Copán...
Most visitors to Copán arrive at the San Pedro Sula airport and then need to drive or take a bus to the ruins of the Mayan city of Copán. The distance is close to 125 miles and you'll need at least three hours. The road is paved all the way except for a small area near Copán that needs to be resurfaced due to past winter rains. Plan to drive during the day and enjoy the wonderful Honduran scenery.
Rental cars are available at the airport and in San Pedro Sula, Toyota Rent A Car - telephone 65-2580 or fax 52-2704. Luxury bus service is available through Adventure Shuttle - telephone 57-2380 for the schedule. Cost is about $18.00 each way. Empresa Torito is also available, telephone 53-4930 for less than half that price.
Visiting the Mayan ruins is a must if you have come all the way to Honduras. It's a beautiful mystic site and one you will never forget. Try and arrive at the park early, it opens at 8 a.m. and closes at 4 p.m. The fee to enter the part is about $4.00 per person. Guides are available, some of whom do speak English. A small tip for their services is appreciated.
A new large museum is being built on the park grounds near the Mayan ruins. When it is completed it will be the foremost museum of its kind in Central America. The entry way is like a "portal", something like you would see at Copán's Temple 22. It has carvings like serpents, inside it is expected to display the findings of the Rosalila excavations. Plans are also to bring the Copán stela originals into the museum for preservation and replace them with reproductions.
In addition to the main Mayan ruins, save your entrance ticket as it is also good at the "Las Seputuras" a restored area less than one mile from the main ruins. You can walk there. And at a third area called "Los Sapos" which is believed to be a "birthing place".
If your stay permits it, visit the Village of Santa Rita and the waterfall "El Ruby". There is also the ecological reserve Peña Quemada" with its wide variety of birds, flowers and howler monkeys. During the "rainy season" even a white rapid raft trip can be arranged.
Those up to more Mayan ruins can find them three miles past La Entrada (you passed it on the way up). The site is called "La Puente" There are three plazas and extends for about a mile and has 210 structures. The site is only partially restored.
Also while you are near La Entrada, downtown is an archaeological museum, you can't miss it, if you have trouble finding it, just ask.
La Ceiba...
La Ceiba is considered the "song and dance" capital of Honduras. It is called this because of their festivals and the peoples desire to have a good time. Some say it is the "city with a smile". It has a strong Caribbean connection with its relationship to the Bay Islands. It is a fun city, many good restaurants, dance halls, beaches, fishing and boating. It is the third largest city in Honduras and well known for its beaches, seafood and night life.
This is the country's busiest port for banana and pineapple export. A short trip out of town will take you to the large pineapple plantations.
There is an airport at La Ceiba with connections from San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa as well as the Bay Islands. Isleña and Lacsa are two of the airlines presently offering this service. A ferry service to the Bay Islands is also available.
La Ceiba is an excellent location to visit some of the best in Honduras. Drive west to Tela and there is the Lancetilla Botanical Park, a day visit can be made to Punta Sal National Park. You will need to take a boat ride to see this primitive nature refuge. Monkeys, birds, places where pirates waited for their prey, gorgeous bays all make for an unforgettable visit.
Cuero y Salado National Park is located about 25 miles from La Ceiba. There you will find a wildlife refuge habitated by toucans, parrots, crocodiles, monkeys and lush vegetation of water lilies, royal palm, sapota trees and guamo trees. It's main attraction is the system of canals and estuaries that cris-cross the area.
Pico Bonito National Park is by the southern part of La Ceiba, it covers 680 square kilometers and an elevation of 2,435 meters above sea level. This protected area has a number of endangered species. Quetzal, tapir, jaguar, puma and red deer can be found. A visit during the rainy season will show you waterfalls and the forest at its best. Hiking ability is recommended for this visit. White water rafting is also available.
Trujillo...
Trujillo is one of the most beautiful cites of Honduras. It is nestled on a hill above Trujillo Bay, here you will find beaches, museums, an old fort, Garifuna culture, to name a few things of interest. Christopher Columbus landed close to here in 1502 and the town was founded in 1525.
Sites to see are the Santa Barbara Fort, located right downtown, museum, William Walker's grave, Lirios Lagoon near the small village of Chapagua. Belfare is a 80 meter waterfall located a short distance from town. Santa Fe is a Garifuna village only 8 miles away. Guaymoreto Lagoon is a wildlife refuge located near Trujillo. It's an area of 50 square kilometers and has a wide diversity of aquatic birds. Also to be found are caymans, turtles and fish surround the mangrove trees on the shore.
It can be reached by bus or you can drive there. At present the airplane landing tarmac is for private charter. There is no airport building or flight control. Although no regular commercial flights are presently available, it is expected service will become available.
The luxury bus service provided by Adventure Shuttle is available, for information in Trujillo call 44-4444 (Hotel Brinkley). Those who drive will find it takes about two and a half hours to drive from San Pedro Sula to La Ceiba and an additional hour and a half to Trujillo. Although the road is paved all the way, the part from Tela to La Ceiba is badly in need of construction. Travel this stretch only in daylight hours.
Tegucigalpa..
The capital of Honduras is a busy, noisy city nestled into a bowl-shaped valley nearly 1000 metres above sea level. It has a fresh and pleasant climate and the surrounding ring of mountains are covered in pine trees. The name Tegucigalpa means `silver hill' in the local dialect, and it was bestowed when the Spanish founded the city as a mining centre in 1578. Fortunately, the locals call the city Tegus for short. Tegucigalpa became the capital in 1880 and, in 1938, the nearby settlement of Comayagüela was incorporated into the city.
The focus of the city is the domed 18th-century cathedral, which has a baroque interior full of fine art. Parque Central in front of the cathedral is the hub of the city. Interesting buildings include the old university, Antiguo Paraninfo Universitaria, now an art museum; the modern Palacio Legislativo, which is built on stilts; the Casa Presidencial; and the 16th-century Iglesia de San Francisco, the first church built in Tegucigalpa.
The city is divided by the Río Choluteca. On the east side is Tegucigalpa, with the city centre and more affluent districts; across the river is Comayagüela, a poorer, dirtier market area with lots of long-distance bus stations and cheap hotels. It is cleaner, safer and more pleasant to stay in Tegucigalpa, although popular wisdom says it's cheaper in Comayagüela. If you do stay in Comayagüela, it is very dangerous to walk through the market area at night. The main area for budget accommodation in Tegucigalpa is a few blocks east of the Parque Central; in Comayagüela, the best cheap hotels are around the El Rey and Aurora bus stations, between 8a and 9a Calles. Most of the good restaurants are on the Tegucigalpa side of the river, but Comayagüela has plenty of cheap Chinese restaurants. In Tegucigalpa, Boulevard Morazán and Avenida Juan Pablo II, near the Sheraton, are the main nightlife areas.
There are plenty of attractions around Tegucigalpa, including the huge Gothic Basílica de Suyapa, seven km south-east of the city centre. The Virgen de Suyapa, patron saint of Honduras, is believed to have performed hundreds of miracles. Santa Lucia, 13 km east of the city, is a charming old Spanish town with meandering lanes and a beautiful church. Valle de Angeles, 11 km past Santa Lucia, is an old Spanish mining town restored to its 16-century appearance. La Tigra National Park, north-east of the city, is one of the most beautiful places in Honduras. Located at an altitude of 2270 metres, the pristine 7482-hectare park preserves a lush cloud forest that is home to ocelots, pumas, monkeys and quetzal.
Like all urban cities it has both its good and bad points with smog, congested streets, poverty and all the ills of society that are part of urban cities. Never-the-less you will find it a great place to visit and lots to see and do.