Country Article / Postcards

Beyond the Bay Islands

Date: 03/20/2006

When most people think of Honduras, they think of beaches. They think of sparkling waters, snorkeling, diving, and boating...and it's usually Roatan that comes to mind. But I've found that there's more to the beach scene in Honduras than Roatan and the other Bay Islands.

Over the last few weeks I've explored the mainland coastline on the north shore of Honduras--between the towns of Tela on the west and La Ceiba on the east--and I've seen some excellent beaches in this area at prices notably lower than you'll find on Roatan. Although you won't often see the turquoise waters and reefs that exist around Roatan, you will see wide, white-sand beaches and warm blue waters.

The town of Tela is a small Caribbean port town that enjoys a pleasant central square and sufficient size to have just about everything you'd need to live nearby. There's a section along the waterfront that has a few hotels and a number of good restaurants specializing in local seafood, and the beaches in Tela are wide and uncrowded. Tela is not a tourist town for North Americans (although it is for Hondurans), so be prepared to find an old-fashioned Caribbean city that's long on the practical side and short on the souvenir shops.

Most of the property here is for sale by owner, and the real estate market is not well-organized (as it is on Roatan) with respect to brokers and multiple lists. I did see one nice development, however, called Honduras Shores Plantation and Tela Beach Club. The beach club was beautiful, the restaurant good, and the prices reasonable...and membership is one of the benefits of property ownership in this community. Lot prices start at $38,999 (with a 10% cash discount), and recently a beautiful home of four bedrooms, three baths, a large pool, outdoor bar and grill, and wrap-around porch was sold for $156,000, a good bit under the asking price.

La Ceiba is Honduras's third-largest city, and it is famous for having one of the best Carnival celebrations in Latin America. It's the site of an international airport, the dock where the ferries depart for Roatan, and countless restaurants, hotels, and services. They even have a real estate office right on the main square, run by a North American.

On a brief tour, we saw a nice three-bedroom, 1,000-square-foot home right on the beach, situated on a huge double lot with a pool. The asking price is $189,000. If you're buying with an eye toward investment...or just want a little elbow room all around--there's a 13-acre beach parcel for sale just out of town with 806 feet of beach frontage. The beach is sheltered by a cove, and the land off the beach is wooded and buildable. The asking price for this one is $499,000. At Coco Pando, four beachfront lots remain (100 feet wide) at $45,000 each. In town, we saw a three-bedroom home in a pleasant neighborhood going for $50,000.

If you'd like to know more about any of these properties, contact Ron Goben or his wife, Janine, from the IL local office in Honduras. Ron's been scouting properties for years in this area, and no one knows it better. You can reach Ron and Janine at: Honduras@internationalliving.com.

The north shore of Honduras is an area that I think deserves more attention and more exploration. It offers beaches, nearby mountains, cloud forests, rafting, and ecotourism. And its beach properties are among the most affordable I've seen. Investors are just starting to turn their attention to the mainland shore, so now is a good time to visit. If you're planning a trip to Honduras, I'd suggest setting aside a day for property exploration and for getting to know this area.

Lee Harrison
Roving Latin America Editor, International Living

Important Note: In the interest of full disclosure, we would like you to know that International Living receives commissions from sales of the above-mentioned properties.