Bay Islands

April 2, 2016

Best of Atlantida, Best of Honduras, Best of the Bay Islands, Copan, National Parks, tourism in Honduras Atlantida, Bay Islands, Cangrejal River Valley, Copan, Copan ruinas, Guanaja, La Ceiba, Roatan, Tela, Utila

Honduras Travel, the New Honduras Travel Blog!

La Villa de Soledad B&B is happy to be associated to the new Honduras Travel Blog. This new site, which is the result of over 23 years of traveling around Honduras and being part of the tourism private sector in the country is yet one more effort to change the image of Honduras abroad and educate the potential traveler so that they can feel more secure and at ease when planning a trip and visiting Honduras!

This blog is meant to have a full, regularly updated section about the different destinations in the country, highlighting the different things to do, the unique National Parks to visit, as well as tips about where to stay, where to eat and how to be a better traveler within Honduras and Central America.

Honduras travel will also have regular travel posts, which will make up the blog, and share the experiences of someone who has traveled extensively throughout Central America. If you love Honduras, and feel that potential travelers are not getting a fair image of the country, pitch in, Honduras and the different tourism service entrepreneurs need all the help they can get!

Initially, Honduras Travel is offering information on the three most important and popular destinations in Honduras: Atlantida, with its hubs in the Cangrejal River, La Ceiba and Tela; The Bay Islands, including Guanaja, Roatan and Utila, and Copan, which includes Copan Ruinas and Santa Rosa de Copan. They will be expanding this initial limited information progressively, and are confident that they will soon become “The Travel Blog for Honduras”, with updated travel info on all of Honduras .

We are happy to share this breaking news with you, and invite you to visit the Honduras Travel web page and send Honduras Travel your comments and suggestions, as well as sharing the tips with your friends. They now have a facebook page as well as a twitter (@hondurastravel) account which you can follow. Surely Honduras Travel will become an important tool to market Honduras!

December 27, 2015

Best of La Ceiba, hotels in la ceiba Bay Islands, Cangrejal River, La Ceiba, Roatan, Utila

Most travelers that come through La Ceiba do so on the way to the Bay Islands of Roatan or Utila. Because of this, very few of them actually overnight in La Ceiba. They are in such a hurry to get to the Honduras’ famous Caribbean Islands that they never figure out what they are missing out by not staying overnight in La Ceiba and explore the surroundings.

Without doubt, the nicest and most versatile area within La Ceiba is the Cangrejal River Valley. This area is only 10 km. (6 Miles) from town and offers great lodging, outstanding eco and adventure activities and friendly bars and restaurants where you will meet other travelers who will gladly share their travel experiences with you.

You see, the first thing you will learn if you do decide to overnight in La Ceiba in the Cangrejal River Valley, is that you will need at least two, probably three nights to take full advantage of all there is to do there. Most of all, you will be happy that you did decide to overnight in La Ceiba, because a stay at the Cangrejal River Valley will easily turn into one of the highlights of your visit to Central America.

I have yet to meet a traveler who was disappointed by the beauty, charm and diversity available within the area. I have, however met many a traveler who was sorry they did not plan on a longer stay in the Cangrejal River Valley, so make sure you leave some time to enjoy the area!

Amongst the different activities available are white water rafting, zipline canopy tours, hiking in the tropical jungles, horseback riding, mountain biking, and some truly spectacular bird watching. You will find the crystal clear and temperate waters of the Cangrejal River too tempting to resist and have the time of your life swimming in the natural water pools within the river.

Best of all are the variety of lodges available. La Villa de Soledad B&B is one of the most popular and truly beautiful lodges in the area. Come and stay with us and find out why we get raving reviews from our clients!

September 17, 2015

Best of Atlantida, Best of Central America, Best of Honduras, Best of La Ceiba, hotels in la ceiba Bay Islands, best bed and breakfast in Honduras, best bed and breakfast in la ceiba, best hotel in atlantida, Roatan, Utila

Are you looking for the best hotel in La Ceiba?

