As every year, we set out to help you plan in advance for your yearly Holidays in Honduras 2016. Although many Honduras holidays are on fixed dates, the most important holidays, such as the Easter Vacations and the October holidays change slightly every year. The dates for Holidays in Honduras 2016 is the following:
January 1st New Years Day
Easter Week. March 23-26
April 14: Day of the Americas
May 1: Labor Day
September 15th Indepedence Day
October 3. Francisco Morazán’s Birthday. To be celebrated on Wednesday October 5.
October 12. Columbus Day. To be celebrated on Thursday October 6.
October 21. Armed forces Day. To be celebrated on Friday October 7.
December 25th Christmas Day
In addition, the 24th and 31st of December are only to be worked half a day, that is till noon, and the afternoon turns into a holiday to allow people to get home and celebrate Christmas and New Years with their families.
Keep in mind, when traveling around and enjoying your Holidays in Honduras 2016 that reservations are an absolute must during Easter Week or “Semana Santa” This week is the busiest travel week in the country, and hotels, buses and restaurants at the different tourist destinations are usually packed. Also remember that both, local airlines and bus companies stop their services on Good Friday, as well as on Christmas Day and New Years Day. This means that you should plan on not being able to use public transportation on those dates. The same applies for the ferry service between La Ceiba and the Bay Islands of Utila.
Finally, it might be useful to note that different cities have their own local holidays, usually the day of their Patron Saint. As such, for example, La Ceiba has on Holiday on the 15th of May, because that is the day the Catholic Church dedicates to Saint Isidore, San Pedro Sula has a holiday on 29th of June to celebrate de day of Saint Peter, and Tegucigalpa has a holiday on 29th of September in honor of Saint Michael Archangel.
Tourism has always been an important part of economic growth in Honduras. By 2008, tourism occupied the third place as far as generation of hard currency for the country, and growth, both in numbers of visitors and actual currency spent in the country had been on the rise at over 8 % per year, however after the political crisis in 2009 that resulted in the ousting of then president Manuel Zelaya Rosales, and the subsequent rise in drugs coming through the country which spiraled the homicide rate in Honduras, tourism went “to pot” and practically disappeared. The international press did not help much either, as they kept publishing horrific editorials about safety in Honduras.
So you will say, the title is Honduras 2016, what does all of the above have to do with this? You are right, I was trying to put things in perspective of where we are to explain what we expect in 2016. One of the leading travel portals in the Internet, tripadvisor, recently published a list of the top 10 islands to visit in the World. Guess what, Roatan, one of the Bay Islands of Honduras came out in third, yes third place! This is above Santorini, Greece, Bali and Bora Bora just to name a few!
In addition, CNN just published a list of emerging destinations for 2016. Believe it or not, Honduras is not only on the list, but is the only Central American country in it and the only other Latin American region included is the Patagonia!
CNN’s article specifically mentions the Bay Islands of Honduras and the dense jungles of Pico Bonito. It’s a shame they have never been to the Cangrejal River Valley, adjacent to Pico Bonito because I am sure they would have mentioned that too!
We have our hopes that these two publications mentioned above will help drive the resurgence of tourism in Honduras. Honduras president Juan Orlando Hernandez has declared tourism is a national priority, and has effectively reduced the murder rate in over 20%. Much work still lies ahead, but one thing is for sure, things are going in the right direction and for Honduras 2016 seems like a great year ahead.
Take advantage and visit Honduras, and heed the recommendations made above, visit the Bay Islands of Honduras and combine your trip with a quick two a three day jaunt over to the mainland to visit Pico Bonito National Park. Consider staying within the Cangrejal River Valley at the award winning La Villa de Soledad B&B; you will be glad you did!
Looking for the best small nature hotels in Honduras?
Honduras is one of the great nature destinations in Latin America. The fact that is located right in the heart of Central America, that narrow isthmus of land that connects both major American continents, and right on the Caribbean coast provides for a rich biodiversity and lush tropical vegetation.
Considering the above, it is no surprise that the Caribbean Coast offers the perfect setting for some of the best small nature hotels in Honduras. An area where you will find a variety of protected areas and national parks as well as some of the most beautiful and pristine jungle mountains in the Americas, including the famous Pico Bonito National Park. It is here, in this area known as Atlantida, where you can find the best small nature hotels in Honduras! Best of all, they are all easy to get to via the port city of La Ceiba, which is the gateway to the Bay Islands of Honduras.
