Located on the western end of the Bay of Tela, the Jeanette Kawas National Park is named after a Honduran ecology activist who lost her life while protecting this National Park, previously known as Punta Sal National Park. Based on its size and biodiversity, the park is one of the most important national parks in Honduras. The small bays within the park served as havens to the pirates and buccaneers of yesteryear.  The peninsula forms a natural barrier that protects the bay and port of Tela from the “nortes” that blow during the winter months. The park has two separate, well defined areas: the peninsula and the lagoon.

The peninsula is only accessible by sea, and there is a symbolic fee of  5 USA dollars  that is collected upon your arrival to the park. The fee is handled by the pro-ecology group PROLANSATE, a non profit private organization dedicated to the preservation and development of the park. There are several tour operators within Tela that offer tours  by motor launch. The trip itself takes about one hour  before arriving at the park. A vast natural beauty awaits the traveler: white sand beaches, an exotic and very exuberant jungle and a very attractive coral reef are the main attractions. During the tour, it is quite possible to encounter different animals, such as dolphins, monkeys and of course a large variety of tropical birds, giving an added spice to your tour.

The Lagoon, known as the Micos Lagoon, is the area with the highest population of birds in the park. During the “summer”  (In Central America, the dry season is referred to as the summer, being in fact the  months of December through May) you will find up to 350 different species of birds living within the lagoon! The lagoon is surrounded by mangroves, forming canals and cayes where other types of tropical plants and trees coexist.  To the east, the lagoon is separated from the sea by a narrow tongue of sand, forming an extensive and very beautiful beach.

The Garifuna village of  Miami is built precisely on this sand bar, and offers a true cultural patrimony of the Bay of Tela, allowing visitors to experience life the way these villagers have lived for over two hundred years, since they established themselves on the North Coast of Honduras.  The village, built entirely of thatched huts, makes the tour to Punta Sal both a natural as well as a cultural experience. There are several different operators and individuals who can take you to Punta Sal National Park,  we wholeheartedly recommend Garifuna Tours, whose offices are located almost in front of the central park in Tela. They have been the pioneers in tours to Punta Sal and continue to be the leaders. Other very good professional operators are Honduras Caribbean Tours and Caribbean Expeditions.

Punta Izopo National Park.

Located on the eastern end of the bay of Tela, only 12 km from town, this unique area takes its name from the small mountain that dominates the area and comes out into the Caribbean: Izopo Mountain. The exuberant vegetation of the area. which is irrigated by the Platano and Hicaque rivers, is home to large variety of wildlife, including tropical birds such as parrots and toucans, monkeys, alligators and turtles. The canals, formed within the mangrove forests are accessible to sea kayaks, which permit you to silently enter the area without disturbing the natural beauty, and come close to the birds and other wildlife. This tour also includes the opportunity of visiting the Garifuna town of Triunfo de la Cruz, where the Spanish Conquistador, Cristobal de Olid first disembarked  on his quest to conquer Honduras, following orders of Hernan Cortes. Garifuna Tours has daily regular departures to Punta Izopo. A new exciting alternative is to take the night tour and get a chance to see the crocodiles that inhabit the canals and mangroves. Departures are at 3:30 p.m. from Garifuna Tours main office just off Central Park and return is scheduled around 9:00 p.m. Normally wildlife in mangroves can me seen mostly at sunrise or sunset, so this new schedule allows you to see more species of birds and the excitement of sighting crocodiles!

Lancetilla Botanical Garden

Located only a few kilometers from Tela, the Lancetilla Botanical Garden is the second largest tropical botanical garden in the world. It was established in 1926 as an experimental site by the Tela Railroad Company. The park boasts a very large variety of plants from the Central American region as well as from other tropical lands from throughout our planet. A large number of tropical birds have made the garden their home, due to the many fruit trees that abound here. There is a well marked trail that you can follow. In addition, if you follow the road that leads into a fascinating bamboo forest, you will arrive at a very pleasant swimming hole in the Lancetilla river, where you can enjoy a refreshing swim after your hike throughout the park. The entrance fee to the park is Lps. 50.00 and includes a guided tour. For Hondurans, there is a substantial discount. The best way to get to the park is by bicycle, which you can rent in Tela. If you have a car, you can easily reach the park.

