L  A   D  A  T  C  O     T  O  U  R   S
	HOME	South America	Central America	Falkland Islands	Antarctica	Unique Destinations	Unique Experiences	Newsstand	e-mail

Locally Hosted Independent Tour Suggested Departure Day: Saturday

ITINERARY (Subject to change without notice):

Saturday - USA - Tegucigalpa: Upon arrival in the “political” capital of the country,  you will be met and transferred to your hotel, Real Inter-Continental for your first two nights. 

Sunday   – Tegucigalpa: Today you will spend the day visiting the charming towns very near to the capital. Less than 15 miles from the capital, perched on a steep mountainside is the old mining colonial town of Santa Lucia, preserving much of its 16^th century atmosphere with its cobblestone streets bordered by flowers and white houses that seem to perch on the mountainside. The church on a hillside contains many sacred paintings, such as the Black Christ of the Mercedes. Continue another 5-miles on the road to the picturesque Valle de Los Angeles at the foot of La Tigra mountain, another old mining town that is now home to various schools for artisans and the teaching of fine arts. Here to there is a 16^th century colonial ambiance. Lunch will be included en route.  (B/L)

Monday – Tegucigalpa-San Pedro Sula:  Today you will travel overland from the “political” capital of the country to its “commercial” center at San Pedro Sula. Sixty miles north, you will stop at the original capital that served as the political and administrative seat for some 300 hundred years, Comayagua. Comayagua is a treasure house of colonial monuments, churches and its museum with its eclectic collection of religious art. Lunch will be provided before continuing on to San Pedro for 2 nights at the Real Inter-Continental San Pedro. (B/L)

Tuesday  – San Pedro Sula:  Your local host will call for you at the hotel for your full day visiting the highlights of the area. First stop will be at the Museum of Anthropology with exhibits dating from pre-Columbian times to the present. The local  market “Guamilito” provides excellent “tourist” shopping opportunities as well as browse the stalls for what the locals buy. Just outside the city, you will visit a banana processing plant where you will learn about the planting, harvesting and ship of this popular fruit. In the town of El Progreso, noted for its fine mahogany wood carved products, visit a local facility. Lunch will be included today.                                                 (B/L)

Wednesday – San Pedro-La Ceiba/Pico Bonito: Today’s adventure begins with a drive eastward towards the Caribbean coastal city of La Ceiba. Less than 2-hours away from San Pedro, you will stop at Punta Sal (now called the Janet Kawas National Park). This rain forest park comes right up to the Caribbean, comprises of mangroves, wetlands, lagoons, rivers, canals, with a rocky and sandy coastlines, with an off shore reef that is part of the world’s second largest reef. The park is considered home to some 350 species of birds, 68 reptile species, 12 amphiban species, 70 freshwater fish and 49 mammals. Howler and White Faced Monkeys, Jaguars, Ocelots, Peccaries, Agoutis, Caymans, Manatees and Marine Turtles.   Within the park there are scattered Garifuna villages as well. Lunch is included before heading up to your hotel,  Pico Bonito Lodge for three nights.  (B/L/D)

Thursday – Pico Bonito:  This morning you will partake in one of the Lodge’s hikes. Bordering the Pico Bonito National Park, the area consists of over 100,000 acres of rain and cloud forests. There are some 325 species of birds, as well as tapirs, jaguars, deer, puma and monkeys within the seven different eco-systems of the park. Within, you will also find rivers, streams, swimming holes and waterfalls. In the afternoon, you will kayak on the Rio Cangrejal that has a 20-mile run from the Park down to the Caribbean. The river runs highest from September to February, but is “runnable” all year long, with difficulty ranging from class II to III. (B/L/D)

Friday – Pico Bonito:  Your host will take you just outside of La Ceiba to visit the Cuero Y Salado Wildlife Refuge, a 13000+ hectares triangular refuge bordered by the rivers of the same names. Originally dedicated to the preservation of the manatee, the park also protects 35 species of other animals, including jaguars, monkeys, alligators, nearly 200 species of birds (28% of the country’s total, including the jabirus). Lunch will be provided in La Ceiba before the last 30 minute drive back to your lodge at Pico Bonito. (B/L/D)

Saturday – Pico Bonito/La Ceiba-Roatan: You lodge hosts will transfer you to the La Ceiba airport where you will connect with a flight to Roatan, often referred to as one of the “Three Jewels of the Caribbean” (along with Guanaja and Utila).  You will be met by a hotel staff member and transferred to the Mayan Princess Beach. (B)

Sunday – Roatan: Day at leisure to enjoy the sun-surf-sand of the island. NOTE: Should you wish to be more active, the hotel can assist with arrangements for fishing, kayaking, horseback riding, bird watching, sailing or bicycling (cost to be paid locally).  (B)

Monday – Roatan:  Another day at leisure in the tropics! (B)

Tuesday – Roatan-San Pedro Sula-Copan: Today you will fly back to the mainland at San Pedro Sula where you will be met and transferred to the area of Copan for a three night stay at the charming Hacienda San Lucas. En route you will stop at El Puente. Open to the public since 1994. this four acre site surrounded by corn fields is considered the country’s second most important archaeological site. While not as intricate or ornate as the carvings in Copan, the pyramids and courtyards are interesting in their natural setting. There are approximately 210 structures, but only the main grouping has been restored. The site has a visitor's center  and small museum displaying the artifacts found at the site and in the surrounding valley.  (B)

Wednesday – Copan:  Today will be spent  visiting Copan, declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1980. Often described as the Athens or Paris of the ancient Maya world, the site was first discovered by Diego Garcia de Palacio in 1570.  There was a dynastic sequence of 17 rulers of Copan, the most noted being 18-Rabbit, at it height it was believed to have been home to some 200,000 inhabitants within a 24 square mile area. Here too, you find 21 intricately carved stelae, as well as the Great Hieroglyphic Staircase, the longest text ever carved into stone by the Maya (63 steps with over 2500 hieroglyphs); a pyramid with carved mythical creatures, ball courts and plazas. In 1996 the Copan Sculpture Museum was opened within the site with the colorful full scale model of the Rosalina Temple as its centerpiece . Lunch included on this day’s excursion. (B/L)

Thursday – Copan:  A full day that will take you to visit one of the area’s coffee plantation and the Bird Park sanctuary. The Copan area with its elevation and tall tropical trees make it quite conducive for the cultivation of pineapple and coffee. In the past few years, the country has received accolades in international coffee competition that has traditionally been bestowed on Brazil, Costa Rica and Guatemala. At Finca Santa Isabel, you will have an educational introduction to the cultivation of this "black gold" - 100% high grown arabica beans. Copan Bird Park is a tropical reserve that cares for rescued and endangered beautiful tropical birds. This birds are generally to acclimated to humans to be released in the wild. There is an opportunity to interact with these birds - feed toucans and aracaris, hold parrots and macaws. Lunch will be included during this day’s visits. (B/L)

Friday – Copan-San Pedro Sula-USA:  At the appropriate time you will be transferred to San Pedro Sula airport  (about a 3-hour drive) for your return flight to the USA.  (B)

RATES and DETAILS: