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Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive to San Pedro Sula, Honduras, transfer to Copan
You will be greeted upon your arrival in San Pedro Sula. Depending on your arrival time, there may
be time for a visit to the National Archeology Museum in downtown San Pedro Sula. This medium size
museum is a great introduction to the Maya Culture. The transfer to the town of Copan Ruinas is
about 2.5 hours and we travel from the coastal lowland to the pine and oak tree covered highlands of
western Honduras. We will check into our hotel, have a leisurely dinner and a stroll around the
colonial town of Copan.
Overnight: Don Udo's, Copan
Day 2: Copan Archeology Site
Absolutely amazing site! We will be escorted by a local expert archeologist who works at the site.
There are many aspects of Copan that make it one of the most interesting sites of the Ancient Maya
world - instead of limestone which was used throughout the region for construction, Copan used
volcanic tuft which is much more resistant to erosion and the fine stone work is astonishingly well
preserved; the Copan River eroded part of the plaza and archeologists discovered six (!) additional
temples under the present central plaza; it has been one of the most thoroughly studied sites and
there is a wealth of archeology information going back to the third century; a well developed system
of tunnels under the structures; and the site itself is aesthetically spectacular. Deservedly in
the top five major Ancient Maya sites (including Tikal, Palenque, Chichen Itza and Uxmal), Copan
takes visitors back in time to 700 AD where it is easy to image this ancient metropolis bustling
with 100,000 mayans. We will have flexibility in the afternoon with options to visit the local
museum, butterfly and orchid house, go shopping in the town of Copan, do some nice late afternoon
hiking at San Lucas, or if we are serious, continue our tour of Copan and the nearby archeology site
of Las Sepulturas. For dinner we will go to nearby Hacienda San Lucas, famous for Maya cuisine and
its very own archeology site on the grounds - Los Sapos.
Overnight: Don Udo's, Copan
Day 3: Transfer to Tela
We drive back to the north coast to Tela Bay which has strong Garifuna (coastal indigenous culture)
flavor to the beautiful beach of TelaMar. The beach stretches for almost 20 km in both directions.
Beach time in the afternoon and then we have dinner in a local restaurant famous for its
afro-caribbean seafood dishes.
Overnight: TelaMar, Tela
Day 4: Jeanette Kawas National Park and Punta Sal
This is a fantastic day trip which begins with a 45 minute boat ride across Tela Bay. We then take
a short interpretive hike and then re-board the boats for a ride through coastal areas and then
around the tip of Punta Sal. Great views off the rugged coast and mountains in the backdrop. We
then have lunch at the Garifuna village of El Coco, which has 5 families and excellent traditional
seafood meals. After lunch we can either hike up the ridge for more amazing views, relax on the
beautiful beach or go swimming or snorkeling. We return to TelaMar late afternoon and dinner on the
grounds.
Overnight: TelaMar, Tela
Day 5: Lancetilla Botanical Gardens and transfer to Pico Bonito
We begin the day with a visit to the nearby Lancetilla gardens. Established at the beginning of the
last century, it is an impressive collection of native species as well as samples from around the
world. It's nearly 5,000 acres and full of hiking trails and a beautiful rainforest
stream with swimming hole. If you enjoy plants, you will love this place. It's great for
birding too! We will have lunch and then transfer to The Lodge at Pico Bonito. A member of the
"Small Luxury Hotels of the World," the lodge is a four-star resort nestled in
the lush rainforest of the foothills of the Sierra Pico Bonito and right next to Pico Bonito
National Park.
Overnight: The Lodge at Pico Bonito
Day 6: Pico Bonito National Park - Rafting the Rio Cangrejal
Bordering the eastern side of Pico Bonito National Park is the cascading Rio Cangrejal. Boasting
some of the best white water rafting in Central America the Cangrejal River offers class II, III and
IV rapids, all within a short 45 minute drive from the Lodge. We will spend the majority of the day
exploring this side of the park, first by water, and then a picnic lunch along the river. Time
permitting we will visit some of the inspiring local community projects in the watershed. In the
evening we can enjoy a night walk on the lodge grounds.
Overnight: The Lodge at Pico Bonito
Day 7: Pico Bonito National Park - Cuero y Salado Wildlife Refuge
Nearby is the coastal reserve of Cuero y Salado, a wetland reserve that is home to hundreds of
aquatic and terrestrial bird species as well as crocodiles and manatees (it's the largest
manatee reserve in Central America). While exploring the 100,000+ acres of wetland, one gains a
sense of what the early explorers encountered along the north coast of Honduras and also a
perspective of modern-day threats to its ecosystems. Once the site of the Standard Fruit
Company's largest coconut plantation, this new protected area is slowly returning to its
primordial roots and is an important beacon for conservation in what was just decades ago the site
of intensive commercial agriculture. We may see howler monkeys, white-faced Capuchin monkeys,
crocodiles, slider turtles, proboscis bats, boat billed herons, and many other different types of
shorebirds. Getting to the reserve is half the fun, accessible only by a narrow gauge railroad
system that makes its slow and picturesque journey through different habitats of the refuge.
Overnight: The Lodge at Pico Bonito
Day 8: Cayos Cochinos
We have about a 45 minute drive to the community of Sambo Creek and board boats for our day of
exploring the spectacular Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. This is the second longest barrier reef in the
world and Cayos Cochinos are located about 11 miles off-shore. We will have two snorkeling stops in
the morning (SCUBA option available - additional fees apply); and then take a break on one of the
smaller islands which has a local Garifuna fishing community. After another great seafood lunch, we
will have time for one more snorkeling stop and then head back to the mainland. A very impressive
reef system with abundant marine life and we often get to swim along sea turtles amid the many
schools of tropical fish.
Overnight: The Lodge at Pico Bonito
Day 9: Depart
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