Places of Interest
Local Attractions
Guamilito Market
The best place in San Pedro Sula to buy handicrafts, such as cotton hammocks, hand-woven hats and baskets, and beautiful wooden chests intricately carved. Clothing and liquor are also available at the market, where bargaining is a must.
Parks and Monuments
San Pedro Sula features 20 public parks, including Miguel Paz Barahona Central Park, the Americas Park, the United Nations Park and Chamelecon Park.
The Museum of Anthropology and History
Visit the Museum of Anthropology and History and appreciate the social and cultural development of the entire Sula valley.
The Centro Cultural Sampedrano
4 Avenida with 3a Calle N O
The public library is located here. The Centro also hosts and organizes most of the cultural events taking place in San Pedro Sula. Visit the center to obtain more information on forthcoming exhibitions and events.
Wood Carving
30 kilometers
If you have the time to go as far as El Progreso to visit the banana plantations, you should also not miss the IMAPRO Handicraft School, which gives you the opportunity to see artisans at work carving wood.
Lancetilla Gardens and Tela Garifunas Communities
100 kilometers south-east
The second largest tropical botanical garden in the world is located in Tela, on the main road to La Ceiba. The gardens offer a vast array of tropical plants and birds. Tela is more than Garifunan culture, it also preserves the beauties of nature, as does the Janet Kawas National Park, a splendid territory already incorporated in the Honduras national park system. Within the park is the gorgeous Punta Sal, an area featuring superb white sandy beaches and azure Caribbean waters.
Lake Yojoa and Pullapanzak Waterfall
100 kilometers south
The largest natural lake in Honduras, Lake Yojoa is a haven for black bass. It also offers some of the best birdwatching opportunities in Honduras. Motmots, toucans, parrots and many other tropical birds live around the lake and in the two protected national parks that surround it - Santa Barbara and Azul Meambar national parks. The lake is located on the road to Tegucigalpa and can be reached within 90 minutes of San Pedro Sula. Lake Yojoa offers great opportunities for both day trips or longer visits to this area of outstanding beauty.
Also in the area are some interesting small towns, such as the mining town of El Mochito, and a number of hydroelectric plants, including the Canaveral and Rio Lindo plants. Nearby lies the Francisco Morazan, better known as "El Cajon" hydroelectric complex, considered one of the three most ambitious projects of its kind in Latin America.
Pullapanzak Waterfall is located just a short detour off the same road, making it a must to visit. The fall is impressive, set amid lush, tropical vegetation and fantastic natural pools in which to swim. Don't forget your bathing suit on this trip!
San Fernando de Omoa Fortress
Less than 75 minutes
Take a step into the past, when buccaneers roamed the Caribbean Sea and attacked the Spanish centers in the New World! San Fernando de Omoa is one of the most impressive fortifications built by the Spaniards to protect themselves from the fierce pirates. Today it stands as silent testimony to an important, if difficult period in Honduran history. After touring the site, you could swim off the Caribbean beaches near Puerto Cortes. To reach San Fernando de Omoa, take the highway to Puerto Cortes and then follow the road to the west along the coast.
Copan Archaeological Park
Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1980, Copan Archaeological Park was declared a National Monument by the government of Honduras two years later. Modern travelers to the archaeological park will discover a wealth of excavated temples, a ball court, elaborate carved stone steles and a 63-step stairway inscribed with the longest pre-Columbian hieroglyphic text in the Americas. A new attraction at the ruins is the Copan Sculpture Museum, opened in 1996. Described as the Athens or Paris of the New World, the Mayan city of Copan attained artistic achievements that were unrivaled in the Mayan world. At the height of its influence, Copan covered 24 square kilometers and was home to about 20,000 people.
Pico Bonito National Park
This spectacular park, in the region of Yoro, is just nine miles from Ceiba on the Caribbean coast. Pico Bonito Mountain, highest in the Nombre de Dios range, is 2435 meters high. Rugged scenery and lush, tropical vegetation characterize this park, which is full of monkeys and a large variety of other fauna. Reportedly, only three expeditions have made it to the highest point in the park, due to the steep topography.
Cangrejal River
Some of the best white-water rafting in Central America is to be found here in La Ceiba. Cangrejal River offers class II, III and IV rapids, all within 45 minutes' drive from La Ceiba. In addition to the exciting rapids, the Pico Bonito National Park features more than seven different ecosystems because of its differing altitudes and has an eastern border with the river, offering you an insight into the lush, green forests of Honduras. Lunch is included in the tour, which is guided by expert river rafters with years of experience.
El Cusuco National Cloud Forest Park
Located just west of San Pedro Sula, in the impressive Merendon mountain range that dominates the city, this cloud forest is probably the park with the best infrastructure for tourists in Honduras. It is easily reached by taking the western highway towards Copan, turning off at the entrance to the town of Cofradia and continuing up a dirt road to the village of Buenos Aires and the park and its visitor center. The center has basic installations, including camping facilities, running water and toilet facilities. The entrance fee to the park is USD 5.00 per person.
Other Attracions
Henry's Discotheque-Bar
Dance floor with good, modern music, full-service bar and pool tables. Cover charge at entrance. Open Thursday through Saturday.
Confettis Disco
Avenida Circunvalación
Giant screen with modern disco music. Full-service bar. Popular with the local crowd. Cover charge.
Luxxor Casino
15 Avenida between 7 and 8 Calle S O Plaza Venecia
Blackjack, roulette, baccarat, slot machines.
Mirage Casino
Avenida Circunvalación
Golf
There are two golf courses near San Pedro Sula. The Lomas Golf and Country Club has nine holes in Choloma on the road to Puerto Costes, and the Lima Club has 18 holes in La Lima, past the airport on the road towards El Progreso.
Both are open to the public and equipment rentals are available only in the Lima Club.
As you can see, San Pedro Sula offers many possibilities to discover the cultural and natural heritage of Honduras. We invite you to venture into this world, all within your reach. Where else can you enjoy the best of both worlds as easily as you can here?
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