Roatan

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!

February 22 2016

Best of Central America, Best of Honduras, tourism in Honduras Cangrejal River Valley, Caribbean, Central America, Roatan, Utila

A asked our guests: Why Honduras?

I picked our guests from Victoria, British Colombia yesterday to bring them to La Villa de Soledad. After our brief, auto introduction to each other, I blurted out: Why Honduras? (Poor Honduras has such a bad, unfair reputation, that most travelers go out of their way not to visit us, so it is always interesting and learning to listen to the reasons they decided upon visiting Honduras.)

As it turns out, Lauren has been to pretty much the rest of Central America, however for her husband Tristan this is the first time to Central America. It turns out that Tristan wanted to visit the Caribbean, and Lauren wanted to visit Central America. This basically left two options: Belize and Honduras.

For the adventure traveler, there is just so much more to see and do in Honduras than in Belize that they quickly decided on visiting Honduras. With only a week to enjoy vacations in Honduras, they decided that La Ceiba and Roatan seemed like the ideal destinations. This is of course absolutely true. You can enjoy the best of tropical Central America around La Ceiba, especially along the Cangrejal River Valley, where hiking, zip line canopy tours, white water rafting and swimming in one of the most beautiful rivers in Central America are all possible and within walking distance of several different lodges and accommodations, including La Villa de Soledad B&B.

With only a 30 minute drive from the Cangrejal River to the port facility in La Ceiba, you can catch one of two daily departures from La Ceiba to both, Roatan and Utila, and be in an authentic, Caribbean setting within one hour if headed to Utila and 1½ hours if headed to Roatan! Diving in the Bay Islands is absolutely spectacular: you see the Bay Islands of Honduras are actually on the southernmost end of the Meso American Barrier Reef, the most biodiverse barrier coral reef in the World! It also offers the best preserved conditions in all of the Caribbean, allowing you to dive in near pristine conditions. Add the fact that Utila is world famous for its affordable prices to get scuba certified and to spot the majestic whale shark year round, and Roatan is famous for its spectacular West Bay beach and you find the perfect match! The above seems sum up the answer to my why Honduras question!

Best of all, Honduras is not overrun by tourists, you will enjoy hiking in trails in peace and quiet, snorkeling and diving with small groups, and most importantly, you will discover that Hondurans are friendly, charming people that will go out of their way to keep you safe and make memorable vacations out of your time in Honduras! Now you know why Honduras. No more reasons needed, hurry and book your Honduras trip before everyone discovers the truth about why Honduras is the best travel destination in Central America and the Caribbean!

February 19 2016

Best of the Bay Islands, tourism in Honduras Puerto Cortes, Roatan, Traveling between Rio Dulce and Utila, traveling between Utila and Roatan, Utila

Traveling between Utila and Roatan just got easy!

Despite being sister islands, traveling between Utila and Roatan has always been complicated. With no scheduled service between both islands, it has always been a travelers nightmare traveling between them. Until now, the easiest, and practically only way of travelling between Utila and Roatan has been to take the ferry from Utila to La Ceiba, and then board the ferry from La Ceiba to Roatan. While the schedules worked in both directions, not only where you paying more, you were actually traveling twice the distance and spending more than twice the time you really needed.

The good news is that the Utila Dream, the new ferry that has come to service Utila will now be operating twice a week a Utila to Roatan route, which will be running on Thursday and Saturday making traveling between Utila and Roatan a piece of cake. Departures from Utila will be at 9:30 a.m. from the Municipal dock in Utila, and return from Roatan will depart at 2:00 p.m. from the Coconut Tree Dock at West End. By using this arrival and departure location, passengers will actually be arriving or departing directly from the heart of the most popular location in Roatan: West End. The trip will be a short 40 minute ride between both islands!

Island Air, a small airline based in Utila is also offering round trip service between Utila and Roatan on Saturdays, which of course is even more convenient if you are traveling to Roatan to catch an international flight, since you arrive at the Roatan International Airport (RTB).

For those tourists coming in from Belize and Rio Dulce in Guatemala, we have even more good news! The Utila Dream will be traveling between Utila and Puerto Cortes twice a week on Friday and Sunday! Departures from Utila will be at 9:30 a.m. from the municipal dock and the passage will be only 2 ½ hours, arriving at Puerto Cortes at noontime. Departures from Puerto Cortes will be at 12:30, arriving in Utila by 3:00 p.m. The cost of the service will be only Lps 700 each way, which is approximately $31 US. Not only will you be saving time, you will also be saving money!

This new routes will be in effect starting the first week in March, 2016, and will certainly make traveling between Utila and Roatan, and between Rio Dulce and Utila much, much easier!

