Few destinations offer so many different options for activities while you are visiting. The different options for La Ceiba day tours are such that you will certainly have a tough time deciding which ones you should take, unless of course, you have planned to spend several days in the neighborhood of La Ceiba.
As a general rule, there are three hubs in La Ceiba where you can plan on staying to have the best access the top La Ceiba day tours available: One is within the Cangrejal River Valley; a second one is in the vicinity of Sambo Creek and the last one in the area known as “El Pino” located just west of La Ceiba.
The Cangrejal River Valley offers a variety of great lodges to stay in, including the award winning La Villa de Soledad. In this area, you will find that the top La Ceiba day tours include world class white water rafting in the Cangrejal River, zip lining through the forest canopy, hiking in the rain forests of Pico Bonito National Park, horseback riding in Nombre de Dios National Park and rappelling down tropical waterfalls hidden within the jungle.
Last, but not least, near the community of El Pino you can access trails into Pico Bonito National Park, visit the Cuero y Salado Wildlife Reserve and touring local organic farms that welcome tourists.
Keep in mind that these three areas are actually fairly close to each other, so you can easily stay in the Cangrejal River Valley and visit Cayos Cochinos or Cuero y Salado as options for your La Ceiba day tours.
We at La Villa de Soledad invite you to book with us, and we will be more than happy to help you arrange the different available La Ceiba day tours that are more interesting to you. We will do it helping you get the best deals and using your vacation time wisely. Come and enjoy the different La Ceiba day tours with us!
The North Coast of Honduras was never really conquered or controlled by the Spanish Conquistadors. The lack of a dense local population, as well as the hot and humid climate, kept the conquerors at bay. It was actually easier to run into a British buccaneer ship along the coast than it was to find a Spanish galleon sailing the waters off the Caribbean coast of Honduras. The Brits actually established a protectorate in the eastern part of Honduras and northern part of Nicaragua, which was called the Moskito Coast; the name comes from the ethnic group: the Miskito Indians, with whom they formed a loose alliance to fight off any attempts by the Spaniards to establish themselves in the area. The only Spanish outpost along the eastern Caribbean coast of Honduras during colonial times was the city of Trujillo, and this was attacked, ransacked and burnt by the buccaneers on multiple occasions, despite the fortress of Santa Barbara that sits on top of a hill to defend the city.
As such, La Ceiba was not established as a village until around 1872. By 1877, President Marco Aurelio Soto declared it a municipality, and in 1902 it became the capital of the department of Atlantida. One interesting fact about La Ceiba is its name, which coincides with that of the huge Mayan mythological tree: the Ceiba. It happens to be that the first people to establish themselves in the city did so on the beach under a huge Ceiba tree that generously provided its shade to these early settlers.
One of the most interesting facts of history about La Ceiba is that the city became one of the most progressive cities in Honduras thanks to the government land concessions given to the Vacaro Brothers Company, which eventually became the Standard Fruit Company, owner of the Dole trademark. During the time the city grew, and it was easier for the locals to travel to New Orleans on the different steamships that regularly traveled the route to take the banana and fruit production to the north than it was to travel to Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras. Some of today’s most important enterprises and companies in Honduras where actually born in La Ceiba under the umbrella of the Standard Fruit Company. Great examples about the above are the Cerveceria Hondureña, (the Honduran Brewery) which was born in La Ceiba in 1916. Another great example was the Banco Atlantida, the first private bank in Honduras, which was established in 1915. The original headquarters of this bank still operates to this day in a lovely art deco style building that sits proudly on the corner of Avenida San Isidro and First Street, just a block away from the old dock where all the commerce took place.
Today, La Ceiba is no longer a big port city exporting bananas and other tropical fruits. The main ports on the Caribbean coast of Honduras are Puerto Cortes, to the west and Puerto Castilla to the east. The city has slowly begun a transition from a port and agricultural power house to an important tourist hub. As part of Atlantida, a destination that includes both La Ceiba and Tela, the city is in the process of reinventing itself. One of the most significant examples about La Ceiba managing this transition can be seen in the totally renovated “Muelle y Malecon Turistico Reynaldo Canales” or in English Reynaldo Canales boardwalk and dock, which is meant to transform an old abandoned part of the City of La Ceiba into a park and recreational area for the enjoyment of locals and tourists alike.
