Forested mountains partly covered by clouds in Pico Bonito.

Honduras · Atlántida

La Ceiba
and Pico Bonito.

Mangroves, rainforest and rivers

Photo: Denis Fournier from Longueuil, Canada · CC BY 2.0

Before you go,
understand the place.

Around La Ceiba lie the Cuero y Salado Wildlife Refuge, with mangroves and channels, and Pico Bonito National Park, rising from the coast to 2,485 m.

Best time to go
According to Canada, the rainy season runs from May to November and can cause flooding and landslides, and the hurricane season from early June to the end of November in the Atlantic and the Caribbean. It is an approximate national pattern, not a climate record for each region or a guarantee for the islands. Follow COPECO's alerts.
Getting there
This guide does not calculate road routes or travel times and offers no arrival points. According to FUCSA, Cuero y Salado is reached through the village of La Unión (El Porvenir); according to Visite Atlántida, the Pico Bonito visitor centre is about 8.5 km up the turn-off after the Saopín bridge. Galaxy Wave and Dream Ferries ferries to Roatán and Dream Ferries ferries to Utila (at 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., a one-hour crossing) leave from the Muelle de Cabotaje, according to their operators, and Aerolíneas Sosa publishes flights from La Ceiba to Roatán, Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula. Canada advises caution on the road between El Progreso and La Ceiba.

One way to explore

Themed guides

Places grouped by theme, to plan your day.

  • 2 places

    Protected areas

    Cuero y Salado Wildlife Refuge, whose foundation offers bookings, and Pico Bonito National Park, with unconfirmed status.

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The place, in context

Everything you can do

Closed or restricted places are included and flagged, so you know what to expect.

Showing 2 of 2 · 1 unconfirmed, flagged

Nature and jungle · 2

  • WildlifeOpen

    Cuero y Salado Wildlife Refuge

    According to FUCSA, access is via the village of La Unión (El Porvenir); from there, La Prensa (August 2023) describes about 30 minutes on a «burra», a small vehicle on the railway line, to the Salado Barra visitor centre. The pin is the refuge in OpenStreetMap; it is not an access point.11.3 km in a straight line from the regional map centre

    Entry
    Not stated
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Recommended

    A refuge of mangroves, channels and lagoons covering 13,225 ha of land and sea, whose flagship species is the Antillean manatee, managed since 1987 by the Cuero y Salado Foundation (FUCSA) under a co-management agreement with the State, according to FUCSA.

    Source: FUCSA – Fundación Cuero y Salado · 2026 · +4

    Practical details and sources
    Booking
    FUCSA invites visitors to book their visit (ecotourism, hiking or boat trips) with its certified guides; the page consulted does not say whether booking is mandatory. It publishes no hours or fees on the pages consulted.

    Tip: According to La Prensa (August 2023), after years without transport two «burras» and four boats for the river trip were restored; FUCSA reported in April 2026 the visit of an expedition cruise to the refuge.

    Sources: FUCSA – Fundación Cuero y Salado · FUCSA – Programa de Uso Público · FUCSA – Noticias (20 abr. 2026) · FUCSA – Cómo encontrarnos · La Prensa – Restablecen el transporte a Cuero y Salado (4 ago. 2023)

  • NatureStatus unconfirmed

    Pico Bonito National Park

    According to Visite Atlántida, the Cangrejal sector Visitor Centre is about 8.5 km up the turn-off after the Saopín bridge; the La Roca and El Mapache trails start there, the latter to El Bejuco waterfall (3 to 5 hours return). The pin is the park in OpenStreetMap; it is not an access point.11.3 km in a straight line from the regional map centre

    Entry
    Not confirmed
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    One of the most biodiverse parks in Honduras, from the coast up to 2,485 m, with rivers such as the Cangrejal, according to Visit Honduras. It is managed by the ICF and the Pico Bonito National Park Foundation (FUPNAPIB), with a management plan for 2023–2034, according to the ICF.

    Status not confirmed: the most recent dated source is a secondary guide (RedHonduras, January 2026) with no other recent source corroborating it; the ICF's note (2023) is about the management plan, not visits. Check before you go.