February 2 2016

Best of Atlantida, Best of Honduras, Best of the Bay Islands, tourism in Honduras Bay Islands of Honduras, Mainland Honduras, Roatan, Utila

Questions about Pico Bonito National Park?

This weekend I had a chance to travel to Utila for a couple of days. It was a work trip, but nonetheless, there is always time to kick back and relax. After the cold front that passed through the area the week before, the sky was clear, the ocean was calm, and traveling on board the new Utila Dream Ferry was truly a treat! Although I usually hide from the sun, as my skin does not take it very well, I could not resist traveling on the outside deck on the bow, and enjoying the scenery while feeling the fresh marine breeze blowing on my face…

And this is where my post about Pico Bonito National Park comes to be. You see, when the air is crisp and clean, you get a magnificent view of the Nombre de Dios Mountains and Pico Bonito National Park, especially from Utila, although you can also see it from Roatan. The skyline of the coast, with the rugged peaks jutting over the clouds makes you wonder about Pico Bonito National Park and everything it has to offer. Truly, a visit to the Caribbean Bay Islands of Honduras is magnificent, however a visit to the mainland to discover all there is about Pico Bonito National Park brings your visit to Honduras to a complete new level!

As seen from Utila, you can only imagine what lies within these spectacular, jungle clad mountains. From afar, you will notice that if you look towards the east, (left if you are on Utila) of the triangular shaped peak appropriately named Pico Bonito, you will see a dip in the mountains. It is precisely along this valley where the Cangrejal River, which is the natural boundary between Pico Bonito and Nombre de Dios National Parks, flows towards the Caribbean.

The Cangrejal River Valley is probably the most unique tropical rainforest area within Central America. Its scenic setting, together with a variety of different lodges and activities are to be found, making it a prime spot to look for a hotel in La Ceiba where to stay and enjoy yourself.

If you are traveling to Roatan or Utila, make sure that you plan a couple of days to visit the Cangrejal River Valley in the mainland and learn about Pico Bonito National Park, the most bio-diverse national park in Central America!

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!

November 13 2015

Best of Central America, Best of Honduras, Best of the Bay Islands Cangrejal River Valley, Caribbean, Central America, Roatan, Roatan Ferry

Are you dreaming about the perfect vacation?

A perfect vacation… We all work hard throughout the year to be able to take a much needed vacation. In addition more and more psychologists are saying that true happiness and well being is best provided by the pleasant experiences achieved during out times of travel. All this being said, it seems really important to be able to plan and enjoy the perfect vacation!

But where can we go to have the perfect vacation? Being able to visit different sites that complement each other is usually one of the top factors to take into consideration when planning the perfect vacation. But then you do not want to spend half of your vacation time traveling from one site to the other …

Nestled just off the coast of Central America, in the northwestern Caribbean Sea, you will find a beautiful small archipelago of islands known as the Bay Islands of Honduras. The largest and most developed of these islands is called Roatan. With a population of 60,000 souls, it has an international airport that is serviced by the most important US airlines, who offer flights from Miami, Atlanta, Dallas – Fort Worth and Houston. Flying time from these gateways is less than 2 ½ hours, making it a short, easy, and most of all affordable trip.

Roatan offers everything an idyllic Caribbean island is supposed to have: white sand beaches fringed with palm trees, friendly people, outstanding coral reefs that are truly healthy and unique, friendly people, beach bars and lovely island resorts. The one island drawback, the fact that it is an island and therefore somewhat isolated from other places does not apply to Roatan. You see there is a state of the art water jet catamaran ferry that runs twice daily between Roatan and mainland Central America, with a travel time of approximately 90 minutes!

Pico Bonito National Park: how to get there & What to expecto — Roatan Ferry arriving in La Ceiba

This means that getting to from Roatan to the coast of Central America is a “piece of cake” Within less than 20 minutes from the port in La Ceiba, you can find yourself in a true tropical paradise, where the rain forests of Central America are within majestic, green clad mountains, with cristal clear rivers and creeks rushing towards the nearby Caribbean. Truly the setting for the perfect vacation: Tropical paradise and Caribbean beaches… What more can you ask for? The Cangrejal River Valley offers outstanding lodging facilities, such as La Villa de Soledad Bed and Breakfast, a lovely, unique boutique hotel in the forests of Nombre de Dios National Park.

The setting in the mainland is ideal for white water rafting, zip line canopy tours, hiking in the rain forests and bird watching, amongst many other activities. Go ahead and plan the perfect vacations, come to Honduras, and have the vacation of a lifetime!

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!