Garifuna Villages

All along the Bay of Tela there are several different Garifuna communities, and perhaps some of the most interesting ones in all the country are right here. From west to east, you will find the Rio Tinto, Miami, Tornabe, San Juan, La Ensenada and finally Triunfo de la Cruz. Amongst these, without doubt, the most interesting and unique is Miami, the only one that to this day is still completely built of thatched huts. You can eat typical foods at all the villages, and learn some of their traditions. Outstanding, and definitely fun, are the “punta” and “yancunu” dances, that have origins in their African roots. With the exception of Rio Tinto and Miami, all of the villages are easily reached, with  good public transportation readily available. You can also rent a bicycle and have the added advantage of free time to discover all the interesting facets of these  villages and their people at your own pace. In some of the Garifuna villages there are hotels where you can stay and experience the lifestyle of the Garifuna. An example of these are the Caribbean Coral Inn at Truinfo de la Cruz, built with local architecture in mind and with a primitive atmosphere with outstanding service; the Budari at La Ensenada and the Paradise at San Juan.

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Jeanette Kawas National Park

Formerly named Punta Sal National Park, the Jeanette Kawas National Park is one of the most important natural parks in Honduras based on size and biodiversity. In olden times, its numerous bays served as sanctuaries for the buccaneers and pirates who frequented these parts. Today, these same bays are sanctuaries for tourists looking for unique flora and fauna in Honduras.

There are two distinct areas of the Punta Sal – the lagoon and the peninsula. The lagoon, which is popularly called Micos, hosts the highest bird population in the park with up to 350 species living in it during the peak season of December through May. Visitors also have the opportunity to interact with the Garifuna village of Miami located on the lagoon’s beach.

The peninsula can only be accessed through the sea, of which day tours are the best and safest way to do so. Pristine sand beaches, vibrant jungle life with many species of tropical birds, and magnificent coral reefs await visitors. More exciting, however, are sightings of marine animals like dolphins! You have to pay a minimum entrance fee for the park’s upkeep and it can take up to an hour of travel by sea from Tela before the national park can be reached.

Lancetilla Botanical Gardens

As the world’s second largest tropical botanical garden with an area of almost 5,000 hectares, the Lancetilla Botanical Gardens boasts of a wide variety of tropical plants and animals from Honduras and from around the world. It is truly a tropical paradise that man can enjoy to the fullest!

There are many hiking trails within the park, which allows for various activities like bird-watching although hiking through a tropical forest is a very fulfilling experience in itself. If you walk a little farther into a bamboo forest, you will come across a swimming hole in the river that provides a refreshing dip after a hard day’s hike. Visitors have to pay an entrance fee for the park’s maintenance. However, getting to the Lancetilla Botanical Gardens is easier since it is accessible by both bicycles and cars.

Punta Izopo & Triunfo de la Cruz

Punta Izopo is a national park 12 kilometers east of Tela, which takes its name from the Izopo Mountain dominating the area. Basically, this is a wildlife refuge park and, hence, hosts a wide variety of animal life within its lush vegetation. Visitors have the opportunity to see many species of tropical birds like toucans and parrots as well as animals like alligators, turtles and monkeys. There are also mangrove canals to be explored and enjoyed via sea kayaks. You can also interact with the Garifuna town of Triunfo dela Cruz where dance and music are closely intertwined with local life. Or you can have a local lunch for a very cheap price.

Indeed, with these interesting places to visit, your Tela vacation will never be boring! After all, many adventures can happen in both beaches and forests, not to mention on the town of Tela itself.

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Traveling To Tela

It must be emphasized that only road transportation going to Tela is available at present. The railroad system that formed the backbone of Tela in the 1900s have ceased to operate, the decline of which can be traced back from the transfer of headquarters made by the Tela Railroad Company from Tela to La Lima.

