of the capital, Parque Nacional La Tigra covers 238 sq km of rugged forest, with cloud forest and dry pine forest, numerous rivers and waterfalls and a large and varied (but exceedingly shy) population of mammals, including pumas, peccaries, armadillos and agoutis (rabbit-sized rodents). Somewhat easier to spy are the park’s numerous birds – 350 species in all – making La Tigra the country’s best birdwatching spot after Lago de Yojoa.
If you’re lucky, you may even spot a quetzal, a distinctive, aqua-coloured bird with long tail feathers. Impossible to miss is the park’s exuberant flora: lush trees, vines, lichens, large ferns, colorful mushrooms, bromeliads and what seems like a million orchids.
maphub-meta:{"marker-color": "#3cc954"}

Santa Lucía
A charming old colonial mining town with a spectacular vista over the capital, 14km to the east of Tegucigalpa. Here you will find a striking 18th-century iglesia (church) and historic streets to explore.

Comayagua, Honduras
Comayagua was the first capital of Honduras and an important religious and political center for over three centuries, until power shifted to Tegucigalpa in 1880. The town’s rich past is evident in its fine old churches, an impressive cathedral and its colonial plazas. A very Catholic city, it’s the place in Honduras to witness Easter celebrations. The rest of the year, it's a pleasant stopover between Tegucigalpa and northern Honduras, though there's little to detain you for longer.
On the outskirts of the town is a huge air base used by the US military. Known as La Palmerola (or Soto Cano), it formed a base for US forces in the 1980s when the Contra war was raging in Nicaragua. Today about a thousand soldiers are stationed here, and you'll often see off-duty soldiers relaxing in town.
maphub-meta:{"marker-color": "#e32c31"}

Parque Nacional Montaña de Comayagua
Spanning more than 300 sq km of primary and secondary forest, PANACOMA (which is managed by Ecosimco) has two main hiking trails leading through the cloud forest, from near the small village of Río Negro, 42km north of Comayagua, to waterfalls. The first trail is to Cascada de los Ensueños, a 75m-high waterfall about an hour’s hike through mostly secondary forest. The second trail veers off the first just before reaching Los Ensueños, and leads to another waterfall, El Gavilán.
maphub-meta:{"marker-color": "#3cc954"}

La Esperanza
Up in the highlands, slow-paced La Esperanza is known for its markets. Indigenous influence is strong here – you will see many women wearing the distinctive, colourful Lenca headdress. For these reasons – and not its muddy streets – it's a more interesting stopover than Marcala. As the highest town in Honduras (1770m), it can get decidedly chilly here, too.

Marcala
Marcala is a highland town with a strong indigenous heritage. It lies at the southern end of Honduras’ 'Ruta Lenca' – a collection of Lenca villages and stronghold of Lencan culture. The town itself is tranquil but unremarkable, but it sits pretty in prime coffee country – there are several opportunities to see the world’s favourite bean being harvested and prepared. Several hikes in the surrounding area take in picturesque waterfalls and caves.
The hike to La Estanzuela – a pretty waterfall and swimming spot – via the impressive cavern La Cueva del Gigante is a popular excursion

Lago de Yojoa
Largely undeveloped and ringed by dense tropical forest, Lago de Yojoa is exceptionally scenic. Thanks to the indefatigable efforts of a local microbrewery owner to promote the region, the lake is now the most popular spot for breaking the journey between the Bay Islands and Nicaragua.
Lago de Yojoa's birdlife is world-class: the latest species count is up to 485 – over half the total in Honduras – including the elusive quetzal. You can also hike to remote waterfalls and the summit of Santa Bárbara, visit coffee plantations, go tubing and zip lining or row on the lake itself. (As it's very shallow, with many reeds close to shore, swimming here is not great.)
Boat trips on the lake are an essential experience, involving an early start and paddling along the totally undeveloped western side of the lake. Here the magnificent birdlife includes toucans and fish eagles; you may well also see large iguanas and monkeys. Expect to pay L300 per person for a two-hour tour in a rowing boat.
A three-waterfall hike runs through the foothills of Parque Montaña Nacional de Santa Bárbara – a delightful day-hike through coffee country and traditional settlements. The main attraction here is a stunning series of falls, dubbed La Escalada de los Gigantes (Giants' Stairs) by locals, from where there are sweeping views.
Peña Blanca is the main transportation hub near the lake; it's a bustling but uninteresting commercial town. Los Naranjos, an otherwise unremarkable village some way down a poorly maintained road, is where most travellers base themselves at D&D Brewery. If you like the great outdoors, the gorgeous region around Lago de Yojoa will keep you busy for days. Here the rolling, verdant landscape conceals rushing rivers, extraordinary waterfalls, spectacular caves, important archaeological sites and extremely rich flora and fauna, all of which can be explored on your own.
maphub-meta:{"marker-color": "#3cc954"}