Perhaps the most outstanding feature about La Ceiba as a tourist destination is the diversity of protected areas and national parks around its environs. If you add the endless options for adventure activities, which include white water rafting, zip line canopy tours, waterfall descents by way of rappelling…. And many others, you have an outstanding eco tourism and adventure destination!
La Ceiba offers many advantages to the traveler, but perhaps the most important of all is safety. The local communities look after the tourists that visit the National Parks and participate in the different activities available. Another nice thing to know about La Ceiba is the fact that it has the highest percentage of bilingual population in Central America! This means that you can always find someone to help you in your language if you need any assistance!
Now that you know all about La Ceiba, you are surely ready to plan your vacation. I fully recommend checking out the visit Atlantida web page for information. Another great source of information is the visit La Ceiba web page. Last, but not least, feel free to read through our blog, you will find useful and important information there. If you don’t, feel free to email me at info@lavilladesoledad.com and I will be more than happy to help you out with your questions and suggesting activities depending on your interests.
One of the best ways to get to know all about La Ceiba is by staying with the locals. we invite you to consider staying at the award wining La Villa de Soledad B&B. We will be happy to sit down with you and share our knowledge about La Ceiba and surroundings!
Planning to visit Atlantida on your next vacations?
The brand new visit Atlantida app for IOS and Android operating systems is now available for free at the Google play store and the Apple store. This visit Atlantida app is designed to give you all the tools you need to plan your next vacation to Atlantida. To download this app to your android smart phone, follow this link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=hr.apps.n206984407
But why visit Atlantida? Well, for one it is the most complete destination in Honduras, and possibly all of Central America! Atlantida offers outstanding alternatives for traditional beach and sun vacations, with two distinct hubs to choose from: Tela and La Ceiba. It is also an extremely complete eco tourism and nature destination, with a total of 8 national parks or protected areas to choose from, with 7 of these offering a variety of tourism services, each unique and particular that will fit into your interests: from hiking in the rain forests to kayaking through mangrove canals, diving in pristine coral barrier reefs or riding in a century old railroad track on a funky banana train, the variety is almost endless! If you are interested in adventure, then maneuvering through the white waters of the Cangrejal River, mountain biking in a remote location or horseback riding through the jungles of Nombre de Dios and Pico Bonito National Parks.
The visit Atlantida mobile phone app also offers a complete list of hotels and lodges in Atlantida where you can stay, as well as restaurants and eateries and tour operators that you can use to arrange your package if you choose to do so through a professional tour operator.
A list of places to see and activities to do complete this new app that also allows a lot of interaction, such as setting you profile, checking into hotels and even writing reviews and comments regarding the establishment you visited or the attraction you visited and activities you enjoyed.
For a more complete resource, the visit Atlantida web site also offers a complete source of information, both in English and Spanish.
One of my favorite trails in Pico Bonito is called the El Mapache Trail. Its name, which means the raccoon trail, has more to do with a person that with a raccoon. You see, one of founding fathers of this park, Gerardo Rodriguez, passed away tragically in a car accident during a work trip to Olanchito, on the backside of Pico Bonito. Gerardo was nicknamed “El Mapache” and in his honor, it was quickly agreed that the trail should be named after him, and that it was more than appropriate that it be named after his nickname.
The El Mapache trail is located in the Cangrejal River area, and access is easy through the Pico Bonito National Park Visitors’s Center, located at km 8.8 of the La Ceiba to Yaruca dirt road. Once having registered and paid your entrance fee to the park, it is time to cross high over the Cangrejal River in a magnificent 400 foot long suspension bridge, much like those that you see in the Indiana Jones movies. The trail leads through a moderate to steep trail towards the magnificent “El Bejuco” waterfall, which falls over 200 feet down a cliff on its hurried way towards the Cangrejal River. The El Mapache Trail is open daily from 8:00 a.m. till 5:00 p.m. You certainly do not want to be in the trail after that time, because in Honduras, it gets dark quite early, and in the winter months, it will be pitch black before 6:00 p.m. You can, on the other hand, pre arrange to visit the El Mapache Trail earlier in the morning. This is easy if you are staying at one of the hotels in Cangrejal River Valley area, such as La Villa de Soledad B&B, which has won several awards from tripadvisor due to the outstanding reviews from their guests.
