Cayos Cochinos

February 7 2019

Soledad Best of Honduras Cayos Cochinos, Sambo Creek 0

Getting to the Hog Cays is Easy!

Cayos Cochinos are a pristine set of islands in the Caribbean Sea. Fortunately, they are not out in the middle of nowhere and impossible to get to. Getting to Cayos Cochinos is actually easier than you think! They are about 14 miles off the Caribbean Coast of Honduras. Cayos Cochinos are a true Caribbean Paradise! In total, there are 2 small islands and 13 tiny sandy cays. The area is under a protection status by the Honduran Government, as a National Marine Monument. This means there are rules to comply with when you visit the islands.

Sambo Creek is Offers the Best Way of Getting to the Hog Cays

There are two major launching points that provide the proper best options for getting to Cayos Cochinos. One is from the Garifuna Village of Sambo Creek, very near the city of La Ceiba. The other is from the Island of Roatan. Most people take the first option, which is much more affordable, however the boats and service are also quite a bit more basic. From Sambo Creek, getting to Cayos Cochinos will take you about 45 minutes. Because the boats are relatively small, the tour always leaves early in the morning and returns early in the afternoon, to insure they are back on the mainland before the surf gets rough.

From Roatan, you will find several different options. By far the best option is with Ruthless Roatan Charters. They offer a once a week from Roatan to Cayos Cochinos tour. Enjoy the trip in a vintage 41 foot Hatteras that has been fully refitted, and offers the classiest option as far as getting to Cayos Cochinos is concerned. The trip departs from West End at 7:00 a.m. and returns around 4:00 p.m. This is one heck of a tour!

Regardless of whether you are vacationing in Roatan or La Ceiba, a trip to Cayos Cochinos will certainly be one of the highlights of your trip. Many travelers like to experience both, La Ceiba and Roatan. If you would like to visit both, we, at La Villa de Soledad would be more than happy to help you arrange your trip to Cayos Cochinos departing from either location. Come and enjoy the magic of the tropical rain forests of Central America. , Then take a short trip to Roatan to relax in some of the best beaches in the World, in a true Vintage Caribbean Style!

reasons to visit the Cangrejal River Valley

December 5 2015

Soledad Best of La Ceiba, La Ceiba general information, Tours in La Ceiba, white water rafting Cacao Lagoon, Cangrejal river tours, Cayos Cochinos, Cuero y Salado Wildlife Refuge, hot springs in La Ceiba, La Ceiba zip line canopy tours, Nombre de Dios National Park, Pico Bonito National Park, The Hog Cays

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.

The area around Sambo Creek offers some great options nearby, such as the Cayos Cochinos Marine Reserve, the Sambo Creek hot springs and zip line canopy tour and a tour of the Cacao Lagoon which is part of Nombre de Dios National Park.

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!

October 6 2015

Soledad Best of La Ceiba, National Parks, Tours in La Ceiba Cayos Cochinos, Garifuna, The Hog Cays

Searching for the perfect La Ceiba Tours?

One of the most attractive things about visiting Atlantida is the huge variety of tours and activities to choose from. For example, there are many different La Ceiba tours to choose from. One of the best alternatives to enjoy a large variety of tours is to stay within the Cangrejal River Valley. Award winning eco lodges, such as La Villa de Soledad are located within this area and offer many different nearby activities. For example, you can choose between awesome white water rafting, hiking through the jungle to breath taking waterfalls, experience a zip line canopy tour over the Cangrejal River and through the jungles of Pico Bonito National Park or take a horseback riding tour to the local communities and through jungle trails.

The Cangrejal River area is by nature the perfect spot to explore both Pico Bonito National Park and Nombre de Dios National Park. This is bird watching country at its best, and considered one of the hot spots for birding in Central America. With many different Trails in Pico Bonito National Park to choose from, you will have a great time using this area as a base for your hiking adventures.

Within a short drive from La Villa de Soledad you will find many additional La Ceiba tours to enjoy. There is no doubt that the most popular of all La Ceiba tours is a visit to the Cayos Cochinos, AKA the Hog Cays. This pristine archipelago of small islands and cays is absolutely beautiful, and will certainly fit into anyone’s dream description of paradise on earth! This popular La Ceiba tour departs from Sambo Creek, a charming Garifuna Village, where you can meet and interact with the local Garifuna community, and even enjoy a meal at one of the different restaurants within the village. Nearby, in the mountains, you will find a great set of natural hot springs that will be a unique treat to your body. This is the ideal setting to relax, soothe your muscles after a full day of activities enjoying the various options of the different La Ceiba tours and even get a massage!

