Best of the North Coast

La Feria de San Isidro [1]: Party-lovers won’t want to miss La Ceiba’s annual festival of music and dance, the most famous revelry in the country.

Río Cangrejal [2]: For a dose of tropical adrenaline, go for a day of white-water rafting down this jungle-clad river right behind La Ceiba, or find a quiet trail or peaceful cabin with one of the area’s community tourism projects.

Parque Nacional Pico Bonito [3]: The emerald-green, diamond-shaped mountain behind La Ceiba has the densest primary tropical jungle outside of the Mosquitia.

Refugio de Vida Silvestre Cuero y Salado [4]: At this coastal wetland, a network of waterways through dense mangroves, the quiet is broken only by the chatter of monkeys or squawk of a parrot.

Tornabé [5]: Of the many laid-back Garífuna villages lining the north coast, Tornabé is one of the friendliest to visit, with plenty of beach and a few places to eat seafood.

Parque Nacional Jeanette Kawas [6] (Punta Sal [6]): This coastal reserve west of Tela is a picture-perfect deserted beach with lush forests behind it.

Jardín Botánico Lancetilla [7]: The tropical garden here is a birder’s paradise, one of the best places in the country to spot hundreds of species in a small area.