The Cangrejal River area is one of the highlighted areas for the new Atlantida tourist destination. For more information on the area, you can visit: http://visitatlantida.com/en/destination/atlantida/the-cangrejal-river-valley/ We invite you to come and stay at La Villa de Soledad B&B and experience that different activities available for your enjoyment!
Planning on visiting and wondering what the do’s and don’ts when visiting La Ceiba you should be aware of?
Do plan to stay for several days and explore the surroundings. For locals, La Ceiba is a great party destination, but international tourists are most impressed with the variety of National Parks.
Do hire a local guide when visiting one of the national parks. Their fee is minimal, and even though their English might not be the best, they will help you spot interesting things along the trail, such as snakes and insects, or identify birds, such as the keel billed toucans that abound in the jungles of Pico Bonito and Nombre de Dios National Parks. In addition, by hiring a local guide, you are helping a local family to make a living by protecting the forest, rather than forcing him to cut it down to plant crops such as beans and corn for subsistence.
Do negotiate with your taxi before you get in. Although the local fair within town is 25 lempiras per person, it is always a good idea to set the fare before the trip begins. Keep in mind that taxis in La Ceiba are “colectivos” in other words, they may pick other people up. If you want a private service, you will have to pay him for the four seats available in the car. If this is the case, let him know that you want “servicio privado”. Even better, ask your hotel for a taxi they recommend and use him to get you around town and take you to the different places you wish to visit.
Do visit the Cangrejal River Valley. This is the perfect spot for adventure and nature activities. Even if it’s only to enjoy the natural swimming holes, you should make it a point of visiting this area that is only 6 miles out of town. If interested in nature and adventure, skip the downtown hotels and stay at one of the lodges in the Cangrejal River, you will be glad you did so! There are a total of 10 lodges in the Cangrejal River Valley, and there is surely one that will be a perfect match for you!
Do visit the hot springs at Sambo Creek. These are absolutely spectacular, and you will be glad you did visit them. You can combine your visit there with either a tour to the Cacao Lagoon, to Cayos Cochinos, or to the local canopy tour in Sambo Creek.
Do make use of your common sense! It is surprising how doing this will keep you out of harm’s way!
Don’t make the mistake of passing through La Ceiba on your way to the Bay Islands of Roatan and Utila and miss spending a couple of nights in the area. Although it is true you will never know what you have missed, it would be a real shame to be so close and completely miss it!
Don’t listen to the Bay Islanders when they say that La Ceiba is dangerous and you will be mugged. This is far from true, and it is just a gig by the islanders to keep you on the island spending your money there. Hey, the islands are great, but there are truly unique areas on the mainland that will blow your socks off! The Cangrejal River Valley is one of them!
Do you ever wonder how life innkeeping in Honduras might be?
Although I have been involved in tourism for over 30 years, with over two thirds of them in Honduras, I did not have any hands on experience as an innkeeper. After buying a lovely property in the Cangrejal River Valley 16 years ago, I started planning a home to live in. The requirements were simple: I wanted something with some “sense of place”, with spacious verandah’s overlooking the Cangrejal River and Pico Bonito National Park. (Nombre de Dios National Park did not exist back then). I needed to make a design that would allow me not to need air-conditioning, so high ceilings and cross ventilation where a must. An interior courtyard was also on the wish list, so as I got out a piece of paper and started making some drawings for the architect I had hired, one thing became apparent: it was going to be a huge house…
One thing led to another, and soon we had decided that we would build our dream home and use the extra bedrooms as a bed and breakfast in La Ceiba. After, all Soledad, my lovely wife had worked at the Hotel Marina Copan in Copan Ruinas for many years and was a great hostess. As we moved into our unfinished home, Honduras came to an important crossroad in its recent history, and then President Zelaya was literally thrown out of the country, creating a serious political crisis that affected tourism to Honduras. No doubt that these were the wrong days to start a bed and breakfast and start a new life innkeeping in Honduras! Or was it?