If you like to paddle in tranquil waters, the nearby Cacao Lagoon offers a great setting. A small lagoon surrounded by mangrove forests offers mysterious canals to paddle into in your quest to find some of the local fauna. Howler and capuchin monkeys are usually quite easy to see. Alligators and a variety of different birds are another treat waiting for you in this natural setting.

The Cuero y Salado Wildlife Refuge is another alternative as an interesting alternative as far as La Ceiba Tours are concerned. The area is much larger that the Cacao Lagoon, and is usually visited in a motor boat. Here, one of the most interesting facets is the actual access to the refuge: An ancient, funky train that runs of railroad tracks that are 100 years old is the only way into the refuge, and offers an insight to what was once the original capital of the first authentic Banana Republic!

As you can see, there are many different La Ceiba tours to choose from. You will have to decide what your particular interests are to make the best of your time in La Ceiba, or better yet, plan your itinerary to make sure that you have plenty of time to discover the best of La Ceiba and its different tours available!

August 30 2015

Soledad Best of Atlantida, Best of La Ceiba, Best of the Bay Islands Caribbean, Cayos Cochinos, Garifuna, Honduras, La Ceiba, Roatan, Sambo Creek, The Hog Cays

Getting to Cayos Cochinos AKA the Hog Cays is easy!

Cayos Cochinos is one of the last pristine set of islands in the Caribbean Sea! Fortunately, they are not out in the middle of nowhere and impossible to get to. Getting to Cayos Cochinos is actually easier than you think!

Located about 14 miles off the Caribbean Coast of Honduras, Cayos Cochinos are an idyllic set of islands, consisting of 2 small islands and 13 tiny sandy cays. The area is under a protection status by the Honduran Government, as a National Marine Monument. This means that access to the islands is restricted and there are rules to comply with.

There are two major launching points that provide the proper best options for getting to Cayos Cochinos. One is from the Garifuna Village of Sambo Creek, very near the city of La Ceiba, the other is from the Island of Roatan. Most people take the first option, which is much more affordable, however the boats and service are also quite a bit more basic. From Sambo Creek, getting to Cayos Cochinos will take you about 45 minutes. Because the boats are relatively small, the tour always leaves early in the morning and returns early in the afternoon, to insure they are back on the mainland before the surf gets rough.

From Roatan, you will find several different options. By far the best is offered by Ruthless Roatan Charters, which operates once a week from Roatan to Cayos Cochinos. Enjoy the trip in a vintage 41 foot Hatteras that has been fully refitted, and offers the classiest option as far as getting to Cayos Cochinos is concerned. The trip departs from West End at 7:00 a.m. and returns around 4:00 p.m. This is one heck of a tour!

One of the highlights of Cayos Cochinos is the Garifuna community at Chachahuate, another are the extremely healthy reefs and beautiful white sand beaches.

Regardless of whether you are vacationing in Roatan or La Ceiba, a trip to Cayos Cochinos will certainly be one of the highlights of your trip. Many travelers like to experience both, La Ceiba and Roatan. If you are interested in visiting both, we, at La Villa de Soledad would be more than happy to help you arrange your trip to Cayos Cochinos departing from either location. Come and enjoy the magic of the tropical rain forests of Central America, and then take a short trip to Roatan to relax in some of the best beaches in the World, in a true Vintage Caribbean Style!

February 25 2015

Soledad Best of La Ceiba, Tours in La Ceiba Cayos Cochinos, Chachahuate Cay, Garifuna Communities

The Hog Cays are the most popular day tour for visitors in La Ceiba

The Hog Cays are a group of islands located off the coast of La Ceiba in Honduras. They are part of the Bay Islands of Honduras and offer a unique view of what a pristine Caribbean island should look like! The Hog Cays are located only 30 kilometers, 18 miles off the coast of mainland Honduras. Although the closest point in the mainland to the Hog Cays is the Garifuna Village of Nueva Armenia, most of the day tourists visiting the Hog Cays or Cayos Cochinos, as they are locally known do so from the town of Sambo Creek.

The Hog Cays is actually a small archipelago, consisting of 2 small islands and 13 very small sand cays, of which some are inhabitated by Garifuna natives, others are privately owned with a home on them and others are simply pristine and natural.

