Honduras has had a rocky historical past and it’s a spot the place, in sure components, travellers nonetheless have to err on the facet of warning.
That doesn’t imply the nation is off-limits although. Actually, performed the proper manner, there are some unbelievable experiences awaiting you in Honduras. Simply use identical warning you’d when touring Mexico, for instance, and prepare to expertise the wealthy tradition and delightful landscapes of this Central American nation.
1. Honduras was one facet in a ‘Soccer Battle’
In 1969, after a sequence of contested World Cup soccer matches, El Salvador and Honduras started what is called the ‘Soccer Battle’.
These passionately attended worldwide soccer video games are thought to have been the ultimate straw in an already strained relationship between the 2 international locations, resulting in a four-day, 100-hour battle. Nevertheless, the financial hardships, border disputes and different political points between El Salvador and Honduras have been actually responsible.
2. It’s house to ruins from what is taken into account an important Maya metropolis
The Copán Ruins, or the Maya Website of Copan, is a UNESCO World Heritage Website containing unbelievable works from the Maya civilisation. This location is taken into account probably the most necessary websites of this civilisation and would have functioned as a centre of political, spiritual and civil significance.
Thought-about probably the most densely populated city areas of the Maya world between AD 426 and 820, the Copán Ruins at present nonetheless show over 1,250 particular person glyphs.
3. What does Honduras imply?
Honduras means “depths” in Spanish. Christopher Columbus was stated to have named it after the deep water discovered off the coast of Honduras.
4. The second largest coral reef on this planet is discovered right here
The Mesoamerican Reef, or MAR, is the second largest coral reef on this planet after the Nice Barrier Reef and spans throughout the coastlines of Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico and Belize.
Discovered within the Caribbean Sea, this reef is almost 700 miles lengthy and is house to the whole lot from turtles, manatees, whale sharks and over 500 species of fish.
5. Honduras has a twin capital
The capital of Honduras used to alternate between the 2 cities of Comayaguela and Tegucigalpa up till 1938, after they have been technically mixed into one.
These cities was rivals, however when Tegucigalpa was formally established as a seat of presidency, Comayaguela was made a neighbourhood of Tegucigalpa.
6. Ever puzzled why Honduras was known as a banana republic?
The American author O. Henry first used this time period within the early twentieth century to explain the nation’s overreliance on banana exports and unstable financial system. Nevertheless, this time period was additionally utilized to different international locations in Central America, whose biggest export and financial asset was bananas.
7. Smoke-free zones
Honduras was the primary nation to ban smoking in your personal house. People who smoke should all the time stand about two metres (six toes) away from non-smokers.
8. The buses critically stand out
Native buses are known as Hen buses. They’re brightly painted and appear to be a celebration on wheels. Nevertheless, you’re unlikely to see chickens on these buses.
9. It’s house to one of many oldest clocks on this planet
The clock was constructed round 1100 AD by the Moors and was initially positioned within the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain. It’s travelled a protracted solution to sit within the Cathedral of Comayagua.
10. They’ve some wonderful chook life
The nationwide chook of Honduras is the brightly colored Scarlet Macaw. However whereas that’s a powerful species, the nation can be house to different bird-watcher favourites, together with the Fulvous Owl, the Wine throated Hummingbird, the American Pygmy Kingfisher, the Olive-throated Parakeet and the Keel-billed Toucan.
Actually, there are such a lot of unbelievable animal species in Honduras that many preserved organic reserves and nationwide parks have been based to guard all of them. One in all these areas is the Mount Azul de Copan Nationwide Park discovered across the ruins of Copán.
Discover Honduras on our Central America journeys
Characteristic picture by Steve Mortimer