Are you looking for best alternative to travel from Managua to La Ceiba?

If you are in Nicaragua, and your planned trip is to travel from there to the Bay Islands of Honduras, you are probably trying to figure out what the best way to travel is. Of course you probably already know that there is shuttle service departing from Leon that travels overland directly to La Ceiba by route of Tegucigalpa, however you are surely seeking a less stressing trip. The idea of departing from Leon at 2:00 a.m. when it is still dark to make a 15 hour mad dash across Nicaragua to the Honduran border and then continue across most of Honduras to make it to La Ceiba on time to catch the ferry is not really appealing. Heck, you are on vacations and it’s supposed to be fun isn’t it?

You can plan on departing from Managua via la Costena airlines direct to Tegucigalpa. The flight is only a bit more that one hour, and will give you a scenic view of the Gulf of Fonseca, which Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador share on the Pacific Ocean.

The flight arrives early in the morning, and if you run, you may catch the Sosa Airlines flight that departs early from Tegucigalpa to La Ceiba. If for any reason you miss the flight, do not worry, they also have an afternoon flight, and you will be able to catch that flight. If you do miss that morning connection, there are a couple of things you can do kill time in Tegucigalpa. First of all check your bags with the airline, so that you do not have to worry about them. Tegucigalpa’s largest mall is located right across the airport, so all you need to do is cross the street and you are at the mall. You can shop, make use of the food court, and perhaps even watch a movie while you wait for your flight.

A second, more interesting option is to take a cab to downtown Tegucigalpa. The old Cathedral, located right on Central Park is certainly worth visiting, and a nice pedestrian street, which well policed, will lead you a couple of blocks from the Cathedral to the Museo de Identidad Hondurena. This is probably the best museum in Honduras, and will be treat to visit while in downtown Tegucigalpa. Certainly beats 15 hours in a cramped minibus if you ask me!

The flight from Tegucigalpa to La Ceiba departs at 3 o clock, and flying time is about 40 minutes, which will give you just enough time to fetch your bag, run to get a cab, and get to the ferry terminal in time to catch the 4:30 p.m. ferry to Utila or Roatan. You could, on the other hand, simply change planes in La Ceiba and continue to either Utila or Roatan with Sosa Airlines. Certainly a much more pleasant way of getting from Managua to La Ceiba or for that matter, to Roatan or Utila!

The only downside to this alternative of travel from Managua to La Ceiba is that La Costena is only flying three times a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

One last tip! As long as you have flown from Managua to La Ceiba, you should certainly consider staying at least a couple of nights at the Cangrejal River Valley area in La Ceiba. This is a truly unique location that is ideal for active tourism or eco tourism and nature activities.