Cochino Pequeno, or small Hog Island is all a protected area, and other that a small research station, there are no people living on it. All tours to Cayos Cochinos, or the Hog Cays start here, where you must register and pay the entrance fee to the park, which has a status of Marine Natural Monument. The larger island, known as Cochino Grande, or Big Hog is home to one of the only two communities in the Hog Cays, East End. This small Garifuna community, whose main source of income is fishing has a nice community owned hotel called Cabanas Laru Beya. On this larger Cay you will also find the only dive resort on the Hog Cays, Turtle Bay Eco Resort.

Without doubt the most picturesque community in the Hog Cays is Chachahuate Cay, which is inhabited by a Garifuna community. Chachahuate is the most densely populated Garifuna community, and although it retains the character and feeling of an authentic Garifuna village, the truth is that most of the community has given up the fishing lifestyle that they once had to survive and now offer food and handmade artifacts to the many tourists that visit the Hog Cays.

The easiest way to get to the Hog Cays is via Sambo Creek, located about 18 kilometers east of La Ceiba on the CA13 highway to Trujillo. From here, there are several different options, some community owned, and others privately owned that offer tours to the Hog Cays. Without doubt, the most professional are Tourist Options, who operate daily tours from Sambo Creek to the Hog Cays at a very reasonable price. Although there are several hotels in the Sambo Creek area, the village is close to La Ceiba, and many tourists actually prefer to stay in the Cangrejal River Valley and take the 40 minute trip from there to Sambo Creek and back. The tour usually departs at 8 a.m and returns at 3 pm, so the transfer is easy, pleasant and affordable.

At La Villa de Soledad B&B we offer round trip transfers to our guests that are interested in visiting the Hog Cays for a very reasonable $50 US round trip per group of one to four persons. We are happy to serve and early breakfast and have you in Sambo Creek with plenty of time to take the tour, which is currently only $40 US dollars per person, making this a very affordable day trip to enjoy from La Villa de Soledad B&B. Yet another reason to stay at La Villa de Soledad and Relax in Nature.

November 18 2014

Soledad Best of the Bay Islands Amapala, Barbareta, Cangrejal River Valley, Cayos Cochinos, Guanaja, Isla Zacate Grande, islands in honduras, Morat, Roatan, Swan Islands, Utila

Islands in Honduras

Despite being a small country, with only 112,500 square kilometers, there are quite a few islands in Honduras. In fact some islands in Honduras are on the Pacific Ocean and other islands in Honduras are on the Caribbean.

Most of the islands in Honduras are on the Caribbean, with the majority of them being part of the Bay Islands of Honduras archipelago. This set of islands, located just a few miles off the Caribbean Coast of Honduras boasts the largest islands in Honduras. Roatan, Utila, Guanaja, Barbareta, Helene, Morat and a dozens of smaller cays form this unique paradise that offers the Caribbean at its best: unspoiled, affordable, uncrowded. The Hog Cays, located just off the Coast of La Ceiba are considered part of the same archipelago are a national park that consists of two smaller islands in Honduras, as well as a set of Cays. Much further north and east, you will find the Swan Islands, which are also islands in Honduras, however due to the isolated location in the Caribbean, these islands are hard to visit and basically uninhabited except for a Honduran navy outpost there.

The largest of all islands in Honduras is Roatan, which is about 60 Km. long and boasts a population of approximately 60,000 souls. Roatan has its own international airport, with regularly scheduled international flights by American, United and Delta Airlines, as well as by Avianca. The most developed part of Roatan is the Western end of the island, and therefore, my favorite is on the opposite side!

Utila and Guanaja are two lovely smaller islands in Honduras that are also very beautiful. Utila has become famous as one of the most affordable places in the world to get scuba certified, with many different scuba schools fighting for the business.

Guanaja is more exclusive, more expensive and is the only truly mountainous of the three larger Bay Islands of Honduras.

Helene, also known as Saint Helene is actually a part of Roatan, separated from the main island by natural canal and swamp. Although there are a couple of small communities in Helene, it is very sparsely populated and has no services for tourists. Morat is small and inhabited and Barbareta is a true gem that is privately owned by a Texas millionaire who visits it often.