Parque Nacional Cerro Azul Meámbar
East of Lago de Yojoa, this well-maintained national park boasts kilometres of trails leading to waterfalls, caves and untouched cloud forest. There's also a visitors center, lodge and restaurant here. The entrance is via a turnoff from La Guama on the main CA-5 highway. Frequent pickups head to Santa Elena; from there, walking to the park’s PANACAM Lodge takes about one hour.
To get to Parque Nacional Cerro Azul Meambar, there are buses from Peña Blanca to La Guama (L20, 20 minutes, every half hour). In La Guama you then need to take a minibus bound for Santa Helena and pay the driver 200L for the trip up into the park.

Parque Nacional Montaña de Santa Bárbara
Parque Nacional Santa Bárbara is an isolated national park containing Honduras’ second-highest peak, Montaña de Santa Bárbara (2744m), plus extensive cloud forest rich in orchids and epiphytes. It's a wonderful place to explore, and though it's a tough hike to the summit you’ve a very good chance of seeing quetzals on the mountainside – for many the main reason to visit.

Pulhapanzak Waterfall
This magnificent 43m waterfall on the Río Lindo is just 17km north of Lago de Yojoa (and also an easy day trip from San Pedro Sula). Surrounded by lush forest, it's a privately run beauty spot, where guides will lead you along a path directly behind the waterfall. There's good swimming and zip lining (L500) right across the main body of the falls. Take dry clothes if you do the cave tour, and be aware that it can get crowded here on weekends.
To reach the Pulhapanzak waterfall from San Pedro Sula, take an El Mochito chicken bus (L50, one hour) and get off at San Buenaventura, from where it's a well-marked 15-minute walk. Less frequent – but direct – Pulhapanzak Express buses also go directly to the entrance. The last bus back passes through San Buenaventura around 4pm. The El Mochito bus also passes through Los Naranjos, meaning it's easy to reach the falls from D&D Brewery.

Cuevas de Taulabé
Around 20km south of the Lago de Yojoa is the entrance to the Cuevas de Taulabé, a network of underground caves with unusual stalactite and stalagmite formations. Admission includes a guide – but a tip may get you to some of the less-visited areas. So far, the caves have been explored to a depth of 12km with no end in sight. The first section of the caves has lights and a (sometimes slippery) cement pathway: wear appropriate shoes.

Los Naranjos Ecological & Archeological Park
On the northwest side of the lake, this park was first occupied around 1300 BC, and is thought to be the largest Preclassic-era Lenca archaeological site. The ruins themselves are not terribly interesting: they’re made of clay, so have been only semi-excavated, to protect them from environmental damage. The main reason to visit, however, is the wildlife. The park has 6km of trails that wind through the forest over hanging bridges and on a lakeside boardwalk, providing fantastic opportunities for birdwatching.

