Best of Central Honduras

Birding and Boating on Lago de Yojoa [1]: With some 400-plus species spotted around Lago de Yojoa, Honduras’ biggest lake is a birder’s paradise. Getting out onto the water is one of the best ways to spy marsh residents, while fishing fans will enjoy trying their luck for one of the lake’s most famous inhabitants, the tilapia.

Pulhapanzak Falls [2]: The 43-meter Pulhapanzak Falls on the Río Lindo will take your breath away, and the sure-footed and adventurous can follow local boys into a cave behind the falls.

Parque Nacional Cerro Azul/Meámbar [3]: For easy access to a lush tropical and cloud forest, hike this park’s well-maintained trails, stopping to scout for colorful birds or to take a dip in one of the many waterfalls.

Villages near Santa Bárbara [4]: Villages like San Luis, Trinidad, or San Rafael, set in brilliantly green mountain countryside, are scenic and friendly places to visit, well off the tourist trail.

Comayagua’s Colonial Center [5]: After more than three centuries as the capital of Spanish Honduras, the city of Comayagua has a number of beautifully restored buildings from the colonial era, including the ornate cathedral on the central square and, half a block away, the Museo Colonial, stocked with religious art.

Marcala [6]: Located in a little-visited corner of Honduras but still accessible by a smoothly paved road, the town of Marcala serves as a good base for visits to small-scale organic coffee farms and countryside hikes to several nearby waterfalls.