Without doubt, the most famous of these small nature hotels is the Lodge at Pico Bonito, located just west of La Ceiba. The Lodge, a member of the small luxury hotels of the World, is truly a unique property where you will enjoy great bird watching, outstanding food, and great service. However, there are many other properties that easily qualify as some of the best small nature hotels in Honduras nearby.
Take for example, the Cangrejal River Valley. In a small area you will find different alternatives that include community owned lodges, charming and award winning boutique hotels and lodges and even a set of villas within a beautifully manicured tropical setting.
La Villa de Soledad B&B is one of the award winning properties in this area, and certainly qualifies as one of the best small nature hotels in Honduras. With a total of 5 unique, and distinctly appointed rooms, each with its own original artwork, private bathroom, terrace porch with hammock and direct access to the great outdoors of Nombre de Dios National Park, it is the perfect spot to relax in nature and enjoy the many diverse activities available at your doorstep.
Community Tourism in La Ceiba, great alternatives at a magnificent value!
Few Central American destinations offer such a great variety of options for community tourism as does La Ceiba! You see, La Ceiba is right on the Caribbean Coast of Central America, and is the gateway to the Bay Islands of Honduras. La Ceiba is the capital of Atlantida, the new up and coming destination that offers the most extensive alternatives for Honduras Travel!
The Garifuna culture is one of the brightest highlights in Atlantida, and for that matter, all of Honduras. This unique, Afro Antillean culture has been given the status of Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the UNESCO. There are several places within the destination where you can experience the Garifuna community tourism in La Ceiba: The Garifuna villages of Corozal, and Sambo Creek are located only a few miles east of La Ceiba. You can easily drive to these communities and experience first hand the highlights of Community tourism in La Ceiba. For a more complete experience, consider traveling to the Cayos Cochinos Marine Reserve, a unique National Park that offers a pristine Caribbean setting with the added benefit of boasting the most authentic Garifuna community in the World: Chachahuate.
This small community lives on a tiny cay, with the same name: Cayo Chachahuate of Chachahuate Cay, a sand bar where you will find rustic cabins made of wood, thatched palms and a lively Garifuna community all set in a white sand beach completely surrounded by the turquoise blue Caribbean Sea!
For those looking for a full immersion in the Garifuna culture, you can even plan on staying on the very primitive and Spartan accommodations in Chachahuate, or you can also plan on staying at the Cabanas Laru Beja in East End, another small Garifuna community in the Cayos Cochinos, which offers much better facilities.
Cayos Cochinos is located a few miles off the coast of Sambo Creek, and can easily be seen from the mainland. Travel time to Cayos Cochinos is a mere 40 minutes is a motor boat, making a trip to the Hog Cays very easy!
Other options for community tourism in La Ceiba can be enjoyed in the Cangrejal River Valley, in the vicinity of the community of Las Mangas. Here you can visit a small rural community, sleep in their community owned cabins, and enjoy a series of hiking tours around Pico Bonito and Nombre de Dios National Parks. Visit a grass roots community organization, Guaruma that offers computing and environmental education to local kids, who will personally give you a tour through some of the trails they maintain!
Community Tourism in La Ceiba truly offers many different alternatives! Come and stay with us at La Villa de Soledad B&B and have a memorable experience interacting with the local communities!
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.
Normally, guests staying with us at La Villa de Soledad prefer to stay put in the Cangrejal River Valley and have lunch with us or visit “La Jungla” at the Omega Tours Jungle Lodge for lunch or dinner. However, from time to time guests ask about going to town and having lunch in La Ceiba.
La Ceiba is midsized city, and there are actually several different restaurants that you can choose from. Unfortunately, when you check the different travel books, as well as travel blogs, you will find a list of restaurants that no longer exist. This of course can be very frustrating, because you end up on a wild goose chase trying to find an establishment that is nonexistent. For example, you will find raving reviews about Ricardo’s, which was arguably the best restaurant ever in La Ceiba, but it has been closed for at least 6 years. You will find the same about Mango Tango, one of the best ever places to have lunch in La Ceiba, and despite the fact that it is featured in tripadvisor, it has been closed for at least 3 years!