    Source: ICF – Aprueba el plan de manejo de Pico Bonito (16 mar. 2023; copia archivada) · 2023 · +4

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    Secondary figures for different services and dates: RedHonduras (updated January 2026) gives, for the park, Honduran adults L35, Honduran children L25, foreign adults US$6 and foreign children US$4, and a guide service of L300; LaCeiba.com (2019) gave L34 for Hondurans and US$8 for foreign visitors for access to El Bejuco waterfall. They are not confirmed with the park's management.

    Sources: ICF – Aprueba el plan de manejo de Pico Bonito (16 mar. 2023; copia archivada) · Visit Honduras – Naturaleza · Visite Atlántida – Senderismo en Pico Bonito (act. 2020) · RedHonduras – Pico Bonito National Park (act. ene. 2026) · LaCeiba.com – Parques nacionales (2019)

La Ceiba and Pico Bonito · Practical guide

The essentials

  1. The mangroves and channels of Cuero y Salado Wildlife Refuge

La Ceiba and Pico Bonito · Practical guide

Practical tips

  1. FUCSA invites visitors to book their visit to Cuero y Salado with its certified guides.
  2. For El Bejuco waterfall, in Pico Bonito, Visite Atlántida estimates 3 to 5 hours return from the visitor centre.
  3. Canada advises using reputable tour operators only in La Ceiba.

Safety and precautions

  • Canada notes that violent crime, including murders and armed robberies, is high in La Ceiba; if you travel there, it advises using reputable tour operators only, choosing accommodation with good security measures and avoiding outings outside the resort.
  • The United Kingdom warns of the risk of criminal attacks and carjackings in and around Tela, La Ceiba, Trujillo and El Progreso, and advises care on beaches in the north coast towns after dark.
  • The US Department of State advises reconsidering travel to Honduras because of crime and terrorism (level 3, advisory of 25 August 2026) and advises against travel to the department of Gracias a Dios (level 4).
  • According to state television TNH (20 September 2026), the National Defence and Security Council decided on 18 September not to apply a new state of exception; Honduran media date the end of the regime begun in December 2022 to 26 January 2026. The United States advisory of 25 August 2026 still described it as in force in 226 of the 298 municipalities. This guide does not confirm the current situation. Canada notes that the authorities periodically declare states of exception: always carry ID and follow the authorities' instructions at checkpoints.

Frequently asked questions

How much is Pico Bonito?

Secondary figures for different services and dates: RedHonduras (updated January 2026) gives, for the park, Honduran adults L35, Honduran children L25, foreign adults US$6 and foreign children US$4, and a guide service of L300; LaCeiba.com (2019) gave L34 for Hondurans and US$8 for foreign visitors for access to El Bejuco waterfall. They are not confirmed with the park's management.

How do you get to Cuero y Salado?

According to FUCSA, access is via the village of La Unión (El Porvenir); from there, La Prensa (August 2023) describes about 30 minutes on a «burra», a small vehicle on the railway line, to the Salado Barra visitor centre.

When is the La Ceiba Carnival?

According to La Prensa (30 April 2026), the 2026 Grand Carnival was scheduled for Saturday 23 May along Avenida San Isidro; this guide does not confirm it took place or know the 2027 date.

La Ceiba and Pico Bonito · Practical guide

Sources consulted

Information checked in . Prices, hours and rules change: confirm them with the official source before you travel.

  1. FUCSA – Fundación Cuero y Salado2026
  2. FUCSA – Programa de Uso Público2026
  3. ICF – Aprueba el plan de manejo de Pico Bonito (16 mar. 2023; copia archivada)2023
  4. Visite Atlántida – Senderismo en Pico Bonito (act. 2020)2020
  5. Omega Tours – Adventures (operador)2026
  6. La Prensa – Carnaval de La Ceiba 2026 (30 abr. 2026)2026
  7. Gobierno de Canadá – Travel advice: Honduras (29 sep. 2026)2026
  8. FCDO – Honduras: regional risks2026
  9. Galaxy Wave – Departures & Fares y políticas (sin fecha visible; consultada oct. 2026)2026
  10. Dream Ferries – Horarios (© 2026; consultada oct. 2026)2026
  11. Aerolíneas Sosa – Itinerario (sin fecha de vigencia; consultada oct. 2026)2026

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