On the brightside, when we finally did open our doors in 2012, we were allowed a soft opening and had a chance to learn more about innkeeping in Honduras. Our business is slowly, but steadily growing at La Villa de Soledad B&B, and more and more tourists from around the World have chosen us as the place to stay in when visiting La Ceiba and the wonderful Pico Bonito National Park.
A vintage photo of times when we were still under construction at La Villa de Soledad. Photo taken in 2009
Incredibly, we have few guests that are Honduran. It seems that what we offer is not what they want, however, what we offer is fortunately very attractive to the international traveler coming through Honduras. We are the ideal location to Relax in Nature, reconnect with yourself and enjoy nature at its fullest. You can tailor make your visit at La Villa de Soledad to be an adventure filled holiday, a nature retreat, or a bit of both.
Designed by Honduran architect Mauricio Castaneda, La Villa de Soledad is the perfect setting for innkeeping in Honduras. Just this week we had a couple from the United Kingdom, Francoise & Trevor Goul-Wheeker who are experienced World travelers tell us that they had been in many lovely, luxury hotels and inns worldwide, but had never encountered a couple that took better care of their guests! Now is that a compliment or what?
Innkeeping in Honduras has been a lot of fun, and given us the opportunity to meet wonderful adventurers from around the World. Guests from afar as Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, as well as from throughout Europe and of course, North America, have passed through our inn, shared their experiences and provided us with the opportunity to meet good people from around the world that we would have never met otherwise. Innkeeping in Honduras has been a wonderful experience that provides unique moments on a regular schedule. Yes looking back at that moment when we decided we would build a Bed and Breakfast, was definitely a moment of genius that has provided us with a fantastic way of meeting great and interesting people and making a living out if! Innkeeping in Honduras is without doubt one of the best decisions we have taken during our lives!
Looking for the perfect La Ceiba Honduras Accommodation?
There are many different La Ceiba Honduras Accommodation alternatives. At first you might be looking for options within the city of La Ceiba, where you will find several very good hotels, however, it would be a mistake to immediately decide on an option within town where to spend your days in La Ceiba. The reason for this is the magnificent National Parks just outside of La Ceiba. If you have decided to spend some time in La Ceiba, it is most likely because of its surrounding nature. With the famous Pico Bonito National Park just outside of La Ceiba, you should certainly consider looking for La Ceiba Honduras Accommodations that are within this unique Park!
Most of the La Ceiba Honduras Accommodation options within Pico Bonito National Park are in the vicinity of the Cangrejal River Valley. This is a magical area where you can find over ten different small lodges, from budget to truly unique and upscale, such as La Villa de Soledad B&B.
La Villa de Soledad B&B offers a unique setting, in the style of the old Spanish Colonial Haciendas, with spacious outdoor patios, a lovely indoor courtyard with a fountain, plenty of hammocks to relax in and best of all, magnificent views. There are many different things to do in the Cangrejal River Valley, and the spot to enjoy them from is this unique boutique bed and breakfast. Guest rooms are spacious, airy, cozy and comfortable. They each open out to an outdoor porch with your own hammock. Bathrooms are large, and hot water is plentiful.
As is if the surrounding setting was not enough, the attention to detail in service will certainly provide the tipping point. Personal attention by the owners, friendly service, with bilingual hosts, home cooked gourmet meals, and expert knowledge to help you find the perfect activities for you, regardless if they are near or afar.
La Villa de Soledad B&B is truly the perfect La Ceiba Honduras Accommodation. Pamper yourself and discover why this boutique bed and breakfast was awarded the 2014 Trip Advisor Excellence Award and the 2014 Travelers’ Choice Award, also by Trip Advisor!
It never fails, when you need to find important numbers in La Ceiba, they become so evasive that you have a hard time finding them! Here is a list of important numbers in La Ceiba that includes airlines, bus companies, maritime transportation companies, tour operators, rent a car agencies, etc. Hope you find them useful!
Important numbers in La Ceiba: Airlines
Aerocaribe de Honduras
They serve the Moskitia region, flying from La Ceiba to Puerto Lempira, Ahuas, Palacios, Brus Laguna, Belen and Patuca. They also have flights to Guanaja.