September 7 2015

Best of Atlantida, Best of Honduras, National Parks Cangrejal River, La Ceiba, Pico Bonito National Park, Roatan, Roatan Ferry, Utila

Tips about Pico Bonito National Park: How to get there & what to expect.

One of the best known National Parks in Honduras, Pico Bonito is a true gem that many travelers miss out on. It is incredible that many tourists pass right by this national park and totally miss out on all it has to offer. In an effort to make it easier for you we have decided to put together a small note on Pico Bonito National Park: How to get there & what to expect. I truly hope that you find it useful and decide to visit this magnificent National Park, the largest in Atlantida and one of the largest in Honduras.

So let’s start with the how to get there! Pico Bonito is located on mainland Honduras, and is separated from the Caribbean Sea by a narrow coastal plain. The park is part of the Nombre de Dios Mountain Range that can easily be seen from Utila, and also from Roatan’s West End on a clear day. If you are on your way to the Bay Islands of Honduras, chances are that you will be traveling overland to the City of La Ceiba, located on the North Coast of Honduras. This is the gateway to the Bay Islands of Honduras, as the ferry service that operates between the mainland and the Bay Islands does so from La Ceiba.

If you flew in directly to Roatan, then the easiest way to get to Pico Bonito National Park is using the Roatan ferry, which has two daily departures. The passage between Roatan and La Ceiba is just under two hours. Another alternative is to fly, it is a short 15 minute flight, and there are several different airlines that provide service on this route. Personally, I prefer the ferry; it always departs on schedule and is much more reliable!

Once in La Ceiba, you have several options to get to Pico Bonito: The first is to go the community of El Pino, located about 15 miles west of La Ceiba and visit or stay at The Lodge at Pico Bonito, the premier luxury eco lodge in Honduras. IF you prefer something closer and more affordable, the you should certainly plan on visiting the Cangrejal River Valley. This area actually has a total of 10 small hotels and lodges, a myriad of activities, both for the active adventurer as well as for the relaxed naturalists that wants to enjoy some serious bird watching or simply sit back and relax in nature.

You will find some award winning properties within the Cangrejal River Valley that you will certainly enjoy, including the beautiful La Villa de Soledad, a unique boutique bed and breakfast that offers the perfect setting to relax in nature, or to set out on a seriously active adventure.

I hope you have a clear idea of Pico Bonito National Park: how to get there & what to expect! Feel free to contact us at info@lavilladesoledad.com for questions concerning Pico Bonito National Park and the Cangrejal River Valley.

August 30 2015

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!

August 6 2015

Best of Atlantida, Best of La Ceiba, Tours in La Ceiba Bay Islands of Honduras, Guanaja, Roatan, Utila

So where is the Cangrejal River: how do I get there? what should I expect?

The Cangrejal River, located just outside the city of La Ceiba on the Caribbean coast of Honduras is often overlooked by tourists as they travel through town on their way to the Bay Islands of Honduras. Most tourists are so hurried by their quest to get “scuba certified” that they don’t even realize that they are next to one of the most beautiful areas for nature and adventure travel in Central America!

The first question: Cangrejal River: how do I get there? Is easy to answer. You need to come to the city of La Ceiba. If you are on your way to the Bay Islands of Utila, Roatan or Guanaja, then you are most surely traveling to the city of La Ceiba! The Cangrejal River flows right through the city, however the area worth visiting is 6 miles upriver from town. I must warn you, the river looks rather unimpressive when you are in town and even as you start to drive up the road towards the tourist area of the Cangrejal River. Do not let this disappoint you, continue your journey, you will be happy you did!

Just two miles up from the CA13 road where you took the detour, you will begin to see the Cangrejal River is its entire splendor. Believe me, it only gets better from here!

The second question: what should you expect? You should expect to find 10 different lodging options in the Cangrejal River, that range from hostel to boutique inns. These are generally next or close to the river, and they are not only affordable, comfortable and unique, they are also strategically located so that you can enjoy a variety of different activities available in the area, that span white water rafting, zip line canopy tours, hiking and or birdwatching, etc.

This being said, if you are on your way to the Bay Islands, do yourself a favor, and take the time to spend a couple of nights at La Villa de Soledad B&B one of the premier boutique inns in the Cangrejal River.

The Cangrejal River: how do I get there, what should I expect??? Now you know the answers to both questions do yourself a favor and check it out, you will be glad you did! One last word of advice: many business people on the Bay Islands try hard to keep their guests there as long as possible, and they may offer some “advice” and recommend you stay away from the mainland for safety reasons. This is a lot of BS and offers no facts or reasons that will hold any ground except for selfish self promoting of their business!