The region east of Trujillo, and towards the Nicaraguan border is generally referred to as La Moskitia, or the Mosquito Coast. It is very sparsely populated, inaccessible by land and home to the largest tract of virgin tropical rain forest in the North American hemisphere. A good part of this area is protected by law under one of three distinct zones:The Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve, the Tawahka Anthropological Reserve and the Patuca National Park. The area is populated by several indigenous groups, of which the Pech, Tawahka, Garifuna and Miskitos are the most predominant.
Its uninviting name comes from the Miskito natives and not from the abundance of mosquitoes, although these are unquestionably inhabitants of the area! The Mosquitia actually is an international region, as part of it is Honduras and another part in Nicaragua. Getting to the area is not as difficult as it seems: There is regular boat service departing from Trujillo. Although the schedules change, you can get up to date information once in Trujillo, and there is never more than three or four days between departures. Additionally, you can also obtain passage to La Mosquitia from La Ceiba. For information on schedules, inquire at the Muelle de Cabotaje in La Ceiba.
The other, easier, alternative is flying into the region. There are several communities that have regular scheduled service. Sosa Airlines, Isleña and Rollins Air all serve the Mosquitia region from La Ceiba, making it possible to fly to Brus Laguna, Palacios, Puerto Lempira and Ahuas.
For a more complete tour, you could check out some of the tour operators that specialize in the region. The most outstanding ones are Adventure Expeditions in Tegucigalpa, La Mosquitia Ecoaventuras, in La Ceiba, Turtle Tours in Trujillo and Go Native tours out of Copan Ruinas.
One of the best places in the world for tarpon and snook fishing is Brus Laguna. Cannon Island Fishing Resort offers packages that include full meals, tackle, guides, and lodging. It has become famous for the large fish and frequented by an international crowd. This unique resort is actually the first and only true jungle lodge in the country. The lodge, located on a small island within the large lagoon in a lovely tropical setting offers outstanding fishing with experienced English speaking fishing guides, first class accommodations and some of the best food to be found in Honduras. Owned and operated by a US family, you will feel very comfortable here. The small island got its name from some old English cannons that are on the island, mute testimony of the wars held in the area between the Spanish and English armies to control the area during colonial times. The name, Brus Laguna is without doubt of English decent, as the lagoon used to be called Brewers Lagoon! Access to Cannon Island is basically by air via Brus Laguna from La Ceiba. Lodging and fishing reservations for Cannon Island are all done from the USA via their state side offices. Because of their remote location, they do not have a regular phone at the resort, however communication is possible via a satellite phone as well as through e-mail, which is the easiest way to contact them if you are in Honduras. Their e mail is : For those flying into Brus Lagoon and looking to explore the area on your own, check out the Hospedaje “El Tipico” located at the waterfront in Brus Lagoon. Joaquin Cruz, the owner is a very friendly person and coan provide a world of information regarding the region. His rooms are very basic, and go for about Lps. 40.00 per night. HE has a total of 6 rooms for rent. He is also the local rep for Rollins air in Brus Lagoon. His son, Jose Osvaldo Cruz has some rooms with private bath and fan for rent if you prefer more comfortable installations. He also has a boat that is available for tours and trips in the area. At the time of printing, Both Aerolinias Sosa as well as Rollins air all operate regular flights into Brus Laguna three times a week. Sami, the regional Moskitia airline flies small 4 passenger planes on a quasi-regular basis from Brus Laguna to other locations within the Moskitia.
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