Republic of Honduras
Area: 112,492sq km
Population: 7,483,763
Population density: 64 per sq km
Capital: Tegucigalpa
Area: 112,492sq km
Population: 7,483,763
Population density: 64 per sq km
Capital: Tegucigalpa
Honduras country information
Passport & visa | Getting there | Cycling & maps | Cost of living | Accommodation | Food | Bike shops | Climate | Distances
Passport & Visa
| Passport Required? | |
|---|---|
| British | Yes |
| Australian | Yes |
| Canadian | Yes |
| USA | Yes |
| Other EU | Yes |
| Visa Required? | |
| British | No |
| Australian | No |
| Canadian | No |
| USA | No |
| Other EU | No |
Passports
Passport valid for three
months from date of arrival required by all
nationals referred to in the chart above.
Passport Note
Honduras
is party to the Central America Border Control
Agreement (CA-4). Under the terms of this agreement,
tourists may travel within any of the CA-4 countries
(Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala)
for a period of up to 90 days, without completing
entry and exit formalities at border immigration
checkpoints. This period begins at the first
point of entry in to any of the CA-4 countries. Fines
are applied for travellers who exceed this 90-day
limit, although a request for a 30-day extension
can be made before the 90 days limit expires.
Visas
Not required
by all nationals referred to in the chart above
for stays of up to 90 days.
Note: Nationals not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements
Note: Nationals not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements
Getting there
Getting There by Air
American Airlines
(website:
www.aa.com
) operates daily flights to Honduras from Miami.
There are no direct flights from the UK; connections
are generally via the USA.
Approximate Flight Times
From Miami
to Tegucigalpa is 2 hours 20 minutes.
Main Airports
Tegucigalpa
(TGU) (Toncontín) is 5km (3 miles) southeast
of the city. To/from the airport:
Taxis and buses are available to the city. Facilities:
Bar, restaurant, duty-free shop, bank, car hire,
post office and first aid facilities.
There are also international airports at San Pedro Sula (SAP) (La Mesa International Airport), at La Ceiba (LCE) (Golosón) and at Roatán (RTB) (Dr Juan Manuel Galvez).
There are also international airports at San Pedro Sula (SAP) (La Mesa International Airport), at La Ceiba (LCE) (Golosón) and at Roatán (RTB) (Dr Juan Manuel Galvez).
Departure Tax
US$25 is
levied on all passengers aged 12 years of age
and over. Exempt are transit passengers leaving
within 12 hours.
Getting There by Water
Main
ports: Amapala, El
Henecan, La Ceiba, Puerto
Cortés, and Roatán.
Some ships and vessels have limited passenger accommodation. Cruise liners stop at some ports, most commonly Roatán.
Some ships and vessels have limited passenger accommodation. Cruise liners stop at some ports, most commonly Roatán.
Getting There by Rail
There are
no rail services between Honduras and neighbouring
countries.
Getting There by Road
Road routes
run from El Salvador and Nicaragua via the Pan-American
Highway, and from Guatemala on the Western Highway.
Border crossings can be fraught with long delays.
Areas around the border can be dangerous.
Bus: Ticabus (tel: 220 0579/0590; website: www.ticabus.com ) runs international services to all Central American capitals, but these comfortable coaches are often booked days in advance.
Bus: Ticabus (tel: 220 0579/0590; website: www.ticabus.com ) runs international services to all Central American capitals, but these comfortable coaches are often booked days in advance.
Cycling & Maps
Cycling
in Honduras Cycling in Honduras is therefore varied. The roads themselves are, for the best part, in reasonable condition, but the shoulders are not. Quite often cyclists are forced to travel along the white line. Unfortunately, due to heavy vehicle use and blistering hot days the sides of the road resemble something like a rippling flow of lava and are terribly difficult to stick to. On the bright side, you'll not be the only bike on the road and therefore other traffic is well versed in sharing the route with cycling passengers. Road etiquette is generally good, though when push comes to shove, remember you are still on the bottom rung of the pecking order. Road signage is minimal, but not inaccurate. Surprisingly enough, Honduras even has a few bike lanes in service: a four kilometre stretch through the township of San Lorenzo is just one example.
