Page 1 of 4 Caribbean Beach Activities of Tela and La Ceiba, Honduras
By Mike Yaeger
Quick FactsDestination:
Tela & La Ceiba, Honduras |
Most people don’t think of the water when they think of Honduras. In reality,
much of the country is on either the Caribbean Sea or the Pacific Ocean, and some
of the nicest cities lie along those stretches. Two of the cities along the Caribbean
Sea provide fantastic settings for experiencing the this unique part of Honduras,
Tela and La Ceiba.
Calm waters of the Caribbean Sea at La Ceiba beach
As you get closer to the coast in Honduras, the prevalence of English speaking increases and you slowly are transformed from the Spanish-speaking inland traditional city of San Pedro Sula to a completely different world, marked by palm trees and trade winds.
Tela is by far the smaller of the two cities, but it offers a more colonial, local
experience. The easiest way to get there is to take a bus from San Pedro Sula towards
La Ceiba, and ask for a stop at Tela. There is also a direct bus to Tela, but they
do not run as often as the buses to La Ceiba.
Sunset at La
Ceiba, overlooking the Caribbean Sea
Bus Transportation from San Pedro Sula to Tela and La Ceiba
San Pedro Sula lacks a central bus station. Each company has its own office, although they are located within walking distance of each other. This is a somewhat confusing; and can cause frustration when you realize you just bought a ticket at one of the companies with less reliable service. In my experience, the Catisa-Tupsa bus line service is more reliable and faster than Contraipbal. The Catisa-Tupsa office station is located at 2 Ave., 5-6 Calle S.O. (phone 553-1023 or 550-5199) in San Pedro Sula and at the Mercado San Jose (phone 441-2539) in La Ceiba. Buses leave San Pedro Sula for Tela and La Ceiba about once per hour and cost L. 30 ($2.15 USD) for either destination. The ride is about 1.5 hours to Tela and 2.5 hours to La Ceiba.
Returning from La Ceiba to San Pedro Sula is easy, just go to the bus station in La Ceiba and catch one of the hourly buses. Returning from Tela is a different story. If the buses are not full when they pass Tela, they will stop; but if the seats are already filled the bus won’t stop at the roadside. You’ll have to catch a local "chicken" bus to El Progresso and switch buses there to reach San Pedro Sula.
At the stop for Tela, there is no sign, or indication that you are at the right place. The bus stops on the side of the dirt road with no apparent city in sight. The best thing to do is to ask the people around you. Once you get off the bus, you can walk the mile to Tela, or take a taxi.