Parque Nacional Cerro Azul Meambar

Honduras

　　East of Lago de Yojoa, this well-maintained national park boasts kilometers of trails leading to waterfalls, caves and untouched cloud forest. There's also a visitors center, lodge and restaurant here. The entrance is via a turnoff from La Guama on the main CA-5 highway. Frequent pickups head to Santa Elena;...

Angeli Gardens

Honduras

　　So the food is just OK (the Honduran plates for two or more people are your best bet), but the setting here in a lush garden at the edge of a mountain makes it a romantic getaway. Beautiful jungle trails meander from the restaurant so you can hike in the...

La Casa del Jaguar

Honduras

　　This is one of Ceiba's more interesting drinking establishments, a curious, enclosed beach bar with a tree-house feel and lots of nooks, crannies and corners to get cozy in. It's famous locally for the owner's homemade liquors – he dubs it (with a wink) 'the only organic bar in Honduras.'...

Blue Marlin

Honduras

　　A highly sociable and welcoming bar-restaurant with superb sunset views from the rear deck. Draws a good mix of locals, expats and visitors. There’s popular live music on Fridays and some decent talent on karaoke Thursdays. ...

Tranquila Bar

Honduras

　　Jutting out over the bay, this bar is a key evening hangout and one of the main social hubs for backpackers on the island – more for its prime location and late opening hours than for the loud music and crowded, sweaty atmosphere. ...

Macaw Mountain Bird Park

Honduras

　　Around 2.5km outside Copán Ruinas is an extensive private reserve aimed at saving Central American macaws. There are plenty of them here, along with toucans, motmots, parrots, kingfishers and orioles, all flying around in spacious, humanely constructed cages. In the 'Encounter Center' uncaged birds fly onto your shoulders or hands...

Panacam Lodge

Honduras

　　This high-quality lodge makes an excellent base for the Parque Nacional Cerro Azul Meámbar. Comfy rooms are in the lodge, but sturdy double-occupancy cabins with terraces and calming views over the forrest are expected to be completed in 2019. The terrace of the on-site international-style restaurant is lined with hummingbird...

Cascada Zacate

Honduras

　　The park’s first trail is still a favorite, with a moderately difficult three-hour hike to Cascada Zacate. You’ll hear the falls before you see them; they're actually also known as Cascada Ruidoso, or ‘noisy falls.’ When the water is high, it thunders through a narrow chasm, throwing up a thick...

Pulhapanzak

Honduras

　　This magnificent 43m waterfall on the Río Lindo is 17km north of Lago de Yojoa (and also an easy day trip from San Pedro Sula). Surrounded by lush forest, it's a privately run beauty spot where guides will lead you along a fun, challenging path behind the waterfall (L300). There's...

Parque Nacional Montaña de Celaque

Honduras

　　Parque Nacional Celaque is one of Honduras’ most impressive national parks and boasts El Cerro de las Minas, the country’s highest peak (2849m), which is covered in lush forest. The park contains the headwaters of several rivers, a majestic waterfall visible from the entire valley, and very steep slopes, including...

Roatán Marine Park

Honduras

　　Originally set up in 2005 with the aim of protecting the reef system around the West End and Sandy Bay, the Roatán Marine Park now covers the whole island. This nonprofit organization campaigns strongly to conserve the marine environment – Roatán's reefs are under enormous pressure, both from construction and...

Museo de Escultura

Honduras

　　Copán is unique in the Maya world for its sculptures and some of the finest examples are on display at this impressive museum, which is fully signed in English. Entering the museum is an experience in itself: you go through the mouth of a serpent and through its entrails before...

Fortaleza Santa Bárbara de Trujillo

Honduras

　　High above the waves, gazing over the Caribbean toward the European motherland, this 17th-century Spanish fortress could not have a more evocative position. Though its ruined remains are not that impressive visually, it's still an inspirational spot to reflect on the forces and characters that shaped the history of the...

Copán Archaeological Site Ruins

Honduras

　　One of the most important of all Maya civilizations lived, prospered, then mysteriously crumbled around the Copán archaeological ruins, a Unesco World Heritage Site. During the Classic period (AD 250–900), the city at Copán Ruinas culturally dominated the region. The architecture is not as grand as that across the border...

Catedral de San Isidro

Northern Honduras

　　The city's most recognizable building, this imposing structure on the Parque Central dates from the early 20th century. ...

Parque Swinford

Northern Honduras

　　Parque Swinford is a lush, tropical botanical oasis in the heart of La Ceiba, complete with a restored train carriage from the area’s railway heyday. ...

Palacio Legislativo

Tegucigalpa

　　This unusual modern building on stilts (next door to the Parque La Merced) is the Palacio Legislativo, where congress meets. It was here in December 2009 that congress voted against reinstating ousted president Manuel Zelaya. ...

Iglesia La Merced

Tegucigalpa

　　In 1847, the convent of La Merced was converted to house Honduras' first university; the country's national gallery was established there in 1996, but moved to Comayagua in 2015. The well-restored building is itself a work of art, and as impressive as the paintings inside. ...

Iglesia Los Dolores

Tegucigalpa

　　This striking church, which dominates an otherwise unremarkable plaza, has some attractive religious art. Its facade contains figures representing the Passion of Christ – his unseamed cloak, the rooster that crowed three times – all crowned by the more indigenous symbol of the sun. ...

Basílica de Suyapa

Tegucigalpa

　　The most important church in Tegucigalpa – and therefore in Honduras – is this neo-Gothic basílica. La Virgen de Suyapa is the patron saint of Honduras; in 1982 a papal decree made her the patron saint of all Central America. Construction of the basilica, which is famous for its large...

Centro de la Cultura Garinagu de Honduras

Tegucigalpa

　　It's well worth dropping by this cultural center, and situated right on the Parque Morazán, which is handicrafts, clothing and tools on display, as well as a library and information about the Garifuna people. Employees will also be able to tell you where you can see Garifuna dance troupes performing...

Plaza Morazán

Tegucigalpa

　　At the center of the city is the Plaza Morazán, often called Parque Central by locals – this is Tegucigalpa's hub. A statue of former president Francisco Morazán on horseback sits at its center. An elaborate baroque cathedral dating from the 18th century overlooks the square: step inside and you'll...

Parque Naciones Unidas El Picacho

Tegucigalpa

　　This small hilltop park 6km from downtown has busy walking trails, but the main reason to visit is to stand at the feet of the approximately 20m high El Cristo del Picacho (entry L10) that you may have seen lit up, hovering high above the city at night. There are...

Museo para la Identidad Nacional

Tegucigalpa

　　If you hit only one sight in Tegus, head here. The museum is housed in the gorgeously renovated 19th-century former Palace of Ministries. It's a superb overview of the nation's history and identity through modern exhibits. Displays are in Spanish, but there are free tours in English by excellent guides...