Must-see attractions in Honduras

  • View of a cruise ship through the Santa Barbara fortress while she heads to Trujillo, 600km north of Tegucigalpa on October 15, 2014. AFP PHOTO / Orlando SIERRA (Photo credit should read ORLANDO SIERRA/AFP/Getty Images)

    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…

  • Visitors learn about the Mayas at the Museum of National Identity in Tegucigalpa on December 14, 2012. The beginning of a new Mayan era on December 21 will be marked with celebrations throughout southern Mexico and Central America. Honduras is one of five countries preparing to observe the date, which marks the end of a more than 5,000-year era, according to the Mayan "Long Count" calendar, which began in 3114 BC. AFP PHOTO/Orlando SIERRA (Photo credit should read ORLANDO SIERRA/AFP/Getty Images)

    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…

  • Cold rain forest

    Parque Nacional La Tigra

    Honduras

    A short distance northeast of the capital, Parque Nacional La Tigra covers 238 sq km of rugged forest, with cloud forest and dry pine forest, numerous…

  • Coral reefs off the coast of Roatan,Honduras; Shutterstock ID 63362152; Your name (First / Last): William Broich; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial ; Full Product or Project name including edition: Honduras

    Roatán Marine Park

    Roatán

    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…

  • Iguana Research & Breeding Station

    Utila

    Up the hill from the town center, this great place studies and protects the highly endangered Utila iguana (Ctenosaura bakeri), which is known locally as …

  • Parque Nacional Jeannette Kawas

    Honduras

    This national park a half-hour boat ride from Tela has several white-sand beaches, including the pretty Playa Cocalito. Offshore coral reefs make for…

  • Carambola Botanical Gardens

    Roatán

    These wonderful botanical gardens have well-maintained trails through 40 acres of protected forest, extending up a hillside known as Carambola Mountain…

  • Refugio de Vida Punta Izopo

    Honduras

    Rivers entering the Punta Izopo Wildlife Refuge spread out into a network of canals that channel through the tangle of mangrove forest. Monkeys, turtles…

  • Whale Shark & Oceanic Research Center

    Utila

    This center studies whale sharks and monitors the coral reef. It offers regular snorkeling trips to track down whale sharks and spear invasive lion fish…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • Fortaleza de San Fernando de Omoa

    Honduras

    Omoa’s claim to fame is this colossal Spanish fortress. Built in brick and coral between 1759 and 1777 under orders from King Fernando VII of Spain, the…

  • Arch’s Iguana Farm

    Roatán

    The impressive Arch’s Iguana Farm in French Cay is just outside of town. Less a farm than the house of a serious iguana lover, it has iguanas pretty much…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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;…

  • Bando Beach

    Utila

    Utila Town's privately run beach is a small strip of white sand, a few lounge chairs, some shady palms and a lively bar. You can take a dip here, but the…

  • Iglesia Los Dolores

    Tegucigalpa

    This striking church, which dominates an otherwise unremarkable plaza, has some attractive religious art. Its facade contains figures representing the…

  • 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…

  • Grave of William Walker

    Honduras

    Just west of town, where the Río Cristales flows into the sea, is the ancient and fascinating town cemetery. Here lies the grave of William Walker, who…

  • 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…

  • Monumento a La Paz

    Tegucigalpa

    This monument, inside Tegucigalpa's largest park, was erected in 1996 in the name of eternal peace between the 'fraternal nations of Central America.'

  • Monumento a Simón Bolívar

    Tegucigalpa

    This monument to Latin America's great liberator straddles a busy junction in Tegucigalpa's well-to-do Colonia Palmira area.

  • Iglesia

    Honduras

    The main church in Trujillo dates from 1832 and stands proudly on the Parque Central.

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