Tela

A sleepy coastal town. Tela has been slowly but surely working its way to becoming an important beach destination. Located less than 90 km east of San Pedro Sula's International airport, and connected by an excellent paved highway, Tela is very easily reached from San Pedro Sula. If you are driving your own car, the driving time is under one hour from San Pedro Sula. If you are taking the public bus your best option would be to choose Hedman Alas, a first class service coach operator that has non stop service from San Pedro Sula to Tela; otherwise, make sure that you take one of the direct non stop buses to La Ceiba, and let the driver know you wish to get off at the entrance to Tela. From this point, you can easily catch a taxi to take you to the beaches, that have become Tela's main attraction. Tela has been the site of a pilot program aimed to create the Tourist Police. The result has been outstanding, with a force of 20 bilingual, friendly tourist police officers. Statistics show that there has been absolutely no crime incidents against tourists in Tela for several years now.

Tela is located within the department of Atlantida, of which La Ceiba, located 100 km. east is the capital. Tela has become famous for its beaches, however, there is much more to Tela than beaches. The home base for the Tela Railroad Company for many years, owners and producers of the famed Chiquita bananas, Tela retains the air of a true banana town. The Villas Telamar hotel complex was actually the living quarters to many the executives of the banana company. The Lancetilla Gardens is but one of the many assets left behind by the company that has since moved its quarters to La Lima, just outside of San Pedro Sula.

Tela offers the natural beauty of its beaches, its exuberant tropical vegetation in three distinct areas: Lancetilla Gardens, Punta Sal National Park and Punta Izopo Wildlife Refuge, as well as the cultural experience of the Garifuna Culture. Tela is well worth your time during your vacation in Honduras. Best of all, it is still unspoiled. Enjoy Tela today, before it becomes a more popular international tourist destination.

It is very easy to get around town, as it is quite small. Locals use bicycles as the preferred mode of transportation. Banking in Tela is easy. There are several banks, at many of which you can change your dollars into local currency, as well as getting cash advances from your Visa and Mastercard credit cards. If you are carrying Travelers Checks, try cashing them before heading out to Tela, as it is difficult to cash these in town.

Changes are however beginning to happen, and it is expected that within 2 or 3 years Tela will be experiencing a big boom in tourism as a result of a major government project that is scheduled to make of Tela the most important beach destination in Honduras. The Los Micos Beach and Golf Resort is expected to break ground at the end of 2007, and at least two four or five star hotels are expected to open their doors within two years. An 18 hole designer golf course and marina are all part of this mega project.

Finally, the Hotel Villas Telamar has just finished its first stage of an ambitious remodeling program and now has 64 deluxe rooms, each with a private balcony overlooking the Caribbean Sea or their impressive new swimming pool that is over 300 ft. long! Other developments have also taken place on the beach stretch between Tela and Tornabe, where you will find Honduras Shores Plantation, a nice residential setting with a very nice private beach club complete with a large swimming pool, beach access and full restaurant and bar facilities, as well as nice rooms and bungalows for rent. Most recently, the Ensenada Beach Resort and Villas, located just east of town is in full construction mode and will soon be open. Deluxe, three bedroom villas with all the amenities, several pools and a small marina are all part of this ambitios project.

If you are looking at buying souvenirs to take back home, your two best options in Tela are Servitela, located half a block west of Central Park, almost across the street from Garifuna Tours office and Casa del Sol, located on the pedestrian beach street adjacent to Hotel Cesar Mariscos.