So, what is the best place for lunch in La Ceiba? In my humble opinion, the best restaurant in La Ceiba is El Jardin de Susana. Susana is a local entrepreneur, a great cook and an extremely friendly host. She was, incidentally, one of the original partners in Mango Tango, and her fame has certainly followed her to her new endeavor.
El Jardin de Susana is located one house away from the main D’Antoni Hospital Avenue, across the street from the Kielsa drug store. The restaurant is set in a lovely garden, under a giant old mango tree, which provides a natural cool shade that will make you feel comfortable even in the hottest of days!
The menu at El Jardin de Susana is short, but offers something for everyone. One of the most outstanding assets here is the salad bar, probably the best in all of La Ceiba! Personally, I just love her beef steak with blue cheese sauce, but actually everything in the menu is outstanding. Susana does the shopping at the markets personally, and she is the cook preparing your lunch in the kitchen. To me, this is truly the best place for lunch in La Ceiba!
My lunch in La Ceiba at El Jardin de Susana
We, at La Villa de Soledad are more than happy to help you arrange a trip into town for lunch in La Ceiba at El Jardin de Susana. The only other place in town where you will find such a good lunch is precisely at La Villa de Soledad. But then we only serve meals to our guests, so if you want to try it out, come and stay with us a few days at La Villa de Soledad B&B in the Cangrejal River Valley in La Ceiba. I promise you will be happy you did so!
Are you thinking of traveling to Honduras but afraid to because of all the bad news the press loves to push about Honduras? Sounds like you need and updated Honduras travel blog to tell you what is really happening in Honduras, where you can go, and what your real risks are!
Most travelers coming to Honduras include a stay in Copan and in the Bay Islands of Honduras. Copan is close to the Guatemala border and therefore considered by many as almost not part of Honduras, and the Bay Islands of Honduras are considered much safer because they are islands. This is what most visitors coming to Honduras think. As for the rest of Honduras, their general feeling is to rush across it as fast as possible and try not to stop anywhere!
These poor travelers do not realize just how much they are missing. This is why I am writing more about Honduras these days! There is no doubt in my mind that a good, up to date Honduras travel blog is a real necessity.
You may ask what credentials I have to consider myself an authority to write about Honduras and why you should even bother to read me. Well… for one, I have lived in Honduras for 22 years. This does give me some credit, or no? Ok, just a bit, well, back in 1994, I started a publication that has become an icon in Honduras: Honduras tips. This travel guide, which I personally ran until 5 years ago, allowed me to explore every “nook and cranny” in Honduras, so I personally know the different destinations, the different businesses and truly special tips, which I am happy to share with you.
I have also written different articles in different respected web pages, such as Honduras.com and ezinearticles.com. Last, but not least, together with my lovely Honduran wife, Soledad, I run a lovely bed and breakfast in the Cangrejal River Valley: La Villa de Soledad B&B
The truth is that Honduras is not half as dangerous as the press or the state department tries to make it sound.
Most travelers coming to Honduras and visiting the above mentioned destinations are either coming from Guatemala, in which case they spend a couple of days in Copan and then rush overland Honduras to La Ceiba to catch the ferry to the Bay Islands. Others are traveling Central America from South to North, and therefore travel from Leon to La Ceiba, usually taking a shuttle from Leon to La Ceiba, which arrives just in time for them to jump off the shuttle and into the ferry to the islands!
These poor travelers do not understand that they are missing out on soooo much! If you want to make sure that you do not make the same mistake, I invite you to follow me in my daily attempt to provide good, up to date tips through this Honduras travel blog! Happy travels throughout Honduras and Central America!
Honduras Offers Unique Beats and Rhythm in Central America!
When you think of Latin America, the sounds, rhythms, and beats are usually those of mariachi songs, ranchero music, corridos and perhaps some boleros. This is generally the same for all of Mexico and Central America. However when you come to this little country in the middle of Central America, you will find that things are different. Yes, in Honduras, unique beats and rhythm in Central America offer you a different, happier perspective that will get your body up and dancing to the beating of drums.
