birding in honduras

February 7 2019

Adventure Travel in Honduras, birding in honduras, National Parks, white water rafting Bird watching in Honduras, Cuero y Salado Wildlife Refuge, La Moskitia 0

We recently had a famous guest stay with us at La Villa de Soledad. I am referring to Nigel Marven, the British adventurer who travels around the World seeking unique animals. It was Nigel´s first time in Honduras, and I can say that he had a great time. In total, he was in Honduras for three weeks and had a blast. One of his first stops was at the Cangrejal River Valley. There, he spent two nights with us at La Villa de Soledad, one of the top eco jungle lodges in Honduras.

Yes Nigel Marven in Honduras!

Nigel had a chance to try white water rafting in the Cangrejal River. He even had a chance to spot and interact with a large snake that locals call “mica”. In English we call it the “Lighting Snake” because of its elegant bright yellow markings that resemble a lightning bolt! The snake is harmless and spends most of its time up in the trees. They can grow up to 6 or 7 feet long!

Perhaps Nigel’s most unique encounter in Honduras was with the typical Honduran “Baleada”. This is a large, thin wheat flour tortilla stuffed with beans. You see, it turns out that Nigel, being the animal lover that he is, is a vegetarian! Baleadas, are wheat tortillas with beans and can also have some cheese, cream and avocado. These last ones are some of my favorites! Nothing like enjoying a baleada after a long day at work!

We had a nice chance to chat with Nigel at La Villa de Soledad during one of the evenings that he spent there. He was a friendly fellow that was impressed with the tropical jungles of Honduras. Nigel Marven also had an opportunity to visit the Lost City of the Monkey God in the Moskitia. He was personally invited by the president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernandez. Nigel Marvin spent also visited the Hog Cays, as well as the Bay Island of Utila . In Western Honduras he visited Gracias, as well as Copan Ruinas.

Nigel Spent a Couple of Nights at La Villa de Soledad B&B!

Nigel Marven in Honduras — Birding at La Villa de Soledad

Nigel had some time to do some bird watching at La Villa de Soledad. Although he did see several different species of birds, he was particularly keen with some keel billed toucans whose nest was next door. They were bringing up a couple of chicks and there was quite a bit of activity at their nest.

It was an honor that Beaks and Peaks, the tour operator in charge of the tour chose us for their stay at the Cangrejal River Valley. Nigel even had some time to spend with us one evening. We invited our neighbors from the nearby hotels to stop by and meet him. We all had a pleasant time and are looking forward to Nigel’s program featuring his adventures in Honduras.

February 6 2019

Best of La Ceiba, birding in honduras, hotels in la ceiba, safety in Honduras, white water rafting Best bed and Breakfast in the Cangrejal River, best food in the Cangrejal River Valley, best hotel in La Ceiba 0

Are you looking for Reasons to Book at La Villa de Soledad B&B?

There are many GOOD reasons to book at La Villa de Soledad B&B. Following is a list of some of the best ones…

Exclusivity!

We are a small boutique bed and breakfast. With only four rooms, they can fill up fast! This is one of the top reasons to book at La Villa de Soledad B&B when you make up your mind to travel to the Cangrejal River. We can fill up fast! The fact that we are small means that we are exclusive! You will not run into many people during your stay. As a general rule, our boutique eco lodge attracts a refined crowd. You will meet interesting educated people from around the world, and you will enjoy their company.

Location We Are Easy to Get To!

Our location might seem remote, but we are easy to get to! This means that you won’t spend lots of time trying to get to your hotel room. We are happy to provide meet and greet and transfer service from La Ceiba to La Villa de Soledad. Arriving by bus to La Ceiba? We will meet you at the bus terminal! If you are arriving by ferry from the Bay Islands, we will do the same! Arriving at the La Ceiba Airport? We will be happy to meet you and transfer you from there.

If you are staying three or more nights, we will provide these transfers on a complimentary basis! Otherwise, we charge you a service charge of $20 US each way for your party of one to four persons. Regardless of where we pick you up, you will enjoy the 30 to 40 minute transfer to our beautiful Spanish Hacienda Style Inn.

Many Nearby Activities…

about rafting in Honduras — White Water Rafting in the Cangrejal River

Once at La Villa de Soledad, you will be surprised at the variety of activities that are available here. Best of all, many are within walking distance from your hotel room! Hiking across the swing bridge into Pico Bonito National Park is just a five minute walk from your room. The put in for World Class white water rafting in the Cangrejal River is a short fifteen minute walk. A zip line canopy tour at Jungle River is also within 15 minutes walking! Best of all, the swimming in the river is awesome! Simply put, there are so many things to do in La Ceiba that you need to plan on spending several nights here!

If you are into bird watching, then this should be one of the reasons to book at La Villa de Soledad! Enjoy great birding from the comfort of our open lounge. Heck you can even do bird watching while you lay in a hammock! Take a hike out on our trails and see how many different birds you spot! The amateur birders will go nuts with the many keeled billed toucans around out lodge! This is one of the top eco lodges in Honduras.

Great Sleeping

At night you will be lulled to sleep by the murmur of the Cangrejal River as it races towards the Caribbean Coast of Honduras. Early in the morning, the chatter of birds will me music to your ears! There is nothing like waking up in a comfortable bed in a beautiful natural setting! We are a bed and breakfast, and we strive to serve you a memorable breakfast to help you start your day well! The aroma of fresh brewed gourmet Honduran coffee will help you jump start your day. Fresh tropical fruits, many from our gardens are a main ingredient in all our breakfasts. Eggs and toast are also part of your breakfast. This is certainly one of the best deals in La Ceiba!

