What you need to know about La Ceiba Honduras.

La Ceiba, while having an old world, carribean charm, is first world in shopping, restuarants, banking, and medical care. There's a Megamall, in the outskirts of the city that has all the banks, including Credomatic, a large department store, a supermarket, food court, internet cafes, and even an Applebee´s. For those needing a shot of hometown food, there are all the chain restuarants including Popeye´s, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Domino´s Pizza, Wendy´s , Church´s and even Dunkin Donuts. The best known hospital is Hospital D´ Antoni which was founded by Dole and is open to the general public.

From its early days La Ceiba has charmed its visitors with its natural enchantments, its name is due to a giant ceiba tree that grew stunningly at the shores of the Caribbean Sea, where today the principal avenue and the first street converge. It was so big that the first settlers who were the Garifunas (immigrant slaves from the Island of Saint Vincent) said that it was "The Ladder God used when he came down from Heaven to visit Earth". The port city of La Ceiba started to develop in 1872, when Mr. Manuel Hernandez built a hut under the enormous tree and then around it other neighbors started to settle, seduced by the boom of the the banana plantations. The commerce of this fruit was so prosperous that it brought the attention of big international companies that started to establish in La Ceiba. The city started to grow with national migrants and foreigners. With the years the infrastructure has been enhanced, always keeping our own frame of the Caribbean architecture with its large streets.

La Ceiba was declared a town August 23, 1877, being the center of the banana emporium and main point of the regional economy. After this, the biggest industrial and financial companies of Honduras emerged in La Ceiba.

Nowadays, it is the third most important city and the second most important port of the country. It exceeds the 200,000-population in more than 170 suburbs and settlements over a surface of approximately 6,000 hectares. La Ceiba has the highest literacy rate in Honduras and a big part of its population is bilingual.

"Cuero y Salado" Wild Life Refuge, a national park with dry and rainy canals is where you can appreciate wild animals and exotic birds, confused in the vegetation. If you're lucky you'll see beautiful manatees, endangered species found here a safe place to live.
La Ceiba´s beaches are another point of interest in the city, they border all the north part of it. A few minutes off city limits you'll find Peru and El Porvenir which are wonderful beaches, also you´ll find Corozal and Sambo Creek that are Garifuna villages that conserve their language and Afro Caribbean culture.

La Ceiba is known in all Central America for its ¨Feria Isidra¨, that takes place during the last days of May and ends with a big carnival called "Gran Carnaval de la Amistad" where the main avenue turns into a huge dance floor with local musical bands and colorful floats. Not only for this date the party environment takes over the city, the happy spirit of the people prevails all year long in the first street or "Zona Viva" with all its clubs and bars which offers a specialty for everyone. That's why for many reasons you should visit this tropical paradise where the adventure, fun and natural environment will make you have a wonderful time.

What To Do
Exploration. Relaxation. Adventure. It’s all here. Explore the ancient wonders of Copan, what some call the Paris of ancient Maya cities. Fly hundreds of feet above the rainforest on a zip line through dense canopy. Or spend time in the Hog Keys (Cayos Cochinos), catching your breath in a place that is forever taking it away with its breathtaking sunsets and white sand. Test your nerve in La Ceiba against the raging Rio Cangrejal, a magnificent river with harrowing rapids that winds through lush jungle. There is a litany of things to see and do here, and a lifetime of memories to be made.

Where to Stay
There are so many lodging options to choose from in Honduras. Stay luxuriously in a lavish resort with world-class service served with an international flair. Stay stylish in one of the many designer boutique hotels with design sensibilities influenced by everything from Italian Nuevo to Spanish Castile. You’re sure to find the perfect place to call your home away from home in Honduras.