Happy to report that the leg of our Central America journey we had the most trouble arranging — getting from León, Nicaragua, to Tegucigalpa, Honduras — went surprisingly smoothly!
The secret? Coughing up $500 on a private car and driver.
It might sound extravagant, but after days of trying to piece together transportation across borders, we were more than happy to pay for a little peace of mind. Carlos, our driver, guided us through both immigration checkpoints at the Guasaule border crossing, directing us to the right buildings and lines along the way. From what we’d read, this crossing can be notoriously confusing and slow, with travelers reporting hours-long waits and complaints about demands for unexplained extra payments.
For some entertainment, go check out the Google reviews of this border crossing. You’re welcome. 😂
In retrospect, having someone who knew the process was worth every penny.
A Capital City Off the Tourist Trail
We’re also really glad we decided to make a pit stop in Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras, even though it’s nowhere near the typical tourist trail.
Our first surprise was the geography. Tegucigalpa sits in a beautiful mountain valley, with surrounding peaks and constantly changing cloud formations adding a dramatic backdrop to the city. The landscape was far more picturesque than we expected.
But the biggest surprise? The weather.
After spending much of this trip sweating nonstop in hot, humid tropical weather, we finally got a break. Tegucigalpa’s elevation gives it a much milder climate than many of the places we’ve visited, with comfortable temperatures and far less humidity than we’d grown accustomed to.
Why are we only discovering this now? Why isn’t anyone talking up this city???
Then again, we have a pretty good idea why.
The Safety Question
Honduras has a complicated security situation, and the U.S. State Department has issued serious travel warnings for the country. Violent crime, gang activity, and other security concerns affect parts of the country, including areas around Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula, our next stop.
The Honduran government has also used emergency security measures, including a State of Exception, in an effort to combat gang violence. The approach has drawn comparisons to El Salvador’s crackdown on gangs, although the countries’ security situations and results are not directly interchangeable.
We’re not going to pretend safety concerns don’t exist, or that a few days in one part of a city tell the whole story. We did our research, stayed aware of our surroundings, avoided wandering into unfamiliar areas, and planned to use Uber or a taxi to get around.
There were plenty of visible security measures around us, including armed guards, and the area surrounding our hotel felt comfortable. As always, though, our experience is just that — our experience — not a blanket statement about safety throughout Honduras.
R&R, the Hyatt Way
For this stop, we used hotel points for some R&R — reset and recovery!
We stayed at the Hyatt Place, conveniently located near the U.S. Embassy. The hotel seemed to cater largely to business travelers and conference attendees, which suited us just fine. After all the transportation planning, border crossings, and time on the road, we were happy to enjoy familiar, Western-style accommodations, take advantage of the amenities, and recharge before heading back out into rural Honduras.
Sometimes the best thing you can do while traveling is absolutely nothing.
Well, almost nothing.
Our Very Glamorous Tegucigalpa Itinerary
Our outings were limited to three very important destinations:
Walmart Honduras, just for funzies.
The laundromat, because apparently clean clothes are still a priority.
An Irish bar, because why not? It seemed to be the post-work hangout spot for professionals.
And honestly, Walmart turned out to be a highlight.
The first thing that caught our attention was a massive refrigerated display case filled with all kinds of tres leches cakes. ALL KINDS. If you know, you know.
There was also a Walmart cafeteria with a surprisingly long line. It gave us major IKEA cafeteria vibes, except we think fried chicken was the draw rather than Swedish meatballs.
Onward Through Honduras
Tegucigalpa wasn’t a destination we had originally planned to explore in depth. It was a practical stop on our journey north, giving us a chance to rest before continuing toward San Pedro Sula and, eventually, Copán Ruinas.
We came for a place to break up the journey. We left appreciating the mountain scenery, the welcome relief from the tropical humidity, and the occasional reminder that travel doesn’t always have to be about ticking off famous attractions.
