Page 2 of 4 Compared to the relative squalor of the capital city, Tela is a breath of fresh air. The streets are quiet and the air isn’t filled with the smell of diesel exhaust. It is a fairly small town, with probably 5 miles of coastline and beaches, lined with palm trees, restaurants and hotels. It looked like it could potentially be quite crowded during tourist season, whenever that is in Honduras (you won’t see many tourists in the interior of Honduras, the only gringos are missionaries and relief workers).
Road intersection of Tela
Carnaval in Tela
There is a city center with a bank, and a small park. We were there during their version of Carnaval (known in New Orleans as Mardi Gras), and got to see a parade through the city streets with some very elaborate floats and costumes. This is certainly not Rio de Janeiro or New Orleans, but still a very colorful and graceful event that is always special in any Latin American country. The date varies from year to year, but is usually in late February or early March. Check your local Catholic church for the schedule, as the parties are the week before Lent begins.
Children practice for the big parade
We exchanged money at the bank in the city center (which involved waiting in one line to make the request, and a second line to actually cash the traveler’s checks). In their zeal to encourage tourism, they insisted, much to our dismay, that we go to the front of the long line. There is certainly no place to exchange money besides the bank, so if you come on Saturday make sure you have enough money to last until Monday.
Most things were closed because of Carnaval, but we managed to find a place to eat along the water called Restaurant Luces del Norte We sat outdoors under a large palapa and had the choice of an extensive menu. It was the morning, so we had the breakfast combination meal of eggs, fruit, bread, bacon, ham accompanied by some of the famous juices (juegos) famous throughout Latin America. The cost for this large breakfast was L. 31 ($2.20 USD). There is also the Bambino Pizzeria, not exactly cheap or the best pizza, but tasty when you've been travelling around Honduras for a while.
The final night of Carnaval started with a large parade of couples -- men wearing their Sunday clothes, and women wearing exquisite gowns walking from the outskirts of town to the city center. We had a perfect view of the event from our hotel balcony.
Unfortunately there was a steady rain, and the people walking in the parade were forced to hold umbrellas. The rain also put a damper on the normal festivities, which apparently involve lots of singing and dancing in the streets.
Instead, we ended up going to a local disco, with some Hondurans we met at the hotel and having a very good time. It was located on the beach and named the Piano Bar II. There was live music – a karaoke singer and a synthesizer player. They were quite talented and played a variety of traditional upbeat Latin songs including punta, merenge, cumbia, etc. We danced until the wee hours of the night. Hondurans take their dancing very seriously and it showed. I think the gringos provided added entertainment as we did the same "Grateful Dead" shuffle to every tune.
Lodging in Tela
Our hostess recommended a place to stay, appropriately named Hotel Tela. It was actually quite grand for its surroundings. They had a large dining area, and offered rooms with a private bathroom for L. 105 ($7.50 USD). The hotel is secure (a concern in Tela, especially during a festival) and quiet. It included luxuries for Honduras – clean towels, electric fans, and matching wooden furniture. The cheapest hotels in Tela start at L. 70 ($5 USD) and include the Sarah, Preluna, Playa, and Miramar.
Hotel Tela room
National Park and Wildlife Refuge
There are also some very nice parks near Tela, Punta Sal National Park and Punta Izopo Wildlife Refuge. Both environmental trips offer views of plants and animals such as dolphins, birds, monkeys, jungles, mangroves, etc. The easiest way to visit these parks is to hire a tour operator. They are convenient and relatively cheap, under 25 USD. Some parts of these parks can only be reached via boat. Garifuna Tours (on the park in Tela) is the most reputable agency.