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LA CEIBA |
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 Some 190km east along the coast from San Pedro Sula, steamy LA CEIBA
, the lively capital of the department of Atlántida, is one of the more
approachable Honduran cities. Though the town is completely bereft of
architectural interest and its sandy beaches are strewn with garbage, it
does at least enjoy a stunning setting beneath the steep, green slopes
of the Cordillera Nombre de Dios. The city is bustling and self-assured
by day, with a cosmopolitan mix of inhabitants including the large
Garífuna community, but it's the night that's really celebrated in La
Ceiba, when visitors and locals gather to sample the city's vibrant
dance scene. Things really come to a head during La Ceiba's Carnaval in
May, when 200,000 revellers descend on the town.
Ceiba, as it's generally known, owes its existence to the banana
industry: the Vaccaro Bros (later Standard Fruit and now Dole) first
laid plantations in the area in 1899 and set up their company
headquarters in town in 1905. Although fruit is no longer shipped out
through La Ceiba, the plantations are still important to the local
economy, with crops of pineapple and African palm now as significant as
bananas.
Though for many travellers Ceiba is no more than a stop-off en route to
the Bay Islands, there are some good beaches just 10km or so outside
town. Alternatively, with more time and a little planning - or the
services of a tour operator - you can explore the cloudforest of the
nearby Parque Nacional Pico Bonito or the mangrove swamps of the Refugio
Vida Silvestre .
The City
Most things of interest to visitors lie within a relatively small area
of the city around the shady and pleasant Parque Central , with its
pools of terrapins and a slumberous-looking caiman or two. The
unremarkable whitewashed and powder-blue ...
Most things of interest to visitors lie within a relatively small area
of the city around the shady and pleasant Parque Central , with its
pools of terrapins and a slumberous-looking caiman or two. The
unremarkable whitewashed and powder-blue Cathedral sits on the southeast
corner, diagonally opposite the Gran Hotel Paris . Running north from
the Parque almost to the seafront, Av San Isidro, Av Atlántida and Av 14
de Julio form the main commercial district, lined with shops, banks and
a couple of supermarkets. It's worth a look around the bustling main
general market which sprawls along the streets around the decrepit old
wooden, market building on Av Atlántida. For a more sanitized shopping
experience, check out the vast new Megaplaza mall on the southern
outskirts of town, where there's also a cinema, supermarket and
restaurants.
Night action takes place along 1 C , which runs parallel to the seafront.
Nicknamed the "Zona Viva" due to its preponderance of bars and clubs, 1
C extends west from the old dock and over the river estuary into Barrio
La Isla , a quieter residential district, mainly home to Garífuna, once
it leaves the seafront. All the beaches within the city limits are,
sadly, too polluted and dirty for even the most desperate to want to
brave the rough water. Better by far is to head east to the much cleaner
beaches a few kilometres out of town.
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