Aerolineas Sosa flies from La Ceiba to all three of the Bay Islands: Roatan, Utila and Guanaja, as well as to San Pedro Sula, Tegucigalpa, Puerto Lempira and Guatemala City.
Lanhsa flies from La Ceiba to Guanaja, Roatan and Puerto Lempira. They do not fly on Sundays! They also offer service from La Ceiba to San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa.
Service from La Ceiba to Tela, San Pedro Sula, Tegucigalpa, Siguatepeque, Copan Ruinas, Santa Rosa de Copan and Guatemala City. First class service with air conditioning and toilet service. Special executive extra large seats available.
Plaza del Boulevard, Boulevard 15 de Septiembre, La Ceiba
Service from La Ceiba to San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa. First class service with air conditioning and toilet service. Special executive extra large seats available.
Service from La Ceiba to Tela, San Pedro Sula, Siguatepeque and Tegucigalpa. They also offer service to Saba and Olanchito from La Ceiba. Although their buses do have air conditioning, they do not always use it!
Boulevard de la Enee, contiguo a gasolinera Seal, La Ceiba
Kamaldy offers service between La Ceiba and Tela, El Progreso and Tegucigalpa. Their service is not non stop, so they do pick up passengers en route.
Terminal San Jose, La Ceiba
Tel: (504) 2441-2028
Important Numbers in La Ceiba: Maritime passenger service (Ferry’s)
Galaxy Wave
The Galaxy Wave Ferry between La Ceiba and Roatan is operated by Safe Way Maritime Corporation. They have two daily departures from La Ceiba to Roatan: a morning departure at 10:00 a.m and an afternoon departure at 4:30 p.m. Travel time is between 1 ½ and 2 hours.
The Utila Princess offers two daily trips between La Ceiba and Utila. Their morning departure is at 10:00 a.m. and the afternoon departure at 4:00 p.m. Travel time is approximately one hour.The Ferry is operated by Triple B enterprises based in Utila.
Cangrejal Tours is a community owned and based tour operator. A group of young men provide very good service and a unique insight to life in the communities in the Cangrejal River Valley. They are based in the community of Las Mangas, located 12 km up river from La Ceiba.
Km 12 Carretera La Ceiba a Yaruca, aldea Las Mangas, La Ceiba.
La Moskitia Ecoaventuras specializes in expeditions and trips to La Moskitia, the remote, pristine area east of La Ceiba, bordering with Nicaragua. They also offer outstanding nature tours and white water rafting around La Ceiba and in the Cangrejal River. They have some of the best birding guides in La Ceiba. They probably offer the best hiking tours in this part of Pico Bonito National Park.
Colonia El Toronjal Segunda etapa, dos cuadras a la derecha de Pollitos La Cumbre, casa verde al fondo. La Ceiba, Atlantida
Km 9 Carretera de La Ceiba a Yaruca, Aldea el Naranjo, Cuenca del Rio Cangrejal, La Ceiba.
Located in the Cangrejal River Valley, Jungle River Tours specializes in adventure tours. Their headquarters in the Cangrejal River also offer hostel accommodations and the only zip line canopy tour in the Cangrejal River area. They also run a successful white water rafting operation.
Km 8 Carretera de La Ceiba a Yaruca, Aldea el Naranjo, Cuenca del Rio Cangrejal, La Ceiba.
Located in the Cangrejal River Valley, Omega tours in German owned and operated. They also have their own lodge in the Cangrejal River Valley, and offer a variety of tours. Specialties are white water rafting and horseback riding, but they also offer mountain bicycle rentals, and tours to nearby attractions, such as Cacao Lagoon, Cayos Cochinos and Cuero y Salado Wildlife Refuge.
Km 9.2 Carretera La Ceiba a YAruca, Aldea El Naranjo, Cuenca del Rio Cangrejal, La Ceiba.
Specializing in community based tourism; Reservaciones Turisticas La Ceiba is a great option if you want to interact with the communities that surround the protected areas and national parks near La Ceiba.
Colonia El Sauce, 4a Etapa, Bloque W, Casa 16, La Ceiba