You see, Honduras has the largest Caribbean cultural influence within Central America. The Garifuna people, who are originally a mixture of African blacks and Carib Indians from the island of St. Vincent, have been present in Honduras for over 200 years. They brought their own culture, their own music, their own style of getting a good party going. Moreover, they have the music within themselves. It is incredible to see young kids take over an empty can or bucket, turn it around and transform it into a drum with their incredibly prodigious hands! Truly, all they need is an old bucket to get a party going!
Honduras is famous for its “punta” rhythm, which is created with a lot of percussion from drums, and danced with a very erotic movement of the hips. The most famous Honduran song is probably “Sopa de Caracol” or translated, “Conch Soup”. The song, with its punta rhythm is a truly Honduran expression that will get any Honduran around the world up and dancing within seconds!
Truly, Honduras, offers unique beats and rhythm in Central America that makes it the liveliest party in the region! Nowhere else will you get experience this unique festive mode that in the Caribbean Coast of Honduras. The city of San Pedro Sula, as well as the port cities of Puerto Cortes, Tela, La Ceiba and Trujillo are all perfect scenarios to join the party and learn how to dance to the rhythm of Punta.
If you are on your way to the Bay Islands of Roatan or Utila, take a few days off to stay in La Ceiba, and visit one of the nearby Garifuna villages; both Corozal and Sambo Creek offer a friendly, safe environment to visit and learn more about this unique culture, which has been awarded the status of Intangible World Heritage by the UNESCO. Plan to stay a couple of nights at La Villa de Soledad B&B where we will be happy to help you arrange a day tour to the Garifuna Villages. The Tranquility at the Cangrejal River Valley is perfect to relax after a day of partying with the Garifuna people!
Is Honduras really the place to go to get scuba certified? The answer is a definite yes! Getting scuba certified in Honduras is easy, affordable and most of all fun! Honduras has actually carved itself a name in the diving world as the most affordable place to dive and get certified in the world.
You will probably ask me, how can a country in Central America be so outstanding to get scuba certified? Well, if you look at a map, things will start to make sense… fast!
First of all, Central America is bathed by the Caribbean Sea! Second, Honduras is the one country in Central America that is most developed on the Caribbean coast, most of the other countries are more developed on their Pacific coast. And third, Honduras is the only Central America country that actually has a small archipelago on the Caribbean; the Bay Islands of Honduras. The Archipelago has 6 islands and many tiny cays, this without counting the Hog Cays, or Cayos Cochinos, which consists of two small islands and 13 sand cays.
Of the 6 main islands that form the Bay Islands of Honduras, three are permanently inhabited, Utila, Roatan and Guanaja. All three offer unique and very different experiences to the traveler, each including diving. So you will ask, how should I go about getting scuba certified in Honduras?
There is no doubt that the most popular, most affordable, and probably the most fun is the island of Utila. There are over a dozen dive shops in Utila, and they all offer PADI courses from open water diving to different advanced courses. The Dive shops all have small hostels and inns where they offer special deals to the travelers that book the scuba courses with them, making your stay and certification truly affordable.
Perhaps the most outstanding trademark of getting scuba certified in Honduras is the fact that there is a true party atmosphere within the different bars as soon as the sun starts to set. Find one of the multiple bars, such as Tranquila Bar and Rehab, which are located on the waterfront for your first beers or cocktails of the day while you enjoy the sunset. After, you can continue on to Skidrows, Treetanic Bar or even Casa Dr. John for a true party atmosphere and challenges that will earn you a much desired t shirt after guzzling down a series of shots. Check out this video to get an idea of what to expect!
Another good option for getting scuba certified in Honduras is the island of Roatan. This is a much bigger island than Utila, so you should plan on staying in the village of West End. Here you will find many different dive shops, and although the prices are not as cheap and the variety of bars are not as wild as those in Utila, you will still find a very affordable destination with good entertainment for your scuba certification.
You should take note that most travelers heading to the bay islands in their quest for getting scuba certified in Honduras pass through the city of La Ceiba on the mainland just to catch the ferry to the islands. This is a big mistake! If you are coming this far, you should make sure you check out the Cangrejal River Valley, a truly beautiful spot that is unique in Central America. Natural scenery, great white water rafting and zip line canopy tours, hiking in the rain forests and relaxing in nature are just a few of the options you will find there.
