Best of Atlantida

October 19, 2014

Best of Atlantida, Best of Central America, National Parks Atlantida, Cangrejal River, Cayos Cochinos, Pico Bonito National Park, Tela 0

Central America has long carved a niche in the ecotourism market. As a matter of fact, the term, ecotourism was coined in Central America. Today, there are many different destinations looking to get a piece of the action, and although Costa Rica is the leader without doubt, it is not necessarily the best option. Honduras has a magnificent selection of ecotourism options, and without doubt, Atlantida, the best ecotourism destination in Central America, has all of the ingredients for a perfect ecotourism vacation.

Atlantida, the best ecotourism destination in Central America offers 8 protected areas that are all close to each other. These National Parks and wildlife refuges are not only easy accessible and offered by tour operators, they are also very diverse between each other and are available at a fraction of what you would pay in Costa Rica!

For example, Atlantida, the best ecotourism destination in Central America offers World Class white water rafting on the Cangrejal River. Best of all is the fact that the put in at the river is only 45 minutes away from the airport, ferry terminal or any hotel in the city! If you prefer, you can even stay at a hotel within the Cangrejal River Valley and therefore simply walk to the put in! Such is the case at La Villa de Soledad B&B, a lovely boutique bed and breakfast and jungle eco lodge that is located on the Cangrejal River and within walking distance to the trails in Pico Bonito National Park. For a complete list of your options in the Cangrejal River Valley, visit www.cangrejalriver.com

Atlantida also offers outstanding reefs at the Cayos Cochinos Marine Monument, located just a few miles off the shore from Sambo Creek. There are daily tours departing to these magnificent kays, and you can either take a day tour or even spend a night in this pristine Caribbean Paradise.

Tela, the other large community that offers access to the protected areas in Atlantida offers lovely beaches, great Garifuna communities plus the opportunity to visit the second largest tropical botanical garden in the World: Lancetilla Gardens. There is also a magnificent reef that was recently discovered in the Bay of Tela that provides for outstanding diving in a very pristine location. Atlantida, the best ecotourism destination in Central America offers much more than you will see elsewhere! Best of all, it is affordable and not overrun by tourists! Come and visit Atlantida and see for yourself all that this destination has to offer!

October 16, 2014

Best of Atlantida, National Parks Atlantida, bed and breakfast, La Ceiba, Pico Bonito National Park 0

Atlantida, a magical land located between the rugged Nombre de Dios Mountains and the Caribbean Sea, is home to 8 protected areas within Honduras. You will not find a higher density of protected areas anywhere in Central America, not even Costa Rica, who markets itself as the Eco Tourism Mecca in the region. Because of this high density of national parks Atlantida is home to a large percentage of eco jungle lodges in Honduras. There are many bed and breakfast in Atlantida, and many of these are within or very close to the protected areas of Atlantida.

The highest concentration of bed and breakfast in Atlantida is located outside of the City of La Ceiba, mostly around the Pico Bonito National Park, but also around Nombre de Dios National Park. These parks are separated by the lovely Cangrejal River, and it is precisely in this area where you can find the highest concentration of bed and breakfast in Atlantida. For a list of all of the inns, hostels and bed and breakfast in this area, visit www.cangrejalriver.com

Here you will find unique lodging options and some of the nicest bed and breakfast in Atlantida. Such is the case of La Villa de Soledad B&B, a family run operation, built as a traditional Colonial Spanish Hacienda, it is quickly becoming one of the most popular bed and breakfast in Atlantida. Personalized attention, hands on assistance in arranging custom tours and activities, outstanding home cooked meals will make your stay here a most memorable one.

Atlantida offers a magnificent opportunity for a nature / adventure focused vacation, with a variety of options that go from hot springs to magnificent white water rafting to visiting a community whose culture has been designated an intangible cultural heritage by the UNESCO, the Garifuna Culture.

There are many options for bed and breakfast in Atlantida, and you can also find a list of them visiting tripadvisor at: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g292023-La_Ceiba_Atlantida_Department-Hotels.html Come and enjoy the best bed and breakfast in Atlantida!

August 18, 2014

Best of Atlantida, National Parks, Tours in La Ceiba Atlantida, Cayos Cochinos, diving, La Ceiba, scuba diving, Tela 0

Did you know that diving in Atlantida is not only possible but absolutely great?