Outstanding Food

Although we do not actually have a restaurant, our guests rave about Soledad’s cooking. Soledad, your host (my wife) is a lovely Honduran lady who is always happy. She loves to have guests rave about her cooking. You will be hard pressed to find better home cooked meals elsewhere in Honduras! She only cooks for her guests and family. This is not a service that is available for walk-ins. So you will love to taste her meals! Many say that this is the best food in La Ceiba!

But perhaps you would like to have lunch or dinner elsewhere. There are two different restaurants within walking distance that you will enjoy.

Fantasitic Hosts

Last, but not least, John, your hosts (me) is bilingual and bi cultural. You will find that I can join your conversation on just about any topic. I am knowledgeable about travel through Honduras and Central America. Besides being an Innkeeper at La Villa de Soledad, I am the editor of Hondurastravel.com. This is an online travel guide and blog about Honduras. I can provide great tips about every destination in Honduras. I also have a travel guide and blog about Nicaragua called Nicatips.com.

Safety

There are many reasons to book at La Villa de Soledad B&B. They are all good, and they will help you have a memorable experience while in Honduras. Oh, and if you are wondering about whether it is safe or not at the Cangrejal River Valley, we sleep with our doors unlocked! We have lived here for 7 years and never had a problem. Neither have our neighbors. So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and book your rooms with us!

July 26 2015

Best of Atlantida, Best of Honduras, birding in honduras, National Parks Central America, La Ceiba, Pico Bonito National Park, rainforest

Have you ever had the opportunity of waking up in the rainforest?

We all dream, at some time or another of an adventure in the dense jungles of the world and getting a chance to experience what life would be like in the rainforest. Some of the most pristine rainforests in the World can be found in Central America, and believe it or not, some of these are actually fairly easy to get to. I happen to live adjacent to a magnificent rainforest located on the Caribbean coast of Honduras, in Central America.

Waking up in the rainforest is truly an experience to enjoy, and even though I have had the opportunity of living here for over 6 years, believe me, it just doesn’t get old! For starters, I get to fall asleep lulled by sounds of Cangrejal River, which is under 100 yards from our beautiful bed and breakfast. From the beds in each of our rooms at La Villa de Soledad B&B, you can hear the soothing sound of the river as it crashes against the boulders in its race to the Caribbean Sea, located 8 miles downriver. Although the sound of the river lulled you to sleep, you will quickly become aware of it when you wake up in the early morning. And I say early morning, because here, in the tropics the sun rises early. In the summer months, we have the first rays of light before 5 a.m., however it gets dark early, by 6:30 p.m. it will pitch black!

One of the first things you will notice upon waking up in the rainforest is the birds. Yes they all start singing quite early! At times, it’s almost a natural symphony, as different species of birds all pitch in to celebrate a new morning in the rainforests of Central America! One of the regulars every morning at La Villa de Soledad B&B are the keel billed toucans!

Of course there are different ways of waking up it the rainforest: You could have hiked a full day to a remote location and pitched a tent in makeshift campground. But on the other hand, you could pamper yourself and stay at a jungle eco lodge at the edge of a National Park, and sleep in a great orthopedic bed, under a comfortable ceiling fan and with moskito nets in the windows to keep those little critters at a safe distance. Getting up in the morning and walking into a shower with a generous amount of water pressure providing both hot and cold water is certainly an added benefit that you will enjoy. And how about walking out of your room and finding some freshly brewed coffee from the mountains of Honduras waiting for you to help you get your day started on the right foot?

Spending a night at La Villa de Soledad is the perfect way of waking up in the rainforest and loving every bit of it! Check out our availability and make your reservation now! See you soon at our lovely lodge at the Pico Bonito National Park in La Ceiba, Honduras. Just a word of warning: you might just get attached to waking up in the rainforest!

June 30 2015

Best of Honduras, birding in honduras, National Parks birding in Nombre de Dios National Park, birding in Pico Bonito National Park, Cangrejal River Valley, Nombre de Dios National Park, Pico Bonito National Park

Are you searching for some of the best Honduras birding hot spots?

Birding is becoming bigger and bigger as a niche market, and Honduras is finding its own little place in this market. One of the top Honduras birding hot spots is located on the north coast of Honduras, around the Pico Bonito National Park. Without doubt, the most outstanding Honduras birding hot spot in this area is the Lodge at Pico Bonito, as this is the area that is most visited by tourists and therefore where more bird sightings are reported. In addition to the Lodge at Pico Bonito, the Rio Santiago Lodge is also an important hot spot.

One of the areas that is becoming one of the leading Honduras birding hot spots, with a list of birds that is growing as more birders visit here, is the Cangrejal River Valley area. The area is a merging point between two national Parks, Pico Bonito and Nombre de Dios. You will find some really nice, and affordable lodges in the area. One of the most established businesses here is the Omega Tours Jungle Lodge. This area is already an important hot spot, according to e bird, the leading electronic bird reporting system used by birders worldwide. Over 118 different species have been reported in the area around this lodge. The list is continuously growing.

La Villa de Soledad B&B is located only 500 meters away from Omega Tours, and is another great lodge with more intimate facilities, ideal for the tourist that wants to sit down and relax in our spacious porches that have comfortable hammocks, Adirondack chairs, and sofas where you can sit back, enjoy the view and spot many birds without even having to go out and walk our gardens.

If you are looking for a unique spot to relax and enjoy your birding, La Villa de Soledad is a great option. We have a close relationship with several bilingual birding guides that are stationed in La Ceiba and will be most happy to help you arrange some birding from both, our porches as well as into the parks and out own trails within our property. Come and enjoy one of the most unique Honduras birding hot spots.