Honduras Beach Front Real Estate for Sale near La Ceiba
The market for oceanfront, Caribbean real estate has become very attractive. Honduras real estate has become very active for its natural beauty and exceptional value.
Why Honduras?
Honduras is the second biggest country in Central America. It has colonial villages (Gracias, Comayagua), ancient Mayan ruins (Copan), natural parks (Moskitia), and a Pacific and Caribbean coastline and the Bay Islands, with great beaches and coral reefs where snorkeling and diving are exceptional by any standard. The country is neighbored by Guatemala to the northwest, El Salvador to the south and Nicaragua to the southeast.
Honduras is the original banana republic, but travel here is easy, enjoyable and inexpensive. The slow pace, natural beauty and low-profile tourism make it particularly appealing to travelers who enjoy getting off the beaten track. Good amenities can be found in cities like Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula, Copan Ruinas, and La Ceiba but elsewhere conditions can be primitive, especially in the rural areas. You can find good hotels even in small towns if you are willing to pay a bit more, though Honduras is not really an expensive country. Nevertheless a visit is worthwhile, especially to the ancient Maya ruins in Copán, the colonial towns of Gracias and Comayagua and the fantastic Caribbean Coast.
Spanish is the primary language spoken. English is hardly spoken outside of the biggest towns or Bay Islands. In some areas such as Utila, Spanish and English have hybridized to produce a pidgin tongue that can at times be indecipherable even to native speakers of both languages. Native languages (Lenca, Miskitu, Garifuna, among others) are spoken in various parts of the country, but a Spanish speaker should never be hard to find.
Honduran Cities
- Tegucigalpa - The capital and largest city of Honduras (1.5 million). It has an international airport and offers connections by plane to San Pedro Sula and to La Ceiba, the door to the Bay Islands and the Caribbean Coast.
- La Ceiba - Jumping off point for the Bay Islands. Great beaches and daily ferries to either Utila and Roatan where snorkeling and diving are major attractions.
- Comayagua - The former capital of the country is today a quiet colonial town with a beautiful cathedral and historic town center.
- Gracias - This pleasant colonial mountain town hosts Parque Celaque, in which the highest mountain in Honduras is found set among wonderful cloud forests.
- Omoa - A small beachfront town with Spanish colonial fortress to the west of Puerto Cortés.
- Puerto Cortes - The main harbour of Honduras in the Caribbean Coast
- Puerto Lempira - Departamental capital of Gracias a Dios.
- San Lorenzo - The main harbour of the whole Central America in the Pacific Coast. Close to Amapala, the historical port based in the Isla del Tigre.
- Tela - An old city about 1 hour from San Pedro Sula which has a beautiful sandy coastline and is home to the second largest humid tropical botanical garden for commercial plants in the world, the Lancetilla Botanical Garden and Research Center (Jardin Botanico y Centro de Investigacion Lancetilla) only 5 kilometers from downtown. Lancetilla has three components - experimental plantations, arboretum, and (the largest component) primary and secondary tropical forest. It's a great day trip, has crystal clear running streams for swimming most of the year, and has a long and fascinating history that will soon be told through new interpretive exhibits at the visitor center. A small fee is charged that helps maintain the area.
- Trujillo - This is where Columbus first set foot on mainland America, founded in 1525, overlooking a beautiful bay with nice beaches against mountainous backdrop with nature reserve.
- San Pedro Sula - Second city and industrial center in the north of the country. It has an international airport and is close by car to Tela and La Ceiba.
- Santa Rosa de Copán - Temperate mountain city in the western part of the country, not to be confused with Copán Ruinas (one of the more touristy towns in Honduras) nor with the famous ruins of Copán.
Other Destinations
- Bay Islands - Utila, Roatán, Guanaja, and the Hog Islands. A natural paradise in the Caribbean Sea where snorkeling and diving is a must.
- Copán - One of the most impressive ruins of the Maya civilization, known for the quality of its sculpture.
- Lake Yojoa - The biggest lake in Honduras. It used to be a great spot for fishing but today is too contaminated.
- Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve - The largest tropical rainforrest in Central America.
How to Get Here
By plane
Major international airports with daily flights to Miami and New York and Houston are in San Pedro Sula, Tegucigalpa (Toncontin) and Roatan. The main international airlines serving the region are TACA, Copa Air, Delta Airlines, Continental Airlines, and American Airlines. Iberia, Spain operates daily flights from Madrid to San Pedro Sula via Guatemala City (connecting with Taca). Maya Island Air also has a direct lfight from Belize to San Pedro Sula (phone number 011-501-223-1140 or info@mayaisland.com). For interior flights check Isleña, Atlantic and Aerolinas Sosa. Note that the interior domestic airlines frequently have flight cancellations, do not guarantee service, and are under no obligation to issue refunds if a flight does not occur. However, American carriers and their international code share partners listed above guarantee travel per U.S. industry standards. Hence, it is advisable not to rely on a domestic carrier to connect to an outbound international flight without having an alternative means to get to the departure point of the foreign bound aircraft in a timely fashion. For instance, if a flight cancellation occurs in La Ceiba headed to San Pedro Sula due to insufficient ticket sales (a common occurrence), a taxi can be hired for a $50-$100 spot price to run the distance in under two and a half hours.
By boat
Boats from Belize come in to the Caribbean ports like Puerto Cortes, but schedules are not regular and cannot be checked through the internet. Cruise ships commonly stop at the Bay Islands, however.
There is regular boat service from La Ceiba to the bay islands of Roatan and Utila.
Service to Roatan is on the Galaxy Wave II. The ferry trip costs less than flying, and leaves (mostly) on time. A round-trip prima class ticket costs $53; round-trip general class, $43. Both prima and general seating areas are comfortable and offer air conditioning and flat-screen TVs for your entertainment. The crossing takes about 80 minutes each way.
Service to Utila is on the Utila Princess. Tickets cost about $30 round trip and the crossing takes about 60 minutes.
Both ferries leave from the same dock. You should arrive at the dock in La Ceiba about an hour early to buy tickets and check luggage. **If traveling to the bay islands during Semana Santa (Easter week) it is highly recommended to fly, as the wait for a ferry can be up to 8 hours. If you are a Senior citizen you will find the rate very attractive. If you are prone to sea sickness, the trip North to Roatan can be very uncomfortable, as the Galaxy is fighting the currents. Windy days, re-consider. Otherwise it is a delightful trip, Utila to the West and the Cayos to the East. Last trip of the day to Roatan is awesome with a fanastic sunset.
FERRY SCHEDULES THE GALAXY II DEPARTUE TIMES: Roatan - La Ceiba 7:00 A.M.; La Ceiba - Roatan 10 A.M.; Roatan - La Ceiba 1:00 P.M.; La Ceiba - Roatan 4:00 P.M.
THE NEW PRINCESS DEPARTURE TIMES: Utila - La Ceiba 6:20 A.M.; La Ceiba - Utila 9:30 A.M.; Utila - La Ceiba 2:00 P.M.; La Ceiba - Utila 4:00 P.M.