Diving in Atlantida? The majority of tourists that visit the Bay Islands of Honduras have one big reason to go there: diving! Utila has become famous worldwide due to the fact that it is considered the most affordable destination in the World to get certified as a diver; in other words there is no less expensive destination to get your certification as a diver! Roatan is not far behind in prices, especially in the West End area, where there are many different dive shops that are competing for your business, usually by dropping their prices! If you are just looking to get certified, then the Islands are certainly your best option, however, if you are a serious diver, looking for unique reefs, then you should probably look a bit further, and you will find that Atlantida could be a great spot to do some different, unique diving!

Diving in Atlantida offers two distinct products, one at each end of the department. Within the Bay of Tela, a reef was recently discovered that has gotten raving reviews. Nobody knew it was there, so it had not been fished, dived, or had boats full of tourists throwing their anchors into the reef so that hordes of tourists or divers could explore the reef… The reef, which has been called Capiro Reef, offers the best reef off mainland Honduras, it is teeming with life, and is just a short boat ride from the town of Tela. There are a couple of operators that provide service here, the easiest one to get in touch with is the Tela Dive Center. Their headquarters are located within the Hotel Marsol, which is on the main entrance to Tela, a couple of blocks before the beach. (www.teladivecenter.com)

In the La Ceiba area, the diving takes place in Cayos Cochinos. To get to Cayos Cochinos, known in English as the Hog Cays, you must go to Sambo Creek. One of the tour operators that provides regular tour service to Cayos Cochinos is Tourist Options, they are located at the Turicentro Sambo Creek which is right on the beach at Sambo Creek. Cayos Cochinos is considered part of the Meso American Barrier Reef, which is the most biodiverse reef in the World! Cayos is so absolutely unique that the Smithsonian institute actually partnered in conducting investigations on the reef several years ago! There is even a boutique dive resort in Cayos Cochinos that offers diving packages to travelers who are serious about diving. The Turtle Bay Eco Resort is located on the bigger of the two islands and has all inclusive (rooms, meals and diving) packages. (www.turtlebayecoresort.com ). So now you know the different options for diving in Atlantida!

July 28, 2014

Best of Atlantida, Best of Central America Best eco tours in Central America, Eco Tourism in Central America 0

Is it true that La Ceiba is Eco Tourism?

Many people may wonder why, if at all they should visit La Ceiba… The truth is that La Ceiba is eco tourism! Considered as the Ecotourism capital of Honduras, it is easily one of the best eco tourism destinations in Central America. Best of all, it is not overrun by tourists, making it a unique, spectacular and very desirable destination for those who enjoy some ecotourism. Most travelers on the Central American Route miss out on La Ceiba, despite the fact that many actually come through the city en route to the Bay Islands.

You see, Honduras has gotten bad, very bad press reviews in the past 5 years. A political crisis, sparked by geopolitics, left the poor country with a horrendous reputation, the press, both local and international, worked hard at getting a wrong image of the country out on the table, and quite honestly, up until now, Hondurans have been quite inept at turning the image around. The truth is that Honduras is a lovely country, with magnificent Mayan Archaeological sites, World Class reefs and Caribbean Islands, some of them quite pristine, and some of the best preserved and accessible rain forest in the World. Visitors in Honduras are not harassed, bothered or victims of crime. Fact: There are actually fewer tourists assaulted in all of Honduras that in the City of San Jose, Costa Rica alone!

Actually, Honduras has over 100 protected areas, covering one fifth of the national territory, making it the Central American country with the largest expanses of protected areas and national parks. The total protected areas in Honduras are more than half the size of Costa Rica’s territory!

Of all of Honduras, the department of Atlantida has a total of 8 protected areas within its territory or area of influence, and La Ceiba is the crown jewel of Honduras when it comes to protected areas! With two national parks within its territory: Pico Bonito and Nombre de Dios National Parks, and the Cuero y Salado Wildlife Refuge adjacent to its political boundaries, as well as the Marine Monument of Cayos Cochinos, located just off the shores of Sambo Creek, La Ceiba offers a multitude of eco activities, that not only complement each other, but also provide for top quality experiences both for the serious as well as the novice eco tourist. So despite the bad rap that Honduras gets from the press, the fact is that if you are a tourist looking for a unique, eco based experience, La Ceiba is Eco Tourism and you should not pass it by!

