Travel Honduras

Travel Honduras with your family can be an experience of a lifetime. Now is really a great time to travel to Honduras. Honduras has beautiful Caribbean beaches, pristine national parks, Mayan heritage, unusual wildlife and picturesque Spanish colonial towns. Travel Honduras really has a lot to offer everyone including families.

There are four international airports in Honduras. The largest airports are located in Tegucigalpa, the capital and San Pedro Sula in the north. A network or good roads connects all the major cities in Honduras.

Rental cars services are easily available. Major services such as Avis are also available there as well as locals willing to rent you their cars. All these can be found at the airport if you haven't pre-booked.

Be prepared if you choose to drive when in Honduras. The law of the road is "biggest rules" so don't try to beat a bus.

Accommodations- Depending on the experience you are looking for Honduras has major hotel chains as well as local hotels. The price difference is big between the two. I would recommend you stay at a local hotel for the experience. They are clean and the hospitality is wonderful. If you have chosen to travel Honduras as a family I would recommend you allow the culture to creep in where possible. If you are traveling alone and really wish to "experience" Honduras there are even places where you can rent a bed for the night while sharing everything else with everyone else.

While Honduras has many national parks, beaches, ruins, colonial towns and adventure type travel, if this is your first time to travel Honduras as a family then there really are 5 must see sites.

OMOA- Is located just west of Puerto Cortes and is a must see when you travel Honduras as families.

Omoa, one of the oldest towns in Honduras has played an part in Honduran history. During colonial times Omoa is where the Spaniards built the massive fortress of San Fernando de Omoa. The purpose it was built was to protect the coast from the attacks of British Pirates. The Spaniards were sending shipments of silver bound from the mines of Tegucigalpa to Spain.

Once Honduras declared its independence in 1821, the local government used the fortress as a jail. Because of it's poor condition it was later abandoned.

Today you can travel Honduras as a family and visit Omoa. It is a National Monument and stands as a testimony of Honduras colonial past. Its beautiful green gardens, it's massive walls and humid rooms filled with cannon balls will take you back to a time when pirates still roamed the Caribbean Sea.

Omoa National Monument is open from Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Saturday to Sunday from 9:00 am to 5:00 p.m. There is a small entrance fee charged. You can also hire a guide or purchase guide books if you so desire.

Omoa is conveniently located just 30 minutes for San Pedro Sula, where the airport is located.

Honduras is a country of richness not only in the beauty of the country but also in the richness of its culture. For family travel Honduras is a spectacular experience. To experience culture as a family is one of the greatest memories you can have.

When you travel Honduras as a family Pulaphanzak is a must see. They are impressive falls that are located about an hour outside of San Pedro Sula in a rustic private park. The waterfall drops about 140 feet. In comparison Niagara falls is 170 feet. There are remains of temples built by the Lencas who inhabited the shores of Lake Yojoa in pre-Columbian times.

If you choose to swim beneath the tongue-twisting Pulhapanzak waterfall. You'll need to hire a local guide. There are plenty if you check around. Once you find one you'll walk down the winding path to the bottom of the falls. Through chest deep water you will go until you come to the falls. A few short steps and through the sheet of water and you'll find yourself in a small cave.

If an experience like the one listed above scares you to death then no worries the beauty of the falls is inspiring enough.

Whether you plan to take a dip or not you will get wet from the spray of the falls so dress appropriately. At Pulaphanzak you are within feet of the rushing water. You are also allowed to

Copan-when you travel Honduras as a family you must visit the Copan Ruins. Copan islocated on the Western side of Honduras, very near the border with Guatemala. Copan is located about 2 hours from San Pedro Sula on the main road to Guatemala. Don't become confused as before you arrive to Copan you will pass through the Entrada de Copan the pueblo of Copan is further up the mountain.

You can also hire a tour package through one of the Honduras tour operators in San Pedro. Hedman Alas offers three daily departures from SPS to Copan and back. Service is non-stop and air conditioned.

The ruins of Copan are what are left from an ancient Mayan civilization. No one knows what happened to this advanced civilization or why they left.

It was not until 1841 that archeologist; John Stephens focused the world's attention on Copan. And since then hundreds of archeologists and students have worked on the ruins. They are still being excavated today.

Not only are the ruins beautiful, but also one of the most beautiful pueblos in Honduras is Copan. With it's typical town square.

