BASIC INFORMATION:
Places I'll Cover in Future Trip Reports: The Lenca Trail, Copan Valley, San Pedro Sula, Omoa, Tela, La Ceiba Area, Trujillo, Olancho Department
Places I'll Cover in this Entry: Lake Yojoa, Pulhapanzak Falls, Taulabe Caves, Cerro Azul Meambar National Park
Length of Stay: 5 Days
Lake Yojoa
I arrived at the lake by taking a bus from Tegucigalpa (which was inconvenient since I thought there would be an easier way of getting to the lake). But nonetheless, when I arrived at the lake, I checked in at the Hotel Maranata, in the nearby town of Pena Blanca. It's about $10 for a basic room, and is a decent hotel to start at when visiting the lake. I then rented a rowboat from a nearby boatman (near the canal), and headed out to the lake. I was actually amazed by the lake -- I thought it would just be another average body of water, but it was actually quite beautiful. The lake was teeming with bird life, and that was surprising to me because it was the afternoon, which is usually not supposed to be as active with wildlife as the early morning. I was able to see several different species of herons, a few kites, ducks and other waterbirds. At one point I stayed at one spot of the lake, and was able to spot over 15 species within just 5-10 minutes. Quite fantastic.
After that, I decided to visit the D&D Brewery. The breakfast and variety of meals (both Honduran and familiar) was very neat. Quesadillas, burgers, fish, and several beverages were at hand. However, the main reason I decided to visit was to take one of the birding trips ($10 per person) the next morning. Although I’m not as much of an avid birder as some, I was interested in learning more about the lake.
The next morning, I woke up early, and that's when the trip started. We left off from the canal, and the guide and the local rower were great at spotting the wide variety of birds. What I found amazing about the bird life was that the birds (especially the herons) were very approachable and didn't seem frightened of our presence. This allowed several great opportunities to take photos of them (which I hope to share with you guys in the future). I was also surprised to see some snakes in the marshes, and also had sights of iguanas. The guide stated that it's also common to see a few otters and bats. The trip was certainly worth the $10.
Pulhapanzak Falls
Later that same day of the birding trip, I decided to visit Pulhapanzak Falls, which is reachable by taking a bus from Pena Blanca and get off at San Buenaventura. From there, you have to follow the trail to signpost, and eventually, you'll find it. The waterfalls were definitely beautiful, and a lot more than I thought they would be. I found a guide nearby to lead me to the small caves that can be found behind the waterfalls (at about $5), and I was pleased with it. The hike down is sketchy, since the rocks are slippery and a little hard to traverse, but when we went from under up to the small caves, it was a rewarding experience. For the remainder of the time, I stayed at the outer areas of the falls, just soaking in the environment. Afterwards, I headed back to Pena Blanca for a rest before my next day at Lake Yojoa.
Taulabe Caves
These caves are no more than 20 kilometers south of a town near Lake Yojoa called Pito Solo. I arrived the day after my trip to Pulhapanzak, and was pleased with the caves. I hired a guide whom charged $3 an hour, since I was interested in exploring beyond the lit paths. The lit path itself could take between 30 minutes and an hour, depending on your pace. After that, be sure you have a flash light to explore some more of the caves. I actually didn't get to go as far as I planned, but the cave itself had very interesting formations and the guide was very helpful at showing me around.
Cerro Azul Meambar National Park
Cerro Azul Meambar is one of the most accessible natural areas of Honduras. It’s on the Eastern side of Lake Yojoa, and in order to reach it, I arranged for a pickup from a place called “La Naturaleza”, which is a few kilometers away from a town called “La Guama.” It’s possible to get there by yourself, but with a pickup I got there quicker. I was taken to Los Pinos Visitor Center, the main entrance to the park. There’s a small restaurant there, and it’s a good starting point to explore the park.
On my first day of the park (a few hours after I had visited the Taulabe Caves), I decided to explore the main trails of the park. They break off from the cabins of PANACAM Lodge. The first one, called “Los Vencejos”, can be finished within 20-25 minutes, and leads to a nice waterfall at the end. On the way, the wildlife was booming for such a short trail. I was able to see a few motmots, tanagers, and orioles along the way. The waterfall is a nice spot to just relax after the walk and to hear the several sounds of the forest.
The next trail was called “Sendero Venado” and it was this trail that made me stay longer in the park. It takes about an hour to complete, and life the first trail, I encountered motmots, tanagers, and orioles, but I also got to see a few toucans, and most surprisingly: spider monkeys and even a few white faced monkeys. Usually these are found in the higher reaches of the park, but there’s a good chance you’ll see them if you take this trail. I had brought my gear with me just in case, and I was quite glad. I stayed at the PANACAM Lodge in a basic room with cold running water (for about $9.50). There were nicer rooms with hot water, but I decided to stay in the basic ones. Staying at the lodge gave me a great opportunity to see how the park was at night.
The following day, I took my camping gear with me, and headed up the longest of the main trails: Sendero El Sinai. This trail is about seven kilometers long, and was easily my favorite trail of the park. Along the way, about 20-30 minutes into the trail, I felt very close to nature, and wildlife was booming. I heard sounds of all kinds, and I was able to spot even more bird species than in the shorter trails. My favorite sights of the park, however, were the reptiles and some of the mammals. The more I travelled on the trail, I spotted several agoutis, and even saw a few coatis. I was also able to see about eight of the park’s snake species (about 30 have been reported). Once I got to the upper part of the trails, I was able to experience the primary cloud forest. Bird life was abundant here, but I also saw some species of lizard and a few more coatis and spider monkeys. After a few hours of spectacular wildlife viewing, I reached the camping ground, located on the high end of the trail, and set up my (very basic) camping spot. Once dusk came, I ventured out into the trail for some more time. My most surprising sight of all the park (since I didn’t honestly expect to see one): an ocelot. Ocelots are mostly nocturnal and elusive, so I was very happy to have spotted one without a guide. Like Lake Yojoa, Cerro Azul was simply teeming with animal life, some of it reasonably approachable. Definitely one of my highlights of visiting Lake Yojoa – boy was I glad I hadn’t just rushed by.
CONCLUSION
Will I Return?: Absolutely. Lake Yojoa offered more than I initally thought it would. Not only is it teeming with wildlife (both the lake and Cerro Azul, and most likely the other areas nearby), but the wildlife was quite approacable. Plus, the tranquility makes the lake a very nice place to simply relax. I definitely plan to return.
Do I Recommend it to Others?: Yes. It's both an amazing place for nature-lovers and for those just looking to relax.
Edited by: rultikart
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