San Pedro Sula
The business and industrial capital of Honduras, San Pedro generates almost two-thirds of the country’s GDP, with thousands employed in giant maquila (clothes-weaving) factories. It's wealthier and more sophisticated than Tegucigalpa, despite its horrendous reputation for gang violence.
Indeed, it has been named the world's most violent city (outside of a war zone) many times, most recently in 2015. However, most crime is gang-on-gang, and it's very rare for tourists to be targeted or caught up in violence. Some areas are violent, but you probably won't see them: the city remains doable for travellers for a day or two.
Despite this, few linger long here: there are few sights, there's little cultural life, and the sultry climate can be oppressive. Since San Pedro's international airport is Honduras' main entry point and its bus station a crucial travel hub, though, you're very likely to pass through.
maphub-meta:{"marker-color": "#e32c31"}

Copán Ruinas
The town of Copán Ruinas, often simply called Copán, is a beautiful place, paved with cobblestones and lined with white adobe buildings with red-tiled roofs. It's also one of the most charming and traveller-oriented places in Honduras, with a friendly local population, widely spoken English and some great hotels and restaurants. Many people come here just to see the famous nearby Maya ruins, but with plenty of other attractions in the town and nearby, there's reason enough to linger.

Los Sapos
The sapos (toads) are old Maya stone carvings, set in a location with a beautiful view over the town. The site is connected with Maya fertility rites. You can get there on horseback in about half an hour, or walk it in about an hour, all uphill. From Los Sapos you can walk to Stela 10 – if you plan on doing that, stop by Café ViaVia for a free map, as the trail is not well marked.
Los Sapos is on the grounds of Hacienda San Lucas, a century-old farmhouse that has been converted into a B&B and restaurant. There are walking trails here, too.
maphub-meta:{"marker-color": "#ffcc00"}

Copán Archaeological Site
One of the most important of all Maya civilizations lived, prospered, then mysteriously crumbled around the Copán archaeological site, a Unesco World Heritage Site. During the Classic period (AD 250–900), the city at Copán Ruinas culturally dominated the region. The architecture is not as grand as what's across the border in Tikal, but the city produced remarkable sculptures and hieroglyphics, and these days you'll often be virtually alone at the site, which makes it all the more haunting.
The ruins are a pleasant 1km stroll outside of Copán. A visitors center, an excellent sculpture museum and a cafe and gift shop are close to the main entrance. T
maphub-meta:{"marker-color": "#ffcc00"}

Gracias
Gracias is a small, tranquil cobblestone town that's one of the prettiest and most historic settlements in Honduras. For a brief time in the 16th century, it was the capital of all Spanish-conquered Central America and traces of its former grandeur remain in its centuries-old buildings, colonial churches and impressive fort. It's been in a state of slow but charming decline ever since, and today the pace of life here rarely moves beyond walking.
Founded in 1526 by Spanish Captain Juan de Chávez, its original name was Gracias a Dios (Thanks to God). Eventually the town’s importance was eclipsed by Antigua (Guatemala) and Comayagua.
The area around Gracias, including Parque Nacional Montaña de Celaque, is mountainous and beautiful, much of it forested, and the main reason to come to Gracias is to explore the undulating countryside around the town itself.
Gracias is a charming place to wander around, even if its actual sights are limited. As well as the famous fortress, the town has several colonial iglesias, including San Marcos on the Parque Central (whose facade, oddly, does not face the plaza). The rolling green countryside around Gracias includes two very popular thermal springs, several traditional Lenca villages and some superb canyon scenery, where zip lining is available in the village of La Campa.

Omoa
Omoa feels like the end of the road, and indeed this unremarkable town 18km west of Puerto Cortés sees few visitors. Despite this fact, it's an attractive little resort on a broad curving bay that makes for great sunsets, even if, due to coastal erosion, the brown-sugar beach is minimal. There's a historic fort and a clutch of seafood restaurants along the seafront.

Puerto Cortés
Honduras' main port is a thoroughly depressing and ugly town – if you've just arrived from Guatemala or Belize, things only get better from here. There’s nothing of interest to travellers beyond the ferry to Belize. If you need to overnight for the ferry, Omoa is a far more attractive base, though most people head straight for San Pedro Sula.

