Southern Honduras offers a variety of attractions and interesting places for the visitors to this area. The Gulf of Fonseca is a more of a large bay than a gulf, however it is shared by three different Central American countries: Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua. The largest city in the area is the city of Choluteca, which is the four largest city in the country, and the only major one on the Pan-American Highway.
Originally founded as the “Villa de Jerez de Choluteca” is one of the most historical cities inteh country. Home to Honduran hero Jose Cecilio del Valle, this cahrming colonial city is easily accesible from Tegucigalpa and is the gateway to the Pacific coast of Honduras. Located on the Pan American Highway, it is well connected to the cities of San Salvador in neighboring El Salvador, as well as the northern city of Esteli in Nicaragua. Choluteca offers the best preserved colonial architecture in the country, with a charming downtown area with pleasant and attractive buildings.
The climate is hot and dry, in contrast to the humidity of the north coast, however, the same hospitality that is famous to Honduras can be found here. Choluteca sees tourism as an important activity that has focused more on the north coast region than elsewhere in the country, however, they have resolved to get a piece of the action themselves. A bustling commercial city, Choluteca offers the traveller a selection of hotels, going from the very pleasant Hacienda Gualiqueme, to a variety of good hotels, such as the La Fuente, Camino Real (no relationship to the five star deluxe hotel chain), Centroamerica, Imperio Maya and Pierre, to name a few. In addition, there are a variety of banks, and the main economic activity is derived from cattle ranching, shrimp farming and fishing.
The nearby port city of San Lorenzo is the main port on the pacific coast of Honduras. All of the products that enter Honduras though the Gulf of Fonseca arrive through this port. The Gulf of Fonseca, is truly a lovely and unique area, rich in mangrove vegatation and small islands. Standing on the coast, you can clearly see many of the islands, as well as the coasts of all three countries. The Isla del Tigre with an almost perfect conical shape, stands out within the gulf.
This island, which obtained its name from the “Tigers” that inhabitated the island in the past, has a very picturesque town, the town of Amapala on its shores. This town was in the past the only port of entry into Honduras on the pacific coast, and therefore has many stories to share. Amapala lost all of its glamour as the gateway to the country when the central government decided to move the port to San Lorenzo. What was in the past a bustling, prosperous and lively city, with a lot of commercial activity, has become a very sleepy and forgotten town, with only memories of the good days from the past. The town is quite rundown, but retains a certain charm of yesteryear. Although the town only has a couple of inexpensive hospedajes, there is a hotel on the southern shore of the island, the Hotel Playa Negra, that offers the best infrastructure on the island, including air-conditioned rooms, a small pool and a restaurant bar.
Getting to the island is fairly easy. You must first get to the town of Coyolito, a small fishing village that is easily reachable by a good paved highway and with regular bus service. The area around Coyolito is a popular weekend getaway for the rich and famous of Tegucigalpa, and many of them have their weekend beach homes nearby. Once in Coyolito, you can take one of the boats at the dock to take you to Amapala. If you request a private boat, it will cost you more, but since this is the only means of transportation to get to the Island, the regular service is quite affordable. The trip will take no more that 8 to 10 minutes. Along the route you will see an unfinished land fill that was meant to connect the island with the mainland.
This article is copyrighted by Honduras Tips
Tourist information about another destination in Honduras