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rip & waterproof |
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 Honduras MapInternational Travel Maps scale 1:750 000 |
Cost of living
Honduras: all prices in Honduras Lempiras (HNL)
A couple of extra tips:
| drinks and snacks | food: local markets; restaurants; and stores |
||||
| water (drinking) |
1.5 litre 1gal (3.78 L) 1 litre 200ml 355ml 500ml 2 litre |
10 12 15-20 5 10 10 20 |
bread loaf-white |
550g 750g 8 pack 10 pack-250g |
25 35 12 11 |
| local market food chinese restaurant pizza-vege 4 toppings |
one serving med serving grande |
110+ 280+ |
|||
| rice (white) pasta eggs tinned tomato puree refried beans coconut milk |
kg 200g per ½ dozen 100g 227g 400ml |
32 |
|||
| beer-local wine wine |
335ml 750ml 3 litre cask |
19-25 90-120 365 |
|||
| tea coffee (cafe / bar) Nescafe instant coffee-ground |
20 bags per cup 50g 450g |
36 15 46 30 |
|||
| milk Rompoco (egg-nog) yoghurt / curd cheese-hard salty Magnum icecream |
½ litre 473ml 200ml kg each |
11 |
potatoes onions tomatoes cabbage brocolli |
kg kg kg kg kg |
13 16 11 7 22 |
| chips banana chips salted/sugar peanuts saltedcashews sultanas |
80g pack 280g 100g 70g 125g |
22 32 15 22 20 |
cucumber avocados apples mandarins-small bananas |
each kg kg 12 kg |
3 26 38-45 20 11 |
| cornflakes chocolate biscuits-plain biscuits-chocolate |
350g pack 100g block 140g pack 135g pack |
38 tba 8 12 |
pineapple (can) oil (corn) |
227g can 450ml |
30 20 |
| peanut paste jam honey |
500g jar 305g jar 340g |
n/a 25 42 |
|||
| * Majority of prices obtained from the budget supermarket chain: Despensa Familiar. | |||||
| accommodation | personal | ||||
| budget city hostel budget city hotel |
150+ per dorm bed 200+ double with bath |
deodorant - roll-on |
65g 125g bar 200ml each 75ml each 4x pack |
38 10 48 15+ 17 6 13 |
|
| camping | not widely accepted nor considered safe. Wild camping is difficult as terrain is often fenced. |
||||
| internet | 20-25 per hour | ||||
| *
tba = price to be announced * Mayx 2009: at time of writing 1.00 USD = 18.89 HNL all prices have been taken from internet resources such as wikitravel, hostel world, leading supermarket chains, travel blogs, forums and of course our own travel experiences and purchases of everyday products in food markets, bazaars and local shopping facilities. They are only an indication and designed to give you a general impression of the cost of living in Honduras. Items are geared towards the budget conscious traveller with an occasional craving for a bit of luxury. |
A couple of extra tips:
| * | Bargaining
for souvenirs or if you happen to be purchasing
goods in bulk is generally accepted. Markets are
another place where you can practice your haggling
skills. Otherwise prices are fixed. |
| * | Tipping
is not compulsory in Honduras, nor expected in
local eating establishments. Some of the higher
range hotels and restaurants may automatically
add or even expect a tip of between 10 and 15% |
| * | Taxi drivers do not expect a tip and prices are determined before you accept the ride. |
| * |
Sunday
is considered a traditional day in Honduras and
except for large chain supermarkets most other
stores will be closed. During the week, smaller
stores also shut for siesta, which time-span can
change from place to place. Furthermore, they
have quite often closed their doors by 5pm in
the afternoon. |
Accommodation
Depending where you are situated,
hotels and hospedajes in Honduras vary in both quality
and price. Budget accommodation is akin to the rest
of Central America and it pays to have a checklist firmly
placed in your mind when viewing a room. Don't be afraid
to ask to see a second one if the first is not to your
liking. Standards and facilities can differ greatly
from room to room, even in the same establishment. There
is always more choice in bigger cities or those spots
with tourist magnetism. As a rule, competition means
the prices are more reasonable while and the standard
just a little better. That said don't expect too much
from your humble double room for 200 Lempiras (2009).
Camping in Honduras
Most of the countries land is owned and therefore fenced
off, so it is almost impossible to pull off to the side
of the road and pitch the tent. Besides that, security
is not altogether good and therefore wild camping is
probably not one of the safest options for accommodation
This applies to the whole of Central America and not
specifically Honduras. If you were to find yourself
stuck without a roof over your head, then the best alternative
would be to ask a local in a village or small town with
a bit of land attached to their house. Hondurans are
extremely friendly people and would more likely than
not consider it a privilege to have you camp on their
land.
| Acommodation we used while in Honduras (May 2009): (prices based on two people sharing) | ||||
| Star system explained: from 0 to ***** where 0 is a total disaster and ***** is luxurious (and out of our price range) | ||||
| City / town: | Name accommodation: | Our experience: | Price: | Stars: |
| Choluteca | Hotel Colonial los Castaños | not too clean... | HNL 200 | * |
Food & drink
| With national dishes like sopa de mondongo (soup of intestines), sopa de caracol (conch soup) and chismol carne asada (a feast centred around the preparation of meat), vegetarians might have a difficult time eating out in Honduras. Though, if you know what to look for there are a few regional favourites that will satisfy both the meat and non-meat eating visitor. Like many of its neighbouring countries, Honduras uses corn, peppers, tomatoes, rice and beans in heavy proportions. But unique to the Honduran kitchen is the additional flavour of the coconut fruit and its milk in far greater quantities than any other Central American country. The traditional cuisine from the entire region is heavily influenced by a combination of Spanish, Mexican and the indigenous Maya-Lenca cultures. Dishes common to this area include the tamales: corn, potato or rice based dough mixed with fruit, nuts and meats wrapped in banana leaves or corn husks and steamed until cooked. Pupusas: a thick tortilla stuffed with beans, cheese or meat, is enjoyed in Honduras as much as in El Salvador. Corn based tortillas accompany most meals and are used in imaginative ways to produce tasty little snacks sold at food vendors stalls near markets and plazas. The abundant supply of tropical fruit such as papaya, pineapple, mangoes, bananas, and guavas also adds a delicious splash of texture and flavour to the dessert menu. |
|
HappyCow only has a few listings, but there is always the likely possibility in most decent sized townships of eating out in a pizzeria or Chinese restaurant if you are feeling that way inclined. Keep your eyes peeled when wandering around or ask at your hotel. Prices and quality vary greatly. Other national favourites of Honduras that vegetarians can enjoy are the popular street snack baleadas (see below) and the side dish of rice and beans cooked with coconut milk, coriander and spices, provided it hasn't first been reduced in chicken stock.