Another point of interest is that above the pueblo of Copan in the mountains live several tribes of indigenous peoples.

An incredible organization known as Paramedics for Children work out of this ancient pueblo supplying much needed medical assistance to the indigenous people that live in the mountains beyond Copan. Their history and their struggles are things that legends are made of.

The thing that I find so amazing about this particular organization is that the founder and those that work with it have made it their practice to allow the people to help them selves. There has been little of the "knights in shining Armour" here. Instead they have trained and mentored the people of Copan to serve, without pay, to not only help them selves but to help their neighbors as well. So if your family travel Honduras trip includes service or interest in seeing an international organization that has, in my opinion, done it right stop by their offices in Copan and ask them what you can do to help.

Roatan- While you travel Honduras with your family the Island of Roatan offers true Caribbean paradise.

The Island of Roatan was actually discovered by Christopher Columbas on his forth and final trip. Because of it's grat beauty it attracted settlers from Spain and England.

Because of it's strategic position during colonial times, the settlers were forced from the island by pirates, who assaulted the cities and forced them to leave

It is estimated that at one point there were 5,000 pirates on the island and can still see their legacy in the surnames of many of the islanders

By 1821, the Central American Federation claimed the Bay Islands as part of its territory, and independence from Spain was declared. So then as of 1827 settlers began to return to the Island.

In 1852, British leaders ask Her Majesty Queen Victoria to make the Bay Islands an English colony, but with the opposition of the US they gave up their intents.

Later the Republic of Honduras declared and took final possession of the Bay Islands as its own territory.

Roatan is one of the most beautiful places to visit in the Caribbean. With its white sand, completely crystal clear waters and yearlong warm weather, it is heaven on earth.

Roatan Island is 33 miles long and 4 miles wide. A paved road crosses the island on 75% of its length and leads to all the destination and attractions on the island.

Whether your vacation is just to relax on the beach or to spend your time scuba diving Roatan is the perfect place. Roatan offers dolphin shows, windsurfing and spas just to name a few of the attractions.

The coral reef that surrounds the island is considered to be the second biggest in the world, and is a source of permanent attraction and entertainment for those who enjoy scuba-diving. If your family travel Honduras trip includes this interest there are plenty of companies willing to take you scuba diving or you can hire your own boat.

During his fourth and last trip to America, Chirstopher Columbus landed rather roughly in the neighborhood of Trujillo. In fact Hernan Cortes actually visited Trujillo for a short time.

Trujillo was not seen as a great place for a settlement both because of the exctreemely hot and humid climate but also because of it's distance from other civilizations.

The strategic location of Trujillo made it very important to the Spanish to keep control of this area despite the many attacks by British pirates.

The Fortress of Santa Barbara was built to defend the city against these attaches and the remains are still visible today and a museum is now operation within its walls.

There are several points of interest around Trujillo. South of Trujillo you can search for the Cuyamel Caves they are not easy to find but worth the trip so ask around. Archeologists date these caves back to pre-Columbian times

There are also Garifuna (black carib's) villages where you can find excellent food and beautiful artisan works of art. Along the coastline you will find the Garifuna village of Santa Fe. One of the restaurants there named El Caballero or better known as Pete's place has the best seafood on the north coast.

There are several national parks in the surrounding areas of Trujillo.

My favorite hotel for travel Honduras as a family is the Christopher Columbus. It is located right on the beach. It is one of the nicer hotels but its proximity to the beach makes it worth it. It has indoor and outdoor pools with fun slides for the kids. If the beach is more your style it's just a short walk away. One of the interesting features of this hotel is the walk you take across the unmanned airstrip that is located in Trujillo. Stop - look and listen takes on an entirely new meaning here.

Without a doubt, the best views of Trujillo can be had from the vantage point of Casa Kiwi. This is located on the road between Trujillo and Puerto Castillo. It offers a lookout of most of the bay, the mountains behind the city of Trujillo and lovely sunsets in the afternoon.

What I love most about Trujillo is the peaceful seclusion it offers. The palm covered mountains nearly run all the way to the white sandy beaches. It's quit peaceful seclusion offers what one would imagine when thinking of the words tropical paradise. One feels they've been caught up in a time warp when spending time here. So when you travel Honduras as families enjoy the peacefulness this tropical paradise offers as well as the fun slides and the beach.