If you come from San Pedro Sula, you have three choices. First, you can take the public buses that travel direct non-stop to La Ceiba. Ask the conductor to stop at the entrance to Tela and then either take a taxi going into the city or just walk the one-mile distance. There will be no indication that a city is beyond the dirt road so it pays to ask for directions.

Second, you can take one of the buses that go directly to Tela. However, these travel infrequently so it’s often best to just take the La Ceiba-bound bus. Travel time can extend to 2 hours.

Third, you can get on a bus to El Progreso and then change to a Tela-bound bus. It will take a longer time but you ought to get to Tela without having to take a taxi on a dirt road.

Whatever bus you decide to ride on, however, you must always the conductor when he goes around asking for fares. As much as possible, you must pay in exact change to avoid inconvenience later on.

If you come from the capital city of Tegucigalpa, you can take the buses that ply direct routes to La Ceiba, which will take 5-6 hours of travel time. Of course, you have to then take the buses going to Tela. Or if you are not one for public transportation despite the slices of Honduran life it offers, you can always travel to Tela by private car! It is faster since you don’t have to stop for passengers getting on and off through various places in the countryside, not to mention more comfortable, too.

Traveling Around Tela

Once in Tela, getting around is very easy. Since the town itself is small, going by foot is highly recommended to absorb the sights and sounds of a small Honduran resort town that has retained its charm despite its national and international clientele. Or you can take the bicycle for faster arrival at your destinations. Since this is the preferred form of transportation, you ought to feel like a local out on an excursion to the town center to buy some food items.

And since the road pattern is a very simple east/west north/south outline, getting lost is not an option especially with helpful locals pointing you towards the right direction. Even the streets are appropriately named with the main shopping street called the Calle de Comercio and the beachfront street as the Bulevar!

With such easy ways to get into and get around in Tela, it’s about time that you do, too!

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Beach Beauty

As previously mentioned, Tela has a very beautiful coastline characterized by turquoise and emerald warm waters, powdery white sandy beaches, tall palms swaying gracefully in the wind as well as magnificent sunsets and sunrises this side of the Caribbean. And with year-round sunshine only broken by a passing hurricane, it is definitely paradise in Central America! In these surroundings, visitors can lounge around in hammocks, sip refreshing cocktail drinks and beers, read a book or two, soak up the sun, and go to sleep. Tela beaches are very conducive to such serene activities.

Of course, bikinis are allowed in these beaches so soaking up the sun is truly a tropical experience, not to mention a beautiful one with all the scantily-clad beautiful bodies parading around. However, nudism may not be a good idea because of a strong Catholic sensibility so keep your clothes on when and where appropriate. Unless, of course, you are in a private beach all your own!

When Holy Week rolls around, however, visitors can expect more people to flock to the beach and share their space. Not too much, of course, just enough to enjoy some good companionship. Besides, the scene smacks of an international gathering of people so making new friends and meeting old ones can be enjoyed by all.

Beach Adventure

For those looking for ocean adventure, there are many activities offered by Tela establishments. You can ask the hotel management for commercial establishments offering rentals on boats and kayaks as well as surfing and diving equipment, often on very reasonable rates. Or you can avail of day tours to places of interest in the coastlines of Tela. With that said, visitors can enjoy water sports activities such as rafting and kayaking, boating and fishing, snorkeling and diving, surfing and windsurfing. There are no limits to what visitors can experience in the rich marine ecosystem of Tela!

Of course, novices will need guidance on the water sports so professionals are also on hand to provide instructions. Just ask for referrals from seasoned tourists and locals to secure good services on the sports you are interested in. Or you can just go swimming in the pristine waters until you have had your fill of the sea. Then, take a walk on the beach, just enjoying the feel of powdery sand between your toes, the cool wind in your hair and the hot sun on your body and feel transported to another time, another place when paradise was reality, not myth.

Indeed, the beaches of Tela can either be peaceful and serene or adventurous and exciting depending on your vacation mood. Just take your pick and the people and places of Tela can make it possible just for you! That’s how special Tela can be, anytime of the year.

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