Tela
Tela is a somewhat run-down urban resort whose beaches are, mostly full of trash and in many places simply unsafe even during daytime. Its town centre is fairly unattractive and definitely not safe after dark, while its hotels and restaurants are mediocre and overpriced.
Yet despite all that, many people pass through and even stay a night or two here to visit the fantastic Lancetilla Jardín Botánico, the largest botanical garden in the Americas. The two nearby nature reserves – Jeannette Kawas and Punta Izopo – are both wonderful excursions as well, and within easy striking distance of the town.
Tela is crammed with Honduran vacationers during Semana Santa (Holy Week before Easter), but the rest of the year things are pretty tranquilo.
The main attraction of Tela itself is its beaches, which stretch for miles around the bay. Most are littered, but west of town in front of Hotel Villas Telamar there's a pale, powdery stretch that is kept impeccably clean. Beach beds can be rented by nonguests, but only when occupancy is low at the resort. Beaches further afield, while much cleaner, can be risky to visit.

Parque Nacional Jeannette Kawas
This national park a short distance outside Tela has several white-sand beaches, including the pretty Playa Cocalito. Offshore coral reefs make for reasonable snorkeling, and howler monkeys, boa constrictors and toucans live in the forest. You can arrange day trips, which include hiking, snorkelling and hanging out on the beach. Tela's main travel agencies run tours here.

Lancetilla Botanical Garden
One of the largest tropical botanical gardens in the world, the Lancetilla Botanical Garden & Research Center spans some 1680 hectares and has 1200 species of plants from four continents. The garden has hundreds of bird species – migratory species are present from November to February – and generates 60% of Tela’s fresh water. Well-marked trails wind through the main garden and arboretum areas, although guided tours (in Spanish only) are available for L100 per hour. Last entry is at 3.30pm.
Lancetilla is 6km southwest of the center of Tela. A good way to get here is by bicycle (which you can rent in Tela); about 4km from town there's a turnoff from the highway that leads to the main gardens. Taxis charge L120 each way.

La Ensenada
Several idyllic villages populated by the Garifuna are within easy reach of Tela. Each has rustic (sometimes stilted) houses right on the beach, with fishing canoes resting on the sand and the azure waters of the Caribbean lapping against the shore. The closest village to Tela is attractive little La Ensenada, 3km east along the arc of the beach from Tela, just before you reach the point.
Larger El Triunfo de la Cruz can be reached by regular buses that depart from near Tela's market. It's the most developed of the Garifuna villages, lacking the peaceful ambiance of the other settlements. West of Tela it's 8km to Tornabé, a large Garifuna settlement where you can set up boat tours. Past Tornabé, the beach road continues for several more kilometres to Miami, a beautiful village of palapa-roofed (thatched) huts on a narrow sandbar; it's the most traditional and least changed of the villages on this strip.

La Ceiba
La Ceiba is known as Honduras’ good-time town: 'Tegucigalpa thinks, San Pedro Sula works and La Ceiba parties,' so the saying goes. Certainly this port city's buzzing nightlife makes it a mecca for fiesta-hungry Hondurans, though nearly all the action is over the estuary in Barrio La Isla, the city’s zona viva (nightlife district). Elsewhere, expect searing heat and punishing humidity (and take care after dark).
There's otherwise very little of interest in Ceiba itself: local beaches are polluted and unsafe and the downtown has a crumbling, neglected air (though it's still streets ahead of Tela on the charm front). Despite this, most travelers will find themselves here at some point as Ceiba is the transportation hub for the Bay Islands, as well as a great base for exploring the Pico Bonito National Park, the idyllic Cayos Cochinos and the world-class white water on the Río Cangrejal.
The area around La Ceiba is a knock-out, and by far the best reason to visit the city. Indeed, many travelers prefer to stay in the surrounding areas rather than in La Ceiba proper, all the better to enjoy the Parque Nacional Pico Bonito, the stunning Río Cangrejal, the beautiful beaches of Cayos Cochinos or the wildlife of Refugio de Vida Silvestre Cuero y Salado.

Río Cangrejal
Surging through the jungle, the turquoise Río Cangrejal is rightly renowned as Central America's premier rafting experience. Even if you've zero intention of dipping an oar in its foaming waters, the region makes a stunning base for all manner of adventure sports, birdwatching or just chilling by the river. The scenery is spectacular, the air is mountain-fresh and there are some excellent places to stay strung out along the riverside.

