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Boats near the shore of Lake Yojoa and mountains reflected in the water.

Lake
Yojoa

The lake, its mountains and its falls

Before you go, understand the place.

Lake Yojoa, Honduras's only volcanic lake and a Ramsar wetland, is surrounded by mountains with national parks, such as Cerro Azul Meámbar to the south, according to Visit Honduras.

By Asesordeviaje.com Editorial Team · updated

Themed guides

Places grouped by theme, to plan your day.

  • The lake and around

    Besides the lake itself, around it are the Los Naranjos archaeological site, Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park, Pulhapanzak Falls and Peña Blanca, a town in the municipality of Santa Cruz de Yojoa whose villages and hamlets border the lake. According to Visit Honduras, Los Naranjos is about 3 km from Peña Blanca, and Pulhapanzak 17 km. The lake, Pulhapanzak and Peña Blanca have their status backed by dated 2026 sources; Los Naranjos and Cerro Azul Meámbar have unconfirmed status. La Prensa reported on 13 October 2026 that the rising lake had cut the road to a single lane in the La Joya sector, between La Guama and Peña Blanca.

    Open the full guide

Plan your visit

The practical information you need to plan your visit

The essentials

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
According to PANACAM Lodge, the lodge is 7 km from the La Guama turn-off. Pulhapanzak Falls are at San Buenaventura, north of the lake, according to Visit Honduras. Coming from San Pedro Sula on the CA-5 towards Tegucigalpa, Pulhapanzak's management points to the Peña Blanca turn-off, 17 km from the complex, and estimates about 1.5 hours from San Pedro Sula and about 3 hours from Tegucigalpa.
  1. The lake, with kayaking, trails and lakeside restaurants
  2. The 43 m drop of Pulhapanzak Falls

Tips and precautions

  1. PANACAM Lodge publishes the entry fees for its access (foreign visitors L180) and kayaking on the Yure reservoir (L180 with guide and equipment).
  2. According to PANACAM Lodge, the Sendero El Sinaí (6.8 km, high difficulty) is a walk of about four hours that allows you to climb to the summit.
  3. At Pulhapanzak, the zip line, river tubing and the tour behind the falls are paid on top of entry, according to Visit Honduras and the press.

Safety and precautions

  • Spain (update of 12 May 2026) rates insecurity in Honduras as very high, advises against travelling by road at night and rates Copán Ruinas, Lake Yojoa and the Bay Islands as medium risk. It reports robberies of cars and buses on the road sections linking the El Florido and Agua Caliente crossings with Guatemala City, advises not to drive them after dusk and advises against stopping in La Entrada, Santa Rita and El Paraíso (Copán).
  • 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. The current situation is unconfirmed. 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 PANACAM?

Entry published by PANACAM Lodge for its access to the trail network (not a fee for every sector of the park): Hondurans L80, students and senior citizens L60, foreign visitors L180; kayaking on the Yure reservoir, L180 per person with guide and equipment, according to PANACAM Lodge.

How much is Pulhapanzak?

According to tunota (October 2024): adults L120, children over 5 L80 and under 5, free; La Mañana (March 2026) mentions «around 120 lempiras» for adults. The management does not publish them.

Is Los Naranjos open?

Status unconfirmed: the latest dated source showing it open is from April 2023 (Canal 8). La Prensa's September 2026 piece mentions an ecological park in Los Naranjos without naming it. In April 2023, Canal 8 reported that all IHAH parks and museums opened every day from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and there is no more recent confirmation.

Sources

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

  1. Visit Honduras – Aventura2026
  2. Visit Honduras – Aviturismo2026
  3. PANACAM Lodge – Actividades y tarifas2026
  4. IHAH – Parque Los Naranjos2026
  5. tunota – Cataratas de Pulhapanzak (1 oct. 2024)2024
  6. La Mañana – Cataratas de Pulhapanzak (26 mar. 2026)2026
  7. La Prensa – Lago de Yojoa en la Semana Morazánica (23 sep. 2026)2026
  8. España, Exteriores – Recomendaciones de viaje: Honduras (12 may. 2026)2026
  9. Cataratas Pulhapanzak – Cómo llegar (© 2026)2026

Everything you can do

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

Showing 5 of 5 · 2 unconfirmed, flagged

Nature and jungle · 1

  • Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park (PANACAM)Yamil Gonzales · CC BY-SA 2.0

    Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park (PANACAM)

    NatureStatus unconfirmed

    A national park south of Lake Yojoa. PANACAM Lodge gives access to more than 7 km of trails: Los Vencejos (0.7 km, about half an hour), El Venado (1.5 km, about an hour and a half) and El Sinaí (6.8 km, high difficulty: a walk of about four hours that allows you to climb to the summit), according to the lodge.

    Status unconfirmed: the lodge's page publishes its offer and fees, but recent visits are unconfirmed.

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    Entry published by PANACAM Lodge for its access to the trail network (not a fee for every sector of the park): Hondurans L80, students and senior citizens L60, foreign visitors L180; kayaking on the Yure reservoir, L180 per person with guide and equipment, according to PANACAM Lodge.
    Source
    PANACAM Lodge – Actividades y tarifas · 2026 · +2

    Nearby: Lake Yojoa (11.9 km)

    Sources: PANACAM Lodge – Actividades y tarifas · PANACAM Lodge – Contacto (ubicación) · Visit Honduras – Naturaleza

    According to the lodge, PANACAM Lodge is 7 km from the La Guama turn-off. The pin is the park in OpenStreetMap; it is not the entrance.13.5 km in a straight line from the regional map centre

Lakes, rivers and waterfalls · 2

Living culture · 2

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