Cuero y Salado Wildlife Refuge

February 7 2019

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

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

Yes Nigel Marven in Honduras!

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

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

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

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

Nigel Marven in Honduras — Birding at La Villa de Soledad

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

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

reasons to visit the Cangrejal River Valley

December 5 2015

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!

November 9 2014

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.

The Cangrejal River is born from some of the densest tropical rain forests in Central America

October 6 2014

Best of Honduras, Best of La Ceiba Cayos Cochinos, Cuero y Salado Wildlife Refuge, La Ceiba, Nombre de Dios National Park, Pico Bonito National Park 0

Would you like stay in a Boutique Eco Lodge in La Ceiba?

There is certainly an attraction to spending a few nights in the jungle, however, as most of us grew up in a city, the idea of “roughing in out” is not exactly our idea of a spectacular eco vacation. La Ceiba offers a unique setting to interact with the tropical rain forests of Pico Bonito and Nombre de Dios National Parks. Its proximity to other protected areas with very diverse settings, such as the Cuero y Salado Wildlife Refuge or the Cayos Cochinos Marine Monument make La Ceiba the ideal destination for a magnificent eco vacation with lots of interaction with nature and great options for some adventures in the great outdoors.

Although the city of La Ceiba is actually quite large, the hotels within the city are not really oriented to eco activities, however there is a truly beautiful area just outside the city, actually within 6 miles of the downtown La Ceiba that offers unique opportunities for the perfect eco vacation. I am referring to the Cangrejal River Valley, which boasts an absolutely unique and beautiful river, with huge house sized boulders, magnificent white water and all of the dense tropical rain forest you ever dreamed of because the river is actually the border between two national parks, Pico Bonito and Nombre de Dios. There are several different properties in this area where you can stay, visit www.cangrejalriver.com for a list of them. However if you are looking for a boutique eco lodge in La Ceiba, look no more, stay at the charming La Villa de Soledad B&B.

This lovely boutique Eco Lodge in La Ceiba has gotten raving reviews from many of its guests in Tripadvisor, and it’s easy to understand why. Designed as an old Spanish Hacienda, with lovely rustic “Saltillo” clay floor tiles, ample rooms with French doors opening out to the expansive and well groomed gardens, your own special hammock just outside your room, and comfortable spacious bathrooms with plenty of hot water. High, cathedral like roofs insure pleasant temperatures even in the hottest of day. In addition, hi speed wifi, outstanding home style cooking and bilingual staff offer the perfect setting for an unforgettable vacation with nature.

If you like to be pampered, be in a unique location and love the idea of a Boutique Eco Lodge in La Ceiba, look no more! La Villa de Soledad B&B offers the perfect setting for all of the above!