Vacationers flock to Central America for its seashores, and Honduras, spanning the isthmus from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean, has among the finest, unfold alongside over 800km (500miles) of shoreline.
The seashores on Roatán are one of many nation’s largest attracts, and the island is a world-renowned scuba diving vacation spot and main port-of-call for cruise ships. However for those who’ve bought time to beach-hop throughout your entire nation, from the Bay Islands to the mainland, you will have the entire shore to your self, free from shiploads of cruise ship passengers.
From the Caribbean Coast to the islands, this is our choose of one of the best seashores in Honduras.
Half Moon Bay Seaside, Western Roatán
Greatest seashore for nightlife
Whereas they may have related names, don’t confuse well-known West Bay with West Finish, the beachy space on the north coast of Roatán. These two seashore hubs are related by taxis, water taxis or a 40-minute stroll alongside the coast. Heading north from the resorts of West Bay, West Finish is the primary hub of tourism you may attain, with an interesting little seashore of its personal, Half Moon Bay Seaside, which runs for simply 400m (1312ft).
You’ll discover a blue flag waving within the wind amongst the palm bushes with the phrases “Bandera Azul Ecológica” on it. This implies this seashore is Blue Flag licensed and has met the requirements decided by this international non-profit group in areas of security, accessibility, schooling and above all, environmental safety. The seashore’s water high quality is examined usually to keep up its Blue Flag standing, and regardless of its proximity to the island’s busiest nightlife, the water right here stays pristine.
Shut by, West Finish’s Essential Avenue is a energetic hub of eating places and bars catering to locals, backpackers and expats, together with notable staples similar to Sundowners, recognized for stay music, Happy Harry’s Hideaway on the top of a pier, and Booty Bar, whose title is usually spelled “Barrrr” to go together with its pirate theme. It is the gang who frequent these locations, joined by native households, that set the scene alongside Half Moon Bay.
West Bay Seaside, Western Roatán
Greatest seashore when time is proscribed
In case your time is proscribed and you’re on a mission to search out a simple, clear seashore to loosen up on with a guide and a cocktail, then this 950m (3116ft) stretch of sand on the north coast of Roatán could not be extra handy.
West Bay Seaside is lined with beachfront resorts, making it tremendous simple to step exterior a lodge, kick off your flip-flops, and be barefoot in its white sands straight away. If you wish to get extra energetic, slot in an off-shore snorkel session or scuba dive with a neighborhood operator similar to West Bay Divers.
Because the Bay Islands have been beneath British rule earlier than returning to Honduras in 1859, nearly all of islanders converse good English. Nevertheless, together with this comfort, there are a couple of caveats. As that is the most well-liked seashore for vacationers coming to Roatán by way of cruise ship or direct worldwide flights, solitude isn’t an possibility.
There are additionally many beachside eating places, with a lot of the menus catering to, not surprisingly, the Western palate – which can be welcome information for those who’re a choosy eater. You’re certain to search out one thing to get pleasure from with numerous native seafood choices similar to fish tacos or coconut shrimp at The Thirsty Turtle.
For one thing extra elevated, Luna Muna, the restaurant of the flowery Ibagari Boutique Hotel, caters to a extra refined palate, serving up octopus ceviche and conch carpaccio.
As West Bay is a hub for most of the American and Canadian expats dwelling on Roatán, it’s additionally not arduous to search out pizza, hamburgers and even correct Canadian poutine on the Hangover Hut, run by an expat couple from Toronto.
Camp Bay Seaside, Jap Roatán
Greatest seashore for undeveloped magnificence
Should you ask native Roatánians what their favourite seashore is, you’ll all the time get the identical reply – Camp Bay. L
ocated within the municipality of Santos Guardiola, which includes the jap half of Roatán island, this Blue Flag seashore is a well-liked barbecue spot for locals, and its undeveloped, pristine white sands, flanked by pure coconut bushes, are a step again in time. Islanders say it’s what West Bay was like 25 years in the past, earlier than the fast rise of the resorts.
You may get to Camp Bay by taking the highway that spans the size of the island; the seashore is close to the top on the north shore. No buses run right here, so the most affordable possibility is to go by taxi. Nevertheless, taxis solely go from city to city, so that you’ll need to take a collection of inter-town taxis, progressively westbound, to achieve Camp Bay; price range about L690 for a round-trip from West Bay. Nevertheless, it is a lot simpler to get there straight by hiring a non-public automobile for about L3700 or renting a automobile, for those who’ve bought a couple of further {dollars}.
With the dearth of growth at this seashore, it is best to deliver your personal provisions. However, for those who’re trying to rating some meals or drink close by, stroll all the way in which right down to La Sirena de Camp Bay, a bit of bar and restaurant on a pier within the close by Camp Bay village – a spot the place youngsters play on the street away from the world of mass tourism.
