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.

December 18, 2014

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Planning a trip to Nombre de Dios National Park?

The Nombre de Dios National Park is one of the youngest national parks in Honduras. It was declared a Park by the National Congress of Honduras during the presidential period of Ricardo Maduro, who administered Honduras between 2002 and 2006.

Nombre de Dios National Park is located in the department of Atlantida, on the North Coast of Honduras between the municipalities of La Ceiba and Jutiapa, and includes the Garifuna Communities of Nueva Armenia, Corozal and Sambo Creek within its limits, as well as the Cacao Lagoon that is located within the municipality of Jutiapa.

From the tourist’s point of view, the Nombre de Dios National Park offers many different options. Perhaps first and above all we should put emphasis on the Garifuna Culture. This unique culture has been declared Intangible Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO giving it a unique and outstanding position. There are three different Garifuna communities located within the Nombre de Dios National Park: Corozal and Sambo Creek, which are both within the municipality of La Ceiba and the Garifuna community at Nueva Armenia, which is within the municipality of Jutiapa. All of these communities have fishing outposts in the nearby Cayos Cochinos, where Chachahuate is the most colorful of all Garifuna communities in the World.

Another of the crown jewels of Nombre de Dios National Park is the Cacao Lagoon. This small lagoon offers a combination of mangrove and tropical rain forests, which are teeming with wildlife. You can easily see both howler and white faced monkeys from the comfort of your boat or kayak as you tour this lovely tropical lagoon.

Another unique activity within Nombre de Dios National Park is a visit to the hot springs just above Sambo Creek. Although there are many different hot springs within the park, those located just above Sambo Creek offer the best facilities, which include a zip line canopy tour that sends you flying over the hot springs from tree top to tree top!

The hot springs create small natural pools that cascade town the natural ravines, providing a unique natural setting that blends in beautifully with the walkways, decks and massage huts where the massage services are provided.

Last, but definitely not least, the Cangrejal River Valley, which is shared between Pico Bonito and Nombre de Dios National Park offers a variety of lodging options, which include the unique La Villa de Soledad B & B jungle eco-lodge. Here you will find a combination of adventure and nature activities, which include white water rafting, horseback riding tours and, rappelling down waterfalls and of course hiking.

Come and discover Nombre de Dios National Park and stay at La Villa de Soledad B&B, your best lodging option for both Pico Bonito National Park and Nombre de Dios National Park!