Parque Nacional Pico Bonito
Looming over La Ceiba, the densely forested mountain of Pico Bonito forms one of Honduras’ best-known national parks (entrance fee L160). It harbors some abundant wildlife, including jaguars, armadillos and monkeys.
There are two entrances. El Pino is a village about 15km west of La Ceiba on the highway to Tela. Guides can be arranged here for the moderately difficult three-hour hike to Cascada Zacate waterfall. The other entrance is by the Río Cangrejal, where a visitors center was recently built, along with a suspension bridge over the roaring river (L20 to access for photos). (Conveniently, it's on the same road as the Río Cangrejal river lodges.) From the visitors center there's a lovely trail (three hours' round-trip) through lush mountainside forest to El Bejuco waterfall.

Cayos Cochinos
The idyllic white sands of the Cayos Cochinos (Hog Islands), just 17km from the mainland, can easily be visited as a day trip from the La Ceiba region. Access is by motorized canoe from Nueva Armenia or Sambo Creek, east of La Ceiba. There's a L220 entrance fee to enter the Cayos Cochinos.
The two Hog Islands, the 13 tiny coral cays and the seas around them comprise a marine reserve – it's illegal to anchor on the reef, and commercial fishing is prohibited. Consequently, the reefs are pristine and fish abundant. Diving and snorkelling are excellent around the islands, with black coral reefs, wall diving, cave diving, seamounts and a plane wreck. The islands are also known for their unique pink boa constrictors and the strength of the local Garifuna culture.
Lots of La Ceiba tour operators offer tours to the cays: this is the best way to visit. Agencies charge around L900 per person (minimum six people) for a full-day trip. You can also visit on a day trip from Roatán.

Sambo Creek
Some 21km east of La Ceiba, Sambo Creek is a thriving Garifuna fishing village. It's a slightly scruffy but fascinating place where you'll see women in striking attire and traditional headdresses. A punta (traditional Garifuna dance) party is never far away. The beach is a lovely stretch of sand, which most of the year is pretty clean, though trash washes up after storms.

Refugio de Vida Silvestre Cuero y Salado
his wetland reserve protects varied and abundant wildlife: manatees are the most famous (and the hardest to see), but there are also howler and white-faced monkeys, sloths, agoutis (rabbit-sized rodents), iguanas, caimans and around 200 bird species.
The small town of La Unión is the gateway to Cuero y Salado. From there, you catch a train to a visitors center, where a L220 entrance fee is collected and tours can be organized. Two-hour guided canoe tours are by far the best way to explore the reserve (around L150 for two people, plus L220 per guide).
To get to the reserve, take a bus to La Unión from La Ceiba’s main terminal (L30, 1½ hours, every 45 minutes). From La Unión, jump on the trencito (railcar) for the 9.5km ride (L260, hourly 7am to 2pm) on an old banana railroad to the visitors center. The last railcar returns from the visitors center at 2:30pm; the final bus from La Unión to La Ceiba is at 4pm.

Trujillo
Isolated, plucky Trujillo is the end of the line for the Honduran mainland: beyond it lies the virtually roadless jungle of the Moskitia, so there's a frontier-town vibe about the place. The town's setting is magnificent, with soaring mountains in the distance and the wide arc of the Bahía de Trujillo, a brilliant blue expanse of water that has seen the sails of Columbus and many a famous buccaneer, spread out before it. Trujillo boasts some interesting history, excellent nearby beaches and a slow-moving Caribbean air you won't find anywhere else on Honduras' northern coastline.
For years the town has been talked up as Honduras' next big tourism thing, and the completion of a ship terminal means that occasionally the town is swamped by cruise travellers, but thankfully not often: the rest of the year things carry on as they always have done in this delightful, semi-forgotten place.
You can sense the town's tumultuous history during a quick stroll around Trujillo's historical core and cobblestone streets. Many fine Caribbean-style wooden houses remain around the Parque Central, and of course there's the fascinating old fort, which offers sweeping views over the bay.
Trujillo also has a fine shoreline, though a lot of trash washes up on its beaches. The best beaches are a few kilometres west of town. Just off the coast, 2km east of Casa Kiwi on the road to Puerto Castillo, is the wreck of a sunken ship that's good for snorkelling; close to the shore, it's easily accessible from the beach.
Around 5km east of Trujillo, Laguna de Guaimoreto functions as a wildlife refuge and has a complex system of canals and mangrove forests that provide shelter to abundant bird, plant and animal life (including the elusive manatee). Thousands of migratory birds refuel here between November and February. You can hire rowing boats or canoes (and even someone to paddle for you) by the old bridge between Trujillo and Puerto Castillo. Expect to pay around L250 for a two-hour excursion.

