An old Tela home that has been refurbished and turned into an International bar and restaurant. Delicious, generous portions in a pleasant atmosphere with good international music. A favorite for both locals and tourists. Open daily from eleven till midnight, later on weekends. Best stocked bar in town! English, German and Spanish spoken.

Shadow

Casa AzulA new, European style bar located in a nice old Banana era wooden home. Pleasant international music, a well stocked bar and a restaurant that is open till 10 p.m. make of this spot a favorite for travelers. English, French, Flemish and Spanish spoken. Open daily except Mondays.

La Libelula

Located at the Bay Side hotel on the Pedestrian Street in front of the beach in downtown Tela. Pleasant atmosphere with good music. Owners always very receptive to musical requests from their patrons. One of the best stocked bars in town and good service. Nice air-conditioned main room as well as street side tables. Open daily.

Guarumas Disco Bar

Restaurant, bar and dancing parties. Light foods and draft beer. Located on the Villas Telamar Hotel. Open daily from 9:00 a.m. till 11:00 p.m. possibly the most exclusive spot in Tela.

Disco Bar La Iguana

One of the few discos operating regularly in Tela, La Iguana is open Thursday to Saturday from 9:00 p.m. till late. Thursday night is oldies with music from the 70s, 80s and 90s. Good security at front door. Located on the main street leading into the beach, a block away from the new bridge.

Lagunas Discoteque

A nice new disco located on the outskirts of town, on the main road leading towards El Progreso. Open on weekends. Good security and privacy.

Arrecifes

A nice restaurant bar that stays open till late from Tuesday to Sunday, actually very late on Fridays and Saturdays. Nice menu served till late, since kitchen remains open until the bar closes. Nice atmosphere with cool breeze from the beach, as the establishment is located right on the pedestrian street next to the beach.

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Eat

In Tela, tourists and locals alike have access to good restaurants that serve good Honduran food as well as a few international cuisines especially in the hotels. And speaking of Honduran food, you have to be prepared for an exciting fusion of indigenous cuisines with very liberal doses of African and Spanish influences. Also, you have to prepare your palate and stomach for coconut-infused foods in both savory and sweet dishes as Hondurans love their coconut. And since Tela is a seaside town, you can expect lots of seafood on the menu, from soups to salads to main dishes!

Drink

In Tela, the bars are many although you are well-advised to limit your drinks as you want to be able to go back to your hotel on sound mind and legs. After all, you want to enjoy every minute of your vacation instead of being passed out most of the time!

The most popular drink in the bars of Tela id the “Salva Vida” that, ironically, means life saver. You can buy it at a very cheap price although you must, again, drink in moderation. For a more refreshing drink in the daytime, there is always the chilled coconut to take the edge off of the hot weather. It’s available in most restaurants so you don’t have a problem in this respect.

Sleep

Tela offers many options in accommodations from budget hostels to decent hotels. Just choose according to your budget and preferences although you can be sure that most will offer courteous service. The people of Tela have had practice in hospitality, after all! Depending on the hotel, amenities like pool and spa, dining area and bar, tennis courts and golf areas, water sports and beach activities are offered to guests. Of course, sleeping accommodations vary from one hotel to the next although air-conditioned rooms with ensuite bathrooms are standard for most high-end hotels in Tela.

Be Merry

There are disco pubs in Tela that offer live music and karaoke entertainment into the night. Latin songs, both the upbeat and the slow, are played although favorites seem to be the punta, meringue and cumbia, to name a few. You can expect Spanish singers to be very popular in these joints but since music is universal, there ought to be no problem dancing to the beat even when the same shuffle is used for all beats! Again, there are also bars and pubs in the hotels. At the very least, you don’t have to worry about going back, or more appropriately, stumbling back, a long way to your room on one too many beers!

Tela may be a small resort town but it does not lack for places to feast on Honduran cuisine, drink on fine wine and liquor, sleep in comfort and have fun in the night!

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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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