World Country Guide

Introduction

In 1998 Hurricane Mitch devastated much of the island. Despite initial forecasts which put the island's full recovery at 50 years, an international effort quickly rebuilt much of the country's infrastructure. But there has been a long-term effect on the economy which is still very weak. Many people live in poverty and as a result crime levels have soared since the hurricane. Cocaine trafficking controlled by violent gangs has become a major economic force in the country. Incidents of violent crime, including sexual assault and car hijacking, have increased, and caution should be exercised. Road travel is best avoided at night.
The capital was originally founded as a mining camp in 1524. Unlike so many of Central America’s cities, Tegucigalpa has never been subjected to the disasters of earthquake or fire and so retains many traditional features. The city’s impressive parks, particularly Concordia, where models of Copan’s Mayan architecture were displayed, was badly affected by the hurricane. The United Nations Park provides a spectacular view of the city, although caution is advised due to an increase in violent crime in the park. Also recommended is a visit to neighbouring Comayagua, former capital of Honduras and now a colonial masterpiece of cobbled streets, tiny plazas and whitewashed houses.
A fast-growing banana, sugar manufacturing and distribution centre for the entire north coast, today San Pedro Sula boasts a new airport, first-class hotels and several excellent restaurants.
The ancient city of Copn is 171km (106 miles) from San Pedro Sula. The Copn Ruins Archaeological Park in western Honduras is the best remaining testament to the culture of the Mayan Indians. Among the best of the ruins are the magnificent Acropolis composed of courts and temples, the Great Plaza, a huge amphitheatre, and the Court of the Hieroglyphic Stairway. Near the Great Acropolis, recent archaeological work has brought to light invaluable excavations. The majority of the site’s original sculptures are on display at the Copn Sculpture Museum, the four-storey centrepiece of which is the Rosalita temple, a full-scale replica of a temple recently excavated beneath the Acropolis.
Two coastal towns are important to tourists and commercial visitors: La Ceiba and Trujillo. La Ceiba, which lies at the foot of the towering 1500m (5000ft) Pico Bonito, still a major banana port, now looks to tourism (particularly ecotourism) as a future major industry. There are good hotels and beaches, and an international airport – one of the city’s major assets. The nearby Pico Bonito National Park is a protected rainforest area where high rainfall and steep slopes combine to form numerous waterfalls and spectacular scenery.
Trujillo was once a thriving port and the old capital of colonial Honduras. Trujillo is today home to many old Spanish buildings, a fascinating pirate history and superb tropical beaches. New resorts and subdivisions are now opening in the Trujillo area.
50km (30 miles) off the Caribbean coast of Honduras lies the exotic archipelago of the Bay Islands. Consisting of three major islands (Guanaja, Roatan and Utila) and several smaller islands, the Bay Islands have a history that spans the ancient Mayan civilisation, early Spanish exploration, colonial buccaneers and the British Empire. Guanaja and Roatn are hilly, tropical islands, protected by a great coral reef that provides fine diving. Utila offers wide expanses of sandy beach and is ringed by tiny cays surrounded by palm trees.