Roatán Island
Roatán is the largest and most developed of the Bay Islands. Long and thin (50km long, but only 2km to 4km wide), the island is (like neighbouring Utila) a real diving and snorkelling mecca – virtually its entire coastline is fringed by an astonishingly diverse coral reef teeming with tropical fish. On land, exquisite white-sand beaches like West Bay, a mountainous interior of pine-forested hills and the remote wild east of the island (once a pirate hangout) beg to be explored.
Roatán attracts a far more midrange crowd than Utila, with few budget options for sleeping and eating. The vast majority of backpackers base themselves in West End, where there's at least a smattering of hostels and affordable eating options. Unsurprisingly, this natural beauty hasn't been ignored by property developers and tour operators: a slew of resort hotels, a shopping mall and a cruise-ship terminal have opened in recent years.

West End
Curled around two small turquoise bays and laced with coconut palms, West End is a super-chill diving village close to the western tip of the island. It's the one place in Roatán where independent travellers – rather than package tourists – dominate, and its quirky 'high street' is lined with sea-facing restaurants, boutiques selling sarongs and jewellery, reggae bars and (of course) dive schools.
Even though most accommodations and eating options are geared toward the midrange market, you'll find some good budget places here, plus there's always a community of backpackers to socialize with.

Half Moon Bay
Half Moon Bay, which forms the northern part of the West End, is a lovely sandy bay with shallow, sheltered water. Snorkelling is good, but it's some distance out to the reef from the shore and there's a lot of boat traffic, so consider heading elsewhere (such as nearby West Bay).
maphub-meta:{"marker-color": "#ffcc00"}

Camp Bay Beach
East of Oak Ridge a dirt road snakes across a wildly beautiful landscape, with the forested spine of the island rising above some isolated bays, beaches and mangroves. There are turnoffs for the Garifuna settlement of Punta Gorda and the old pirate stronghold of Port Royal, but the main attraction is stunning Camp Bay Beach on the north shore – a wonderful, virtually undeveloped strip of pale sand. Continue a little further east and you enter the dense pines of the Port Royal National Park.

West Bay
Imagine a paradisiacal vision of the Caribbean: a quiet, white-sand beach fringed with coconut palms and an azure sea filling the horizon. West Bay is that vision.
Two decades ago this was still a virgin beach, and backpackers revelled in its unadulterated natural majesty. But times have changed, and a line of uninspiring resort hotels lurk behind the palms and coastal pines. But if you head to the far (southern) end of the kilometre-long beach, close to the volcanic rocks where large black iguanas hide out, there are still few better places in Honduras to indulge in some serious beach time.
It's essential to time your visit carefully, however: when a cruise ship moors up to 5000 people can be disgorged on poor old West Bay, and all prices are suddenly inflated. There are no beachside places here that are geared to backpackers' wallets. Bring your own packed lunch, or else try the little row of shops directly behind the beach

Utila Island
Utila is a charming island that has enjoyed a reputation for years as the place to learn to dive in Latin America. While it may no longer be an incredible bargain due to new taxes on diving, Utila remains diving-obsessed and is one of Honduras' most popular backpacker haunts.
Utila is small (about 13km long and 5km wide) and focused almost entirely on Utila Town, the island's only settlement, which is set on a curving bay with two small beaches and dozens of hotels, restaurants, bars and dive shops. With only a few roads, much of the island is impenetrable wilderness accessible only by sea.
Utila earns its keep mainly from its reef, with over a dozen dive schools and some excellent dive sites around the shoreline. Another huge draw: the juvenile whale sharks – gentle giants measuring up to 6m long – that are regularly spotted around the island.