Best of all is the fact that if you are on the Central American tourist trail, you will most surely be passing by the city on your way to the Bay Islands of Utila or Roatan, both international with a great reputation for diving and snorkeling. One of the main tourism assets of Central America is ecotourism, so it would really make no sense at all to pass by the city that is considered Honduras’ Eco Tourism capital and not take advantage of it. While in La Ceiba, make sure you do not miss the Cangrejal River Valley, a unique area, where you can enjoy a variety of eco tourism and adventure opportunities while relaxing in lovely inns and bed and breakfasts with lots of charm. Come stay at La Villa de Soledad B&B, the best boutique bed and breakfast in La Ceiba, where you can relax in nature… Remember, La Ceiba is Eco Tourism at its best in Central America!

July 27, 2014

Best of Atlantida, Best of La Ceiba safety in Honduras 0

Safety in La Ceiba… Is La Ceiba Safe?

Much has been said of safety in La Ceiba, especially in the Bay Islands, where the local inhabitants love to say that La Ceiba is extremely dangerous. The US State Department Travel Warning also mentions the department of Atlantida, whose capital city is La Ceiba, as one of the areas that should be avoided or visited with extreme caution… So what is the reality about safety in La Ceiba? The bottom line to the traveler is whether it is safe or not to visit this area. One issue that has a big influence in this question is the fact that unless you are flying directly into Roatan, La Ceiba is right on your path to the islands. In the end, many of the tourists that do visit the Bay Islands, which are the most visited destination in Honduras, must come through La Ceiba. Most of them use it as a transfer point, simply getting off the bus, jumping in a cab and rushing across the city and then swiftly jumping into the ferry to head off to the islands. Considering that not one single tourist has had a problem in this operation, you could easily conclude that La Ceiba is not truly that dangerous! But let’s look into the situation a bit deeper and see if we can find the truth!

There are some neighborhoods in the city that are outright dangerous. La Merced, La Suyapa and Bonitillo are probably the 3 most dangerous areas in town. Until recently, gangs operated freely in these areas, and although progress has been made in bringing these under control, the fact is that they are still dangerous areas. But then, every city in the World has areas that are dangerous; Detroit, Miami, Los Angeles and Chicago are all proof of this, and yet tourists flock daily to most of these cities and nothing happens to them! Why is this? Simply because there is nothing for them to do or see in the dangerous parts of the city and therefore they do not visit them! The same applies to La Ceiba. Most of the city is very safe, and you can visit the nicer tourist areas without any problem. The Zona Viva, where some of the better hotels and restaurants are established is safe, and the old municipal dock, where the Standard Fruit Company (Dole) used to export its produce from is being renovated and turned into a pedestrian area where you will be able to walk and see locals fishing, enjoy tales of old times, see the magnificent views of the Nombre de Dios mountains or watch a spectacular sunrise or sunset. Now one word of caution: if you stay up late till the wee hours in the zona viva, drink yourself silly and then walk down the streets alone letting everyone know you are absolutely drunk, yes, you are asking for trouble. You have just made yourself an easy target! You will probably be lucky enough to get away with it, but is the risk worth it?

Other areas that are normally visited by tourists in La Ceiba are the Cangrejal River Valley, the Garifuna communities of Sambo Creek and Corozal, the areas around Cuero y Salado Wildlife Refuge and the Cacao Lagoon. These areas are definitely safe, and very tourist friendly. The Cangrejal River area offers a variety of lodges and B&B, and one of the most outstanding ones in La Villa de Soledad B&B, a lovely Boutique Bed and Breakfast nestled on a small hilltop overlooking the valley and the Cangrejal River.

So now you know the truth, La Ceiba is a safe city for tourists. It offers a huge variety of attractions, which can be enjoyed by the visitors, there is something for every taste and interest, most of all, it is a unique destination in Central America, because of the nature that surrounds it; the fact that it is on the Caribbean Sea and a gateway to the Bay Islands of Honduras. You should definitely plan to stay a few days in the area, take advantage of the ecotourism activities offered and if you are adventurous, do some white water rafting or ziplining. If you are into hiking, there are great options with good trails into Pico Bonito National Park, and you can do some outstanding kayaking in the lagoons and mangroves at Cuero y Salado or Cacao Lagoon, sneaking up on the monkeys, the alligators, and maybe even a manatee! All of this and more… So what are you waiting for? You now know the truth about safety in La Ceiba!