On the Pacific Coast, Honduras has two fairly good sized islands in the Gulf of Fonseca, which Honduras shares with Nicaragua and El Salvador. For more information on Nicaragua, visit www.nicatips.com. The two islands in Honduras that are on the Pacific are Isla del Tigre, also known as Amapala, and Isla Zacate Grande, both are of volcanic origin, although they are considered extinct volcanoes. Zacate Grande has been interconnected with the mainland by a land filled road over swamps, while Amapala is only accessible by water. Amapala was Honduras’ port in the Pacific during the colonial and early republican days, and was once a bustling community, however when the government of Honduras built a new, modern port facility in nearby San Lorenzo, Amapala was left in a time warp. It is only now beginning to wake up to development. IT is certainly worth a visit, but be prepared for a much slower pace of life here! Although it might seem impossible, I have actually visited Roatan and Utila in one week and then travelled overland Honduras to the Pacific coast and visited Amapala within the same week! I am sure you will not find many countries in the world where you can do that without flying from coast to coast!

Most travelers visit the islands in Honduras that are on the Caribbean, and in doing so, usually miss out on a lovely area located on the mainland of Honduras, easily reachable via the ferry boat service that interconnects Roatan and Utila with the mainland via the port of La Ceiba. Just a few minutes away from the port facility, the Cangrejal River Valley offers a unique setting that is the perfect complement to your visit to the Caribbean Islands in Honduras. Set within two national parks, Pico Bonito and Nombre de Dios, and with a unique white water river with crystal clear waters, The Cangrejal River Valley is one of the crown jewels of Honduras that you should not miss! La Villa de Soledad B&B is a great option to enjoy this lovely, magical valley!

November 10 2014

Soledad Best of La Ceiba, Tours in La Ceiba Cacao Lagoon, Cangrejal River, Cayos Cochinos, El Bejuco Waterfall, Hot Springs, Nombre de Dios National Park, Pico Bonito National Park, Sambo Creek, White water rafting, zip line canopy tours

So you are on your way to the lovely city of La Ceiba, capital of Atlantida on the Caribbean coast of Honduras! Looking for the best options to spend the perfect week in La Ceiba? Here is our suggestion, which of course can be modified according to the number of days you will actually be in La Ceiba and the order of the activities, depending on your priorities.

The perfect week in La Ceiba starts with selecting the proper place to stay in. Perhaps you can even consider dividing your week long stay in two different hotels, to make the best of your vacation. Personally, I would start with 4 nights at the Cangrejal River Valley. Staying in a lovely guest house. The Cangrejal River Valley is ideal, and there is no better place than La Villa de Soledad B&B, rated number one by tripadvisor in 2014 to stay in! The first four nights of your vacation in search of the perfect week in La Ceiba should no doubt be spent at La Villa de Soledad B&B.

Day 1. During your stay at La Villa de Soledad, you should definitely take advantage and do white water rafting. The Cangrejal River is the only river in Honduras where rafting can be done any day of the year, and is the ideal way to start the perfect week in La Ceiba! Experts consider this one of the best rivers to do white water rafting in Central America and the Caribbean!

Day 2. After your rafting experience, you will want to relax and remember the fun moments of this adventure and get ready for the next adventure, which I would suggest should be a hike up to the El Bejuco Waterfall, a unique view of the Cangrejal River Valley can be enjoyed from this vantage point. You will enjoy a magnificent second day of your perfect week in La Ceiba. The trail to El Bejuco waterfall begins only 200 meters away from La Villa de Soledad B&B. Nothing like easy access to your activities!

Day 3. For the third day, you should plan on a unique adventure that will be hard to equal elsewhere, A water fall descent. The jungles of Pico Bonito and Nombre de Dios Mountains hide many secrets, and you will find hundreds of unique waterfalls, some are actually quite accessible if you know where they are… Come and enjoy canyoning at its finest with Honduras Waterfall Descents! https://www.facebook.com/HondurasCanyoning/info

You can continue spending all week at La Villa de Soledad, however you might want a change of scenes, and going from the lovely jungle mountains to the Caribbean Sea just might be just what you need at this point. If this is the case, pack your bags! And take a short 30 minute trip to Sambo Creek, where you can choose from several small beachfront hotels. Check out the options on tripadvisor! May I suggest Paradise Found or Hotel Villa Helen?

Day 4. Once on the beach, the perfect start for the last half of your perfect week in La Ceiba should be a trip to Cayos Cochinos. The Hog Cays are a unique unspoiled piece of paradise in the Western Caribbean. You will be hard pressed to find a site as beautiful and pristine as this anywhere else in the Caribbean. The trip includes time for snorkeling, a visit to the Garifuna Village at Chachahuate Cay and a walk into the forests of Cayos Cochinos to find one of the endemic pink boas that live on the island!