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Chepes Seaside, Utila
Greatest public seashore
Simply 49km (30miles) from Roatán, Utila is the smallest of the Bay Islands, with a completely completely different vibe. The island is a well-known enclave of worldwide backpackers, beachgoers and aspiring scuba divemasters, with its personal assortment of sandy seashores. Get there by way of an hour-long ferry experience on the Utila Dream from Roatán or take a 45-minute experience from La Ceiba on the mainland; each boats cost L750.
It’s becoming that flags of various nations of the world line Chepes Seaside, the general public seashore in the midst of Utila’s one small city. Simply 220m (721ft) lengthy, Chepes Seaside is kind of small, however conveniently near dive hostels, seashore bars and favourite native restaurant, Coconuts. And nothing on the town is actually that distant for the reason that seashore is in such a centrally situated space.
Should you’re on the lookout for a post-beach expertise and have an even bigger price range, stroll about eight minutes northeast and dine at Asian fusion eatery Mister Buddha or keep on the new, youthful boutique lodge Manurii.
Bando Seaside, Utila
Greatest semi-private seashore for younger individuals
Should you see locals taking part in tug-of-war on the seashore, you’ve reached Bando Seaside, a well-liked hangout for the area people on Utila. Annually, islanders maintain a pleasant sporting competitors referred to as the Utila Olympics at Bando, however at different instances, the seashore is clear and well-maintained, and it is at present the one Blue Flag seashore in Utila. Bando is only a 15-minute stroll away (or a brief experience by way of scooter, bike, or ATV) from the middle of Utila’s foremost city.
Close to the mangroves on the jap level of the pure harbor on Utila’s southern shore, Bando is a favourite spot to relax beneath the shade of its quite a few palm bushes. Because it’s shielded from the open sea, it’s additionally an ideal place for stand-up paddle boarding.
Though technically a non-public seashore for visitors staying on the locally-owned Sea Eye Hotel, Bando Seaside is open to day guests for L40. That’s a small payment to pay for entry to recent water showers, clear bogs, seashore volleyball and picnic tables – facilities not discovered on the public seashore throughout city.
It’s additionally simpler to seize a chilly beer or freshly combined piña colada as there’s a bar on the premises. Should you’re hungry, ask the bartender for his or her rendition of alambre (grilled beef with bacon, peppers, cheese and salsa) – it’s a crowd-pleaser.
Bayman Bay Seaside, Guanaja
Greatest seashore to keep away from the crowds
Head to Bayman Bay on the Bay Island of Guanaja to search out the most effective seashores within the nation. Bayman Bay Seaside is a small, secluded strip of white sand, inexperienced foliage and turquoise waters. For anybody trying to really get off the grid, that is the spot. In actual fact, the entire island of Guanaja is off the radar for many vacationers to Honduras.
You’d assume that being the one Bay Island with a waterfall, Guanaja can be extra touristy, however it’s truly the least visited of the Bay Islands, on account of restricted entry to the islands, although that is altering.
Earlier than, solely home flights or costly constitution boats might get you to Guanaja, however since October 2021, the Galaxy Wave ferry has expanded its service from the mainland to Roatan with an additional stage to Guanaja, operating 4 instances every week for L855.
With among the most pristine, undeveloped seashores throughout the Bay Islands, Guanaja really represents life earlier than mass tourism; nevertheless, the island is in restoration mode after Hurricane Mitch induced devastation in 1998, adopted by a serious fireplace in October 2021 in El Cayo, the principle city.
Although there is a lengthy highway forward for reconstruction, flight and ferry providers are nonetheless operating and also you don’t truly have to go to the principle city to go to the island’s spectacular white-sand seashores. From the principle dock, it’s simple to get a water taxi to Bayman Bay or different notable seashores similar to Soldado Seaside or Graham’s Cay, for about L1470 for a spherical journey.
Cayo Chachahuate, Cayos Cochinos
Greatest seashore for snorkeling and scuba diving
It will be remiss when highlighting seashores within the Bay Islands to not embrace one other set of attractive Honduran islands – the Cayos Cochinos. Whereas formally part of the municipality of Roatán, the archipelago is nearer to La Ceiba on the mainland. There are two foremost islands, Cayo Grande and Cayo Menor, plus 13 smaller coral keys.
The inhabited key of Cayo Chachahuate has a ravishing seashore that the majority Cayos Cochinos boat excursions cease at. Not solely are there tender white sands to bury your naked ft in, there are additionally recent lunch choices in your stomach.
Meals are ready by the island’s Garífuna neighborhood – islanders of combined Arawak and African heritage – who reside on this secluded a part of the nation. A lot of the males are fishermen, so fish will all the time be the freshest possibility since every thing else must be imported from the mainland.
