The three Bay Islands along this Central American country’s north shore see the majority of sun-seeking travelers, thanks to quiet beaches and unspoiled reefs. Roatan offers the largest variety of resorts but still packs that low-key charm expected from a place that hasn’t paved the main drag in town. Utila delivers big value and big encounters -- whale sharks ply these waters yearly. The smallest island, Guanaja, remains an outpost with only a trickle of development. Head inland to experience the rainforests of Parque Nacional Pico Bonito, near La Ceiba, or the more remote Mosquitia area, on Honduras’ eastern tip.
Wedding Requirements
Each partner must bring a valid passport, a birth certificate copy, police records and an affidavit of single status. Fees vary depending on where the knot is tied, but all ceremonies require two witnesses. To make the vows valid back home, the lawyer who performs the ceremony must send the marriage certificate to the U.S. embassy in Tegucigalpa. For more information, visit letsgohonduras.com.
What to Do
Snorkeling and Diving Diving is undoubtedly a top attraction -- Roatan alone boasts more than 78 dive sites, including wrecks and wall dives. Reefs alive with Day-Glo colors, curious turtles and schools of fish lure even the most devout landlubbers to don masks and fins. For those looking for guaranteed animal encounters, you can swim with dolphins and even become a trainer for the day in Roatan. Every April, May, August and September, whale sharks swarm Utila, allowing snorkelers to appreciate the gracefulness of the world’s largest fish.
Jungle Tours For an adrenaline-charged tour, choose from a handful of canopy zip-line outfitters and night tours (upon special request). Or slow down for a better chance at spotting scarlet macaws, monkeys and other rainforest residents with a horseback ride that finishes with a gallop on the beach.
Nightlife Roatan beds down early, but Utila, with a bevy of small bars big on personality, caters to thirsty night owls. Some favorites include Treetanic (a treehouse decorated by hippies who were let loose with a glue gun and a hodgepodge of shells and other organic treasures) and Bar in the Bush, which hosts a dance party that rages until sunrise (but only on Wednesday and Friday nights, to ensure that tourists get enough z’s to check out the island’s other attractions).
Off the Beaten Path
Garifunas in Trujillo The Garifuna people, who migrated from South America in 1797, provide one of the best examples of a colonial-era culture, prompting UNESCO to designate their language, dance and music Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Some Garifuna remain on Roatan, but their biggest communities are in Trujillo, a coastal town on the mainland and due south of Guanaja. Here, you can experience the music, dance and language, as well as sample foods such as cassava bread and hudut, a dish of fish cooked in coconut milk. — Brooke Morton