Day 5. After a week of much activity, enjoy a zip line canopy tour in the morning, and then a relaxing bath in the amazing hot springs in the mountains above Sambo Creek, just a few minutes from your hotel. While you are here, enjoying a much needed massage, you can reflect on the many adventures of this, the perfect week in La Ceiba. You have had so many experiences, met so many people, and been in the tropical rain forests of Central America and in a pristine island in the Caribbean. You have even interacted with the Garifuna Culture, which is an intangible World Heritage! Truly the perfect week in La Ceiba!

Day 6. Today is time to enjoy some of the intricate canals within the mangrove forests. These unique habitats are along the coast, and usually surround small lagoons, estuaries and canals, providing a perfect setting for wildlife, such as monkeys, crocodiles and even manatees. As you paddle through the canals at the Cacao Lagoon, you will hear the ferocious howler monkeys in the treetops, warning you to stay away from them! You of course will paddle towards them and get a closer look at them, while they menacingly howl at you from a safe distance up in the treetops. The friendlier white faced monkeys will curiously look at you, but they will do so only from the safety of the treetops. The crocodiles will simply look at you with those big eyes and will warn you not to jump in the lagoon to swim around them. What a perfect way to close the perfect week in La Ceiba! Tonight as a farewell, you should plan on having dinner within the Garifuna community of Sambo Creek. A seafood meal, a couple of shots of guifity, the local alcoholic beverage and the beating of drums will make a perfect farewell to fantastic week that you will never, ever forget.

The perfect week in La Ceiba… So much to do, so much so close and easily accessible. What a dream vacation!

November 9 2014

Soledad Best of La Ceiba, National Parks, Tours in La Ceiba Adventure activities in La Ceiba, birding in La Ceiba, Cangrejal River, canopy tours, Cayos Cochinos, Cuero y Salado Wildlife Refuge, hiking in Pico Bonito, Hot Springs, Pico Bonito National Park, Sambo Creek, White water rafting

There are many things to do in La Ceiba, and it is a good idea that you are aware of them, so that you can plan your trip in La Ceiba accordingly, and make sure you take full advantage of the top things to do in La Ceiba. Here is a short list of what I consider the bare minimum things to do in La Ceiba that you should plan on!

White Water Rafting. The Cangrejal River is the only river in Honduras where you can do this activity. The river offers magnificent quality of water plus a unique experience based on both the abundant nature and the white water rapids that range from class II to IV. White water rafting is certainly one of the things to do in La Ceiba that you should not miss! For more information on white water rafting in the Cangrejal River, you may visit www.cangrejalriver.com where you will find a list of white water rafting outfitters.
Zip line canopy tours. Although there are many different options to do this activity in other destinations, such as Copan, Roatan and Lake Yojoa to mention a few in Honduras, the truth is that the dense tropical rain forests of Pico Bonito and Nombre de Dios National Parks are second to none. In addition, the zip line canopy tour at Sambo Creek, one of the two options in La Ceiba, offers the unique opportunity to relax in natural hot springs and get a relaxing massage in the jungle. You will not find this combination anywhere else Central America. Because of this, a visit to the Sambo Creek zip line canopy tour and hot springs in La Ceiba is number two on our list of things to do in La Ceiba!
Hiking in the Pico Bonito Trails is our number three item in the list of things to do in La Ceiba. Just the knowledge that the same trail you are hiking in during the day is used by the majestic king of the Central American jungles, the jaguar during the nights makes the experience unreal! Pico Bonito is home to a huge list of bird species, many of which are truly hard to see elsewhere, and many of them are easily seen from the trails in Pico Bonito National Park. For more information regarding Pico Bonito National Park and its hiking options, visit www.lamoskitia.hn
The Garifuna culture was declared an intangible World Heritage by the UNESCO a few years ago. These unique people, who have survived against all odds due to their tenacity and beliefs, live along the Caribbean coast of Honduras. The most picturesque and unique of all of their villages in located in the Hog Cays, better known as Cayos Cochinos. Here on a small white sand cay called Chachahuate, you can find the most authentic Garifuna Village in the World. Best of all, it is located in a small archipelago that is part of the Mesoamerican reef system, the most bio diverse barrier reef system in the World. Cayos Cochinos is only 14 miles from the coast of La Ceiba, and there are regular tours departing daily from Sambo Creek, one of the two Garifuna Villages on the mainland that are withing the municipality of La Ceiba. A visit to Cayos Cochinos is a must in your list of things to do in La Ceiba. Make sure you leave enough time to visit them! This is truly a unique activity that you will not be able to experience anywhere else in Central America!
Mangrove forests and estuary lagoons are probably the least appreciated habitats in the tropics. Developers are always looking for ways to tear down the mangroves, fill in the swamps and turn them into beautiful ocean front vacation developments. These habitats are actually very important, though unappreciated. They act as a filter to keep the silt from making out to the reefs and beaches; they provide the perfect setting for an extremely diverse ecosystem, which includes manatees, caimans and crocodiles, several species of monkeys, white tail deer and even the majestic jaguar. La Ceiba has two different areas that offer the opportunity of see and interact with nature in this environment. The Cuero y Salado Wildlife Refuge is one of them. This protected area is located about 20 miles outside of La Ceiba, towards the west, and the access to the site is via an old, quite funky banana train that is reminiscent of the old banana republic days. Once in the refuge, a boat trip down the estuaries will allow you to see howler and white faced monkeys, crocodiles, a huge list of birds and if you are really, really lucky, you might catch a glimpse of a Manatee. The other area that offers a similar experience, but without the banana train and the manatee is the Cacao Lagoon which is within the Nombre de Dios National Park. A visit to either one of these two mangrove swamp areas is a must if you want to see wildlife and certainly must be in your list of things to do in La Ceiba.