Make sure that you do not miss out visiting the Cangrejal River Valley when following your mission of getting scuba certified in Honduras. You will thank me for having given you the tip of this beautiful area in La Ceiba. If you are looking for a place to be pampered, check out La Villa de Soledad B&B a lovely boutique property on the Cangrejal River that has been awarded the trip advisor Travelers Choice award in 2014 and 2015.
Planning your trip to the Bay Islands? Here are some things you need to know before going to Roatan:
Roatan, the largest of the Bay Islands, is by far the most visited of the Bay Islands in Honduras. It is also the largest of the islands and the most populated. Roughly 60,000 souls live and work on the island, however rather than one large city; there are actually several different towns and villages throughout the island. Your experience on Roatan will depend on where you stay, because each of the towns on the island has their own, unique feeling to them. That being said, and if my advice is of any good, generally stay away from staying in Coxen Hole and French Harbour, these two are the largest towns, this is where the working people live, and they are definitely not touristy or for that matter, pretty. You might need to go to them to go to the bank, purchase groceries, or even to eat at a nice restaurant, but other than that, there is really no reason to go there.
The most pleasant, charming area is by far West End. This small beach side community offers many small hotels and inns, many restaurants and bars, and is where you will find most of the tourists. Nearby, in West Bay Beach, you will find several larger hotels located on what many consider the best beach in Central America. Many of these hotels are larger, all inclusive operations, however if you look around, you can find a jewel or two hidden between the larger resorts and right on the beach. One of these jewels is the Bananarama Resort.
Another area that offers different options is Sandy Bay. Properties here are more spread out, and you need to walk along the beach to get from one to the other. Although there are not so many restaurants and bars available, the setting is indeed more intimate and quiet. The East End of Roatan is generally speaking much less developed. With the exception a few resorts, such as the Parrot Tree Plantation, the Media Luna Resort and the Turquoise Bay Resort, that are isolated, free standing resorts and kind of far from the rest of the island; you will find fewer hotels and tourist services on this part of the island. However you will also find some really nice and picturesque towns, such as Calabash Bight, Jonesville and Oakridge, just to mention a few.
If you are interested in finding that beautiful, isolated Caribbean Beach, then one of the things to know before going to Roatan is that far out on the East End you will find some truly spectacular beaches and settings. The Paya Bay Resort offers two lovely beaches, one of them actually private to the property, and a bit farther down the road towards Camp Bay you will find the Playa Barbosa as well as Camp Bay Beach, truly unique white sand beaches that are away from the crowds you will find on West Bay Beach.
The Bay Islanders generally consider themselves as direct descendents of the original British colonizers that came to the islands at the end of the seventeen hundreds and beginning of the eighteen hundreds. Names such as Jackson, Hynds, Wood, Bush, Bodden, Tatum, McNab are still very common in Roatan. As a general rule, islanders refer to those who live in Honduras as “them Spaniards” basically because the mainland was conquered by the Spaniards and Spanish is spoken throughout Central America. There tends to be an animosity from the Islanders to “them Spaniards” and they all like to promote the mainland as very dangerous and unsafe to visit. This is not a fact or a reality, but rather an attempt to keep you on the island so that you do not discover the beauty of the mainland. Believe me, this is one of the most important tips about the things to know before going to Roatan! Mainland Honduras is a short 1 ½ hour ferry trip, and there are so many absolutely beautiful places just across the channel from Roatan, that not visiting them is a true shame!
Take for example the Cangrejal River Valley: a truly unique valley located only ½ hour from the ferry terminal! Here you can enjoy a dense tropical rain forest, where two different National Parks meet: Nombre de Dios National Park and Pico Bonito National Park. The Cangrejal River, with crystal clear waters offers the best white water rafting in Honduras, and for that matter, all of the Caribbean and even possibly Central America.
Best of all you can find a variety of small inns, lodges and boutique bed and breakfasts located within the Cangrejal River Valley. A true, unique setting to complement your stay at the lovely island of Roatan. These lodges can all arrange for pick up at the ferry or airport to have you transferred to their properties. Staff at all of them are bilingual, and you will find that they will be more than happy to help you set up a variety of activities that are all within walking distance from your bedroom. Do yourself a favor, and include a couple of nights in the Cangrejal River Valley when planning your Roatan vacation!