There is no doubt that the best place to stay in La Ceiba is the Cangrejal River Valley. Here you will find the best of nature, the best of peace and quiet and the best activities to enjoy. This being said, you will also find the best hotel in La Ceiba!

La Villa de Soledad B&B is the best Hotel in La Ceiba! Who says so? Check out what our guests think on tripadvisor. You will find that we consistently get raving reviews about our location, our service and our facilities. The setting is absolutely stunning, the facilities are comfortable and cozy, the service is friendly and hospitable, and the activities that you can enjoy are many a varied.

We can truly say that coming to La Ceiba, and not staying in the best hotel in La Ceiba is a real mistake, especially when it is son affordable! Our low season rates, which span from August 30 till December 16^th are only $75 US per room in double occupancy and including taxes and tips! Now if that is not a deal what is?

La Villa de Soledad B&B is such a good deal, that visiting the nearby Bay Islands of Utila and Roatan, and not stopping in La Ceiba for a couple of days to relax in best Hotel in La Ceiba is truly an unforgivable mistake.

La Villa de Soledad offers direct access to two National Parks, Pico Bonito and Nombre de Dios, great natural swimming areas in the Cangrejal River, and best of all outstanding hospitality and knowledge of the area. Best of all the bilingual innkeepers will go out of their way to make sure you are comfortable and satisfied. Come, discover the Cangrejal River Valley and some of the best kept secrets in Central America at the Cangrejal River Valley in La Ceiba!

Do yourself a favor, do not pay attention to what the travel warnings and the press have to say about Honduras. Check out the different comments that fellow travelers have put up as reviews in the diverse properties around the Cangrejal River. You will find that the area is safe, peaceful, and relaxing. Pamper yourself by visiting La Villa De Soledad B&B, the best hotel in La Ceiba!

August 17, 2015

Best of Central America, scuba diving, tourism in Honduras, Tours in La Ceiba Bay Islands, Honduras, PADI, scuba certified

Looking into getting scuba certified in Honduras?

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.

July 25, 2015

Best of La Ceiba, Best of the Bay Islands, getting to La Ceiba, National Parks, tourism in Honduras Bay Islands, Cangrejal River, Honduras, Roatan, West End

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!

April 10, 2015

Best of Honduras, Best of La Ceiba, Best of the Bay Islands Bay Islands, Guanaja, La Ceiba, Roatan, Utila

La Ceiba, located on the mainland of Honduras, is the natural hub for the Bay Islands.

If you are looking to travel to the Bay Islands of Honduras, chances are that you will be traveling through the city of La Ceiba. With a population of approximately 250,000 souls, La Ceiba is the fifth largest city in Honduras, but actually, the third most important! La Ceiba developed and grew around the operations of the Standard Fruit Company, owned by Dole, and quickly became an important agricultural and economic hub in the Caribbean Coast of Honduras. Because of its geographical location, La Ceiba is the natural hub for the Bay Islands.

The Bay Islands of Honduras are a small archipelago in the Western Caribbean that offers the perfect setting for vacations. Regardless of whether you are looking for diving, beaches, or both, the Bay Islands of Honduras are a true paradise. There are three main inhabited islands: Roatan, Utila and Guanaja, and all of them can be easily reached from La Ceiba. There are two daily ferry departures between La Ceiba and Roatan and La Ceiba and Utila. In addition, the airport in La Ceiba is the perfect to catch a short flight to any of the three islands, with departures being multiple throughout the day.

La Ceiba is however, much more that the perfect hub for the Bay Islands of Honduras. On its own, La Ceiba offers the best and most complete array of adventure and nature activities that will satisfy any traveler looking for a bit of the above. Activities ranging from World Class white water rafting to zip line canopy tours and waterfall descents and canyoning are all available within the Cangrejal River Valley, a unique spot just 5 miles from downtown La Ceiba. Hiking through trails in the tropical rainforests of Pico Bonito and Nombre de Dios National Parks are also readily available from this same area. Bird watching can be enjoyed from the comfort of a hammock in your verandah at La Villa de Soledad B&B.

