The country’s oldest settlement, Trujillo feels like a forgotten, sleepy corner of Honduras, where no one is in a hurry to do anything. The very idea of being in a hurry in Trujillo seems preposterous.

Even the local tourist industry has failed to take off, despite the obvious attractions of a broad bay lined by a beach and palm trees, a national park close to town comprising jungle-covered mountains and mangrove lagoons, and several quiet Garífuna villages not far away. It doesn’t help that no airline currently flies to Trujillo (although Sosa will fly in if a group books the entire plane), and the town is three hours by bus from La Ceiba, and twice that from San Pedro Sula.

Despite the difficult access, Trujillo is a favorite stop-off for the overland backpacker-traveler crowd, and popular with anyone looking to get away from it all, those who appreciate the tranquil vibes. It’s an easy place to let a couple of days or weeks slip away, if you can do without luxury.

The capital of the Colón department, Trujillo has about 30,000 residents.

Getting to Trujillo

By Bus: Contraipbal (tel. 504/434-4932) runs eight buses to San Pedro Sula with plenty of stops (US$9.60, six hours) between 1 a.m. and 12:20 p.m. The buses leave from the terminal a kilometer from the park, adjacent to the Texaco gas station on the highway out of town. Cotuc, with a terminal in Barrio Cristales, has similar service (with even more stops), but the buses pass along the beach road in front of town, meaning you don’t have to take a taxi out to the highway if you can find out when they go. Cotuc buses always stop at the Texaco terminal also.

Regular buses to La Ceiba (US$3.75, three hours) leave from the Texaco terminal every 45 minutes between 1 a.m. and 1:45 p.m. (just buy a ticket for La Ceiba on one of the buses to San Pedro Sula), as do buses for Tocoa (US$2, 90 minutes). For either destination, you’ll be taking a bus to San Pedro Sula but getting off early. Contraipbal also runs buses to La Ceiba for US$4.

Avoid arriving to Trujillo on any of the late-night buses, as not even the taxis are out late at night.

By Car: Rains in late 2008 washed out two bridges on the main road between Tocoa and Trujillo. Since it’s impossible to know when the bridges might be fixed, directions for the alternative route, on a well-maintained gravel road, are as follows: Just past Tocoa, take a left at a little sign that indicates “Margen Isquierda,” a right when you get to the T, and a left when you get to the end of the gravel road. Just a few meters onto the paved road, there is a turnoff to the left for Trujillo.

The regular route takes about an hour from Tocoa, while the alternative route takes only an extra 30 minutes or so.

By Ferry: Ferry service between Guanaja and Trujillo has been revived (US$30). Departures from Trujillo are Tuesday at 3 p.m. and Saturday at 9 a.m. Departures from Guanaja back to the mainland are Wednesday at 9 a.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. The ferry is operated by Team Marin Travel (Guanaja tel. 504/3371-0373, Trujillo tel. 504/434-3421, and La Ceiba tel. 504/441-2091, www.teammarintravel.com). The ride takes about three hours and can be fairly rough.