Bando Beach
Utila Town's privately run beach is a bit of an underwhelming affair, but at least you're in an enclosed space with sun loungers and access to a bar for cool drinks. Turn right from the harbour and head to the very end of Main St; go over the bridge and it's on the right.

Whale Shark & Oceanic Research Center
This excellent place dedicated to whale shark research has numerous displays about the sharks' biology. The real reason to visit, however, is to join one of the regular snorkelling trips (L1000, 7:30am to noon) and track down these glorious creatures yourself. Once the whale sharks are found, everyone dons snorkelling gear and jumps into the ocean with them – an unforgettable experience.

Laguna de Ibans
The small traditional coastal communities around Laguna de Ibans are likely to be your first overnight stop if you enter the Moskitia via the overland route. Pick your base from a cluster of small settlements – Cocobila, Raista and Belén. All have good budget accommodations and are a short walk apart.
The quiet Miskito village of Raista is possibly the nicest of the three, with wooden houses on stilts. There are beach walks (though trash spoils the scene), and wildlife-spotting hikes can be arranged to look for nesting sea turtles and crocs in the lagoon (no swimming here, folks!). If you get the chance, take in Plaplaya, a lovely, traditional Garifuna village a short boat ride from Raista, where giant leatherback sea turtles nest and are released by volunteers between April and July.

Reserva de la Biosfera del Río Plátano
The Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve is a magnificent nature reserve, declared a World Heritage Site in 1980. A vast, unspoiled and untamed wilderness, it's home to extraordinary animal life, including a number of endangered species. The best time to visit is from November to July, though bird-watchers should come in February and March, when many migratory birds are here.
One of the best places to organize tours is in Las Marías, a village in the heart of the reserve with around 100 Miskito and Pech families. There is no running water or electricity here, though there are a few generators.
Short trails around the village are good for birding, but for longer trips it's essential to hire a guide and arrange camping equipment and food. Guides do not speak English. Bookings are difficult to organize in advance and not really necessary.

Palacios
Palacios is a tense, rather lawless place known as a drug-running stronghold. Do not venture outside at night, and take care at any time of day.

Brus Laguna
Beside the lagoon of the same name, Brus Laguna is an accessible entry point to the Moskitia, as it has an airport. You can head to Raista or even straight to Las Marías from here. There are a couple of internet places here, but no bank. Note that there's now a large US DEA (Drug Beside the lagoon of the same name, Brus Laguna is an accessible entry point to the Moskitia, as it has an airport. You can head to Raista or even straight to Las Marías from here. There are a couple of internet places here, but no bank. Note that there's now a large US DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) and Honduran military presence in the area due to increased narco activities.

Puerta Lempira
Despite being not much more than an overgrown village, Puerto Lempira is the largest town in the Moskitia. Situated on the inland side of the Laguna de Caratasca, it's not that interesting, though it has good air connections, a hospital and erratic internet access.
Possible day trips from Puerto Lempira include the serene Miskito village of Mistruk, 18km south of town on the banks of the Laguna de Tansing, which can be reached on a bike.

Choluteca
While it's a much-travelled region (the Interamericana crosses through Honduras here), there's little of interest to travellers – except perhaps Isla del Tigre, which has some charm. But those who hang around get a treat.
If you're only passing through southern Honduras, it's less than three hours by bus between the borders of El Salvador and Nicaragua. Heading east to Nicaragua you're sure to pass through the large city and transportation hub of Choluteca, which has little to detain you apart from some colonial charm, though there are plentiful banks and facilities.

Isla del Tigre
sla del Tigre is an inactive volcanic island off the southern coast of Honduras, with a highest point of 783m. It's a dramatic place covered in thick forest and with some decent beaches that attract droves of locals but very few foreigners.
Its main town is Amapala, a scruffy fishing village with picturesque, crumbling clapboard architecture. Black-sand Playa Negra, in the north of the island, is arguably the island's best beach, though there are several other totally undeveloped stretches elsewhere here.