So when planning your visit to the Bay Islands of Honduras, make sure that you remember that La Ceiba is the hub for the Bay Islands, and that there is a lot more to La Ceiba that just being a perfect hub for the Bay Islands!

Not to be forgotten, another great option that you have from La Ceiba is the fact that you can launch your expedition to the unique Moskito Coast region, located east of La Ceiba towards the border with Nicaragua from here. This area is home to the Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve, one of the two UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Honduras.

September 29, 2014

Best of Central America, Best of Honduras, Best of La Ceiba, getting to La Ceiba Bay Islands, Cangrejal River Valley, Cayman Islands, Honduras, La Ceiba, Roatan 0

Searching for the perfect weekend getaway is always a chore… You want some place nearby, but affordable, and that offers both, the option to relax and get rid of your stress or to have an action packed getaway and experience a new adventure! (Perhaps you want a bit of both!)

There is a little known, absolutely beautiful valley tucked away in the rugged Nombre de Dios Mountains, where the tropical rain forest co exists with a relatively large city nearby… a place where you will relax with the sound of running water and singing birds, where you will experience the thrill of white water or hiking in the rain forest… This little known secret place is called the Cangrejal River Valley, and it is located near the city of La Ceiba on the Caribbean coast of Honduras. Truly the perfect weekend getaway! It is easy to get to from the main cities of Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula, as well as from the main tourism hubs of the Bay Islands of Honduras: Utila and Roatan. It is also just a short one hour flight from Grand Cayman, allowing you to arrange a perfect weekend getaway using the Cayman Airways flights from Georgetown, Grand Cayman Island to La Ceiba operating scheduled flights on Friday and Monday. For updated information regarding the Cayman Airways flight schedule to La Ceiba, Honduras, check out https://www.caymanairways.com/flight-schedule

Best of all is the fact that the Cangrejal River Valley offers a variety of hostels, inns and jungle eco lodges that will fit into any budget, with everything from a true luxury eco lodge accommodation to a back packer’s hostel, with everything in between. For a complete list on hotels in the Cangrejal River Valley, check out www.cangrejalriver.com

If you are In the Bay Island of Roatan, and want to take advantage of the perfect weekend getaway, make use of the Galaxy Wave Ferry, they have a twice daily schedule that allows you to travel between Roatan and La Ceiba in the morning or afternoon in both directions, for detailed, up to day info on the schedules, check out www.roatanferry.com.

The perfect weekend getaway is also available from the Bay Island of Utila, with daily service aboard the Utila Princess Ferry. www.utilaprincess.com

Last but not least, easy access to La Ceiba from both San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa, make it easy to get to the perfect weekend getaway using either your own vehicle, taking the excellent public bus service provided by www.hedmanalas.com. As well as using the local airline, www.aerolineassosahn.com, who services both the Tegucigalpa to La Ceiba and the San Pedro Sula to La Ceiba routes.

Take advantage and come to the Cangrejal River Valley, the perfect weekend getaway in Honduras!

getting from the USA to Honduras is easy via Roatan and using the Roatan Ferry

September 28, 2014

Best of La Ceiba, Best of the Bay Islands, getting to La Ceiba Bay Islands, Cangrejal River Valley, Roatan 0

Honduras is located in the heart of Central America, with its face towards the Caribbean. Its main tourist destination is the island of Roatan, gateway to Honduras, which has steadily developed into the fastest growing port of call for cruise ships in the Caribbean. Roatan also has an international airport, and although a few years ago there were virtually no scheduled international flights into the island, today several international airlines offer regular scheduled nonstop service from major gateways in the USA, including Dallas / Fort Worth, Miami, Atlanta, New York City and Houston. Additionally, there is regular charter air service operating out of Toronto and Montreal, as well as from Milan in Northern Italy!

