Hi,
I am taking a 2 week honeymoon in July and we are planning to spend 7-8 days in Roatan. We would like to mix up a relaxing beach vacation with a second leg of the trip to a city with some nightlife and culture. What is a city that is relatively easy to get to from Roatan that has a variety of cultural things to do, good nightlife, great food, etc.? We are both in our late twenties and would prefer to stay in an area that could offer somewhat upscale accomodations.
Thanks in advance!
La Ceiba is the closest and known for it's nightlife; there are probably some upscale places there/near. I'm not much of a city person and La Ceiba was pretty rough around the edges - not sure it's what you're looking for. There are some great jungle lodges near with rafting, hiking, horses, kayaking, etc., if that's of interest.
Copán Ruinas is about 6 hours from La Ceiba by bus or you can fly half of that and bus or shuttle the last 3 hours. You can fly from Roatán to San Pedro Sula, too, then bus the last 3 hours. I've had great experiences with Hedman Alas buses. Copán Ruinas is a town, not a city, with cobble-stone streets and bright colored buildings in a small grid surrounding the central park. There are great places to eat and salsa but It's really a cute town with friendly people and the beautiful Maya ruins of Tikal are just a kilometer or 2 away - easily walkable or you can hire a moto taxi. There are also great hiking ops, an exotic bird park, and a cool butterfly place close.
Pictures of all of the above can be found in the 3 Honduras sets linked with travelogues below. Let me know if you have specific questions. Congratulations and have a great trip!
Whoops, hopefulist - you meant the beautiful Maya ruins of Copan...
can't fault you for wanting whatever you want for your honeymoon... I probably shouldn't even share this opinion...
but with a week on the beach in Roatan, I'd give some thought to the second week someplace with some jungle adventuring... there will be cities easier to get to and cheaper in the future - Paris... Prague... Beijing - but I'd look for something more exciting/interesting if I was going to be in Central America. The big cities tend to be huge and full of terrible contrasts between a few haves and a lot of have nots. There are some spectacular museums and such, but hardly worth the discomfort of visiting IMO
So La Ceiba (I've never been - just know what I read) or Copan or Antigua... smaller towns or cities with a laid back atmosphere and plenty of day activities... that's the direction I'd be leaning.
OOPS - Yes, I meant Copán and I think Tikal would be too much of a hike. Appears to be too late to amend it so thanks for noticing.
Hey qwovadis - do you know the approximate price range of the Barcelo? Also is it near the centre?
Hotel Paris is in the center of La Ceiba, and is around $60 per night. The Aurora is on a busy highway outside of town so it gets noisy and you can't open windows.
The Paris has great staff and a pool in a central court yard oaisis. Great little coffee shop next door and free internet.
I'd like to second the choice of La Ceiba. Of the three major cities, the others being San Pedro and Teguz, La Ceiba is regard as the "fiesta" town. You might want to consider taking the ferry there from Roatan and then flying back; the return feryy trip is often rather choppy (read: seasick). I'd also like to second the "Hotel Gran Paris" suggestion. As a 10-year resident of Roatan (now in Portland OR), I've stayed at the Partis on many occassion and have always been very happy with it. It's right on the Plaza and quite reasonable for the good service and quality accomaodations. As said by another poster, the Barcelo La Aurora is located on a busy traffic route and adjacent to a US-style mall. It's probably a bit more upscale. b ut that makes it pricey, too -- ovderall, not the best value in my mind. Best breakfast: Try a balleada at the Cafeteria Cobel, a "local" place that's become a tradition in La Ceiba. Good meals at very reasonable prices. Clean and centrally located, just across the street from the Hotel Principe.
BTW, as in any Honduran city, going more than a few blocks from the hotel after dark is best done by [inexpensive] taxi, for safety reasons.
Enjoy your trip!