It is not recommended to drink the tap water in Honduras and you can purchase semi-cold one gallon bottles for around 20 lempiras (2009) in service stations lining most frequented highways and roads. Smaller bottles are found at all roadside stalls. If you intend to go off the beaten track, then it would be advisable to take some sort of water purification system with you. Accommodation is basic and running water and electricity are not always available.
Fruit juices and shakes known as licuados, made from the countries abundant supply of mangoes, piñas, watermelons and bananas, are not only common to Honduras but the whole of Central America and Mexico. Imperial, Salva Vida, Port Royal and Barena are the four main beers of Honduras and all are widely available in local supermarkets, corner stores and public bars.
| Why not try these
for starters? |
Desayuno Típico Start the day with a typical Honduran breakfast. Vegetarians will need to check that the refried beans are pork-free, but either way the hearty serving including scrambled eggs, fried plantain, avocado, sour cream, slices of hard salty cheese, all accompanied with fresh corn tortillas and hot Honduran Coffee is enough to keep you satisfied well into the middle of the day. This breakfast is incredibly popular: so much so that some of the world's major fast food chains have it permanently on their menu. |
Pupusas Honduras has adopted this deliciously thick corn tortilla from its neighbouring Salvadorians. Stuffed with beans or cheese this all day favourite makes a great accompaniment to a bowl of soup or just as a mid morning or afternoon snack. |
Chismol Carneada
While technically this social event is associated closely with the preparation of marinated beef cuts, the accompanying elements to this feast are all perfectly okay for the travelling vegetarian. So, if you are especially invited to one and really want to go, make it known you wont be partaking in the animal and chorizo sausage bit. However, the chismol sauce with tangy fresh flavours derived from a mix of chopped tomatoes, onion, cilantro, lemon and spices, together with roasted plátanos (sweet bananas), olanchano cheese, guacamole, mashed beans and corn tortillas are plenty enough on their own. Since this dish has been deemed one of the national favourites, you'll see it on restaurant menus. Known as Plato Típico: just order it minus the meat elements. |
Anafre
This common restaurant dish comes to the table as a charcoal fired claypot filled with either melted cheese or sourcream and piping hot refried beans. Accompanying fried tortilla chips are dipped in the pot similar to the Swiss fondue. Another couple of Honduran snacks of similar ingredients and style are Catrachitas: deep fried tortilla chips covered with smashed beans, cheese and hot sauce; and Chilindrinas: deep fried tortilla strips with hot tomato sauce sprinkled with hard, sharp white cheese. |
Ensalada Palmito
Delicate, creamy white centers of the peach palm tree steamed, sliced and tossed in a zesty garlic vinaigrette together with a salad mix of tomatoes, avocado, red onion and crispy lettuce. Palm hearts, eaten both raw or cooked have a distinctive taste echoing a mild cross of artichoke, mushroom and asparagus. You can pick them up preserved in supermarkets or fresh from the start of monsoon season at markets or from locals selling them roadside. |
Baleadas This Honduran street food would have to be one the most frequently snacked foods in the country. In short, it comprises a flour tortilla, folded and filled with refried beans, quesillo (cheese), and sour cream. Sometimes, scrambled eggs are also added for a completely different taste sensation. |
Road distances
| Detailed distance chart from our trip through Honduras - May 2009 (km/alti) | ||||
| altitude (in metres) in brackets | accomm.: |
km |
total km |
|
| El Amatillo (Honduras border)(40) | Nacaome (20) | H |
35 |
35 |
| Nacaome | Jicaro Galan (45) | H |
5 |
40 |
| Jicaro Galan | turn-off to Coyolito (start cycle path!) | 9 |
49 |
|
| turn-off to Coyolito | San Lorenzo (20) | H |
3 |
52 |
| San Lorenzo | end cycle path... | 1 |
53 |
|
| end cycle path | Choluteca (58) | H |
33 |
86 |
| Choluteca | turn-off to El Triunfo | 41 |
127 |
|
| turn-off to El Triunfo | Guasaula (border with Nicaragua) | H |
6 |
133 |
| H= hotel / posada / hospedaje | ||||