Talking of fish, these Cayos are among the finest locations to identify them of their pure setting. Surrounded by turquoise waters, all of the islands are a part of a protected marine space managed by the Honduran Coral Reef Basis, with nice snorkeling and scuba diving on a bit of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the world’s second-largest coral reef system. Right here, your probabilities of recognizing an eagle ray or a sea turtle are fairly good.
Reserving a day tour by boat from Roatán is the easiest way to achieve the Cayos Cochinos (a visit of about an hour every method) however you may also come from La Ceiba or Sambo Creek on the mainland (about half an hour). Boats tour across the completely different keys – or a minimum of those not privately owned – visiting some which might be uninhabited, with seashores which might be nearly untouched till a ship lands on the shore.
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Puerto Escondido, Punta Sal Nationwide Park, Tela
Greatest seashore closest to San Pedro Sula
Whereas Honduras’ islands get a lot of the reward in a round-up of the nation’s finest seashores, you shouldn’t miss the seashores on the mainland. Should you’re flying into Honduras, chances are high you’ll land within the metropolis of San Pedro Sula, a bustling city hub of firms and transportation. Should you’re basing your self right here and wish to head to the closest seashore, it’s a couple of two-hour drive to Tela, the world’s finest seashore city on the Caribbean coast.
Tela lies on an eponymous bay, with many white sand seashores alongside its turquoise shoreline, together with the general public seashore on the town and Playa La Ensenada, about 11km (6.8 miles) away by automobile. Nevertheless, arguably one of the best seashore expertise within the space is the journey to Punta Sal Nationwide Park, aka Jeannette Kawas Nationwide Park, named after a famend environmental activist.
Operators similar to Garífuna Tours can deliver you right here by way of boat, exploring the park’s vital coastal marine and tropical rainforest ecosystems. A spotlight of the seven-hour tour is the straightforward hike alongside a rainforest path to the remoted cove of Puerto Escondido – a secluded white sand seashore, surrounded by jungle, with tranquil waters which might be prime for snorkeling.
Trujillo Bay Seaside, Trujillo
Greatest mainland seashore within the east
The seashores close to Trujillo, a former Spanish colonial metropolis as soon as visited by Christopher Columbus, stand out as among the finest within the nation. The white sands alongside the Bay of Trujillo entice locals and vacationers alike, providing solar, sand and surf on the Caribbean facet of the nation. Should you get movement illness on boats, these seashores are your finest wager, because you don’t have to take one to get right here from the mainland.
A number of the space’s seashores are tied to a resort, similar to beautiful Santa Fe Seaside on the Banana Beach Resort, however the public seashore in Trujillo’s metropolis heart – not removed from the colonial-era Fortaleza de Santa Bárbara – is a well-liked spot, particularly with native households. Because it’s a metropolis seashore, there’s no have to deliver provisions; there are a lot of locally-owned retailers right here, plus eating places and bars.
Instead of superstar cooks, the celebs of this space are the starfish. Close by boats can deliver you out to the Banco de Estrellas (Financial institution of Stars), the place dozens of various kinds of starfish congregate on the seafloor in waist-high waters. Together with Playa Estrella, certainly one of Panama’s seashore seashores, that is certainly one of simply two locations in Central America the place complicated starfish colonies thrive, on account of an abundance of seagrass.
Don’t be tempted to choose them up; it disturbs these delicate creatures. As a substitute, simply observe and snap some photos with an underwater digital camera, or your digital camera cellphone if it is waterproof or has a water-resistant case.
Playa del Amor, San Lorenzo
Greatest seashore closest to Tegucigalpa
If you end up in Tegucigalpa, the landlocked capital metropolis of Honduras, and wish to get away to the closest seashore, your finest wager is to move to the Pacific coast. Purpose for the municipality of San Lorenzo, a couple of two-hour drive south from the capital – the bottom city for exploring the black sands in and across the Gulf of Fonseca.
There are a number of notable seashores within the space, notably Playa Grande and Playa Negra on the small coastal island of Amapala (aka Isla del Tigre). You may get right here simply by small boat from the port city of Coyolito. Nevertheless, arguably one of the best – and most romantic – seashore round is Playa del Amor (Seaside of Love) situated on the coastal island of Conchaguita. The island can solely be accessed by boat from the port in San Lorenzo.
A part of the attract of this mysterious seashore is that the magic is fleeting – most of its black sands are solely uncovered when the tide is low, for 4 to 5 hours every day. Be sure you deliver your personal provisions to this romantic, secluded, spot within the mangroves.
Locals jokingly say it is the seashore “the place two individuals go in, however three come again” and it’s a well-liked vacation spot on Valentine’s Day. When the water rises and the seashore disappears, boats sometimes proceed across the mangroves till the orange-hued solar units on the Pacific horizon.