There are many other things to do in La Ceiba, such as horseback riding, trekking into the National Parks, climbing to Pico Bonito National Park, and visiting communities within the park. La Ceiba is also famous for its night life, and is becoming a popular destination to come and experience concerts by famous international singers. If you are interested in any of the above things to do in La Ceiba, don’t hesitate to write to me, and I will be happy to help you out with any special requirements or information you might need.

October 19 2014

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nombre de Dios National Park as seen from Cayos Cochinos

October 7 2014

Soledad Best of La Ceiba, National Parks Cangrejal River Valley, Cayos Cochinos, Nombre de Dios National Park 0

There are several different options for Lodging in Nombre de Dios National Park. Nombre de Dios National Park is one of the newest national parks in Honduras. It is located on the North Coast of Honduras, and roughly is contained within the Cangrejal River on the West and the Papaloteca River on the East, with the Caribbean Sea being the northern boundary and south side of the Nombre de Dios Mountains being the southern boundary.

The main options to find lodging in Nombre de Dios National Park is the Cangrejal River Valley, where you will find over ten different lodging options. A complete list of hotels can be found at www.cangrejalriver.com. The Cangrejal River Valley offers access to both trails in Nombre de Dios National Park as well as to trails into Pico Bonito National Park. In addition, there are outstanding options for adventure activities, such as white water rafting and zip line canopy tours. Community tourism activities are also available here, and you can enjoy interacting with members of the communities of Las Mangas and El Pital. A local tour operator that is owned and managed by young members or the community offers a great opportunity for community tourism. The company’s name is Cangrejal Tours, and you can get more information about their services in www.cangrejaltours.com. An interesting thing to mention is the fact that the options for lodging in Nombre de Dios National Park are rated as the top options by tripadvisor, and you will find that the top three options for bed and breakfasts in La Ceiba, as well as the top two specialty lodging are all in the Cangrejal River Valley! La Villa de Soledad was awarded both, the 2014 Travelers Choice award as well as the 2014 Certificate of Excellence.

The other area that offers lodging in Nombre de Dios National Park is the coastal area that includes the communities of Corozal, Sambo Creek and Nueva Armenia. The largest cluster of options in the area is around Sambo Creek. Here you can choose between Bed and Breakfasts, cabins, and large beachside resorts. The area also offers many tour options, such as a day tour to the Hog Cays, also known as Cayos Cochinos, a tour of the mangrove canals in the Cacao Lagoon and some magnificent hot springs very near the community of Sambo Creek. The possibility of interacting with the Garifuna Communities is also an option.

The good news is that you can stay in one area and still visit the attractions in the other. Many guests that stay at La Villa de Soledad visit both, Cayos Cochinos as well as the Sambo Creek Hot Springs and Canopy Tour, as well as the activities available around the Cangrejal River Valley. Whatever your decision, you are now more knowledgeable about your options for lodging in Nombre de Dios National Park.

The quality of your options for lodging in Nombre de Dios National Parks is quite wide, and there are many different activities that you can enjoy in the park, so I recommend that you plan on spending several days in the area!