Many travelers visiting Roatan for a vacation prefer flying directly into Roatan, despite the fact that the airfare is a bit more expensive than that to the airports in San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa, because they avoid the hassle of the larger airports as well as having to find transportation towards their main destination in Honduras: Roatan. In addition, with the bad reputation that San Pedro Sula has, which in my own mind is completely overdone, travelers simply prefer to feel safe and not risk themselves unnecessarily. Because of the above todays travelers use Roatan as a gateway to Honduras, and visit the country from there. Although Roatan is somewhat detached from much of mainland Honduras, there is regular, easy communication between Roatan and the port city of La Ceiba on the mainland. The Galaxy Wave water jet catamaran offers twice daily service between both ports, with the passage being under two hours and the cost of a ticket, one way is just over $25 US dollars. For updated info on schedules and costs, check out www.roatanferry.com. Roatan’s International Airport also has regularly scheduled flights to La Ceiba, San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa, so traveling around Honduras is easy from Roatan. This is why we consider that Roatan is a great gateway to Honduras!

This being said, the easiest, fastest, safest gateway to Honduras, especially the Caribbean Coast is Roatan, “the” gateway to Honduras! Many travelers are unaware of this fact and therefore do not travel to Honduras or Roatan. Although Roatan is a lovely truly beautiful island in the Caribbean with lots to offer, there is so much more to see just a few miles away in the mainland. Visiting Roatan and not taking the time to venture into the mainland for a few days is truly a mistake. National Parks, wildlife reserves, Garifuna culture, and some of the best adventure and nature destinations in Central America are just a short jump away from the Bay Islands of Honduras. Because of the above, I fully recommend using Roatan as your personal gateway to Honduras and consider flying into Roatan on your next trip to stay in the Caribbean mainland of Honduras. Come and discover the magnificent Cangrejal River Valley and spend some days in this magical tropical world! For more information on hotels and options in the Cangrejal River Valley, visit www.cangrejalriver.com. There is no doubt in my mind that the perfect combination for a vacation package in Honduras is to visit the Bay Islands of Honduras and the Cangrejal River Valley, just outside the City of La Ceiba.

September 13, 2014

Best of La Ceiba, Best of the Bay Islands Bay Islands, Honduras, Roatan, White water rafting 0

Roatan, the largest and most developed of the Bay Islands of Honduras has become the most visited destination in Honduras. Not only is it an important and fastest growing cruise ship port of call in the Caribbean, it also has regularly scheduled nonstop flights serviced by Delta, American, United and Avianca from important gateways in North and Central America. Although most visited because of the extensive diving in the reefs that surround the island; the reefs in the Bay Islands are actually part of the Meso American Barrier Reef system, which is the second largest and most bio-diverse barrier reef in the World, there are certainly many, many different activities that can be enjoyed in Roatan. One of these is white water rafting in Roatan!

Granted, if you have visited the island before, or researched about it, you will argue that there are no rivers for rafting in Roatan, and of course, you are right, however on a clear day, if you are looking towards the south, which is where mainland Honduras is, you can see the Nombre de Dios Mountains. These massive mountains reach an altitude of over 8000 feet, and here you can find the mighty Cangrejal River, famous for its white water rafting! You might rightly argue that the river is in the mainland, and that you are on the island! This is not White water rafting in Roatan! Well of course you are right, but so am I! You can easily do a full day tour from Roatan to La Ceiba and enjoy this World Class white water rafting. If you take the morning ferry, which departs at 7:00 am from Roatan, you will be in La Ceiba before 9:00 am, and a short 30 minute If ride will have you in the Cangrejal River Valley before 9:30 am! If you have pre arranged your tour, the tour operator will be waiting for you to start your adventure promptly!. Omega Tours www.omegatours.info and La Moskitia Ecoaventuras www.lamoskitia.hn both offer half day tours that you will thoroughly enjoy and will easily be one of the highlights of your trip to Roatan.

So, now you know, independently of whether you are visiting Roatan for the diving or if its just that you are a beach lover, there is white water rafting in Roatan that you can enjoy!