Honduras – Travel & Wildlife

Travelling through geology

Cora — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 18:38:23 +0000

Volcanoes along the Pacific Ring of Fire

Where continental plates meet, not only mountains but even volcanoes appear. In places where the earth’s heat reaches the surface, the intensity shapes the landscape – and yet, it is usually cold there. This is no contradiction, but the fascinating reality along the Pacific coast. The American continent is bristling with volcanoes that accompany us from south to north, constantly presenting themselves as big obstacles.

Some have long since been extinct, silently watching over their surroundings. Others are highly active, spewing fire or heating the water around. In any case, they constantly remind us that the entire region stands on shaky ground – a fact made even more obvious by the frequent earthquakes.

The geology of the Americas might not capture every traveller’s interest, but it is precisely what makes travelling the Pan-American Highway so unique. Following the traces of the earth’s creation, we climb impressive craters and jump into numerous thermal pools for a warm-up – or perhaps a cooldown?

Why things are rumbling in the west

The answer to why it bubbles in the west while the Atlantic remains silent lies deep beneath us. The Pacific Ring of Fire is created by so-called subduction: the oceanic plates slide beneath the continental plates of North and South America. Deep down, the rock melts under enormous pressure and extreme heat. Since this magma has a lower density than the surrounding rock, it rises relentlessly.

The entire West Coast is a contact zone thousands of kilometres long, where the double continent meets the powerful forces of the Pacific. It is like a giant conveyor belt: the seabed is constantly being renewed, the plates push under one another, and the magma feeds the volcanic chains that offer a different, spectacular show in every country. Not all volcanoes are of this origin, but perhaps we will share more on that once we have visited Yellowstone in the USA.

Eternal ice and bizarre lagoons

At Cotopaxi National Park.

One of our highlights is Cotopaxi. Standing at a proud height of 5897 metres, it is one of the highest active volcanoes in the world.

Its shape is an almost perfect cone. What makes it special: although it lies almost directly on the equator, it wears a cap of eternal ice due to its altitude. During a major eruption, however, this ice melts suddenly, leading to mudslides.

It is particularly impressive because you can drive up its flank to over 4500 metres.

On Cerro Toco in Chile above 5000m.

On the famous Lagoon Route through Bolivia, volcanoes also define the landscape. Licancabur, on the border with Chile, in particular, makes the surroundings look like you are on another planet.

The bubbling geysers in this region also clearly show how active the earth is beneath our feet. Unfortunately, we didn’t drive this stretch in our own car, as we had visitors and it just wasn’t feasible time-wise – a reminder that you simply can’t see everything.

Encounters with the active earth

In Nicaragua, the volcano Masaya was extremely active during our visit. Unfortunately, the path to the crater rim was closed, so we could only observe the massive ash clouds from a distance.

Instead, another adventure awaited: diving in Laguna de Apoyo. This lake lies within an extinct volcanic crater. It was a bizarre experience, as the bottom is warm and feels wobbly like jelly. While the volcano is no longer active, the residual heat in the ground is still clearly palpable.

Laguna de Apoyo, Nicaragua.

From the car directly to the lake with our diving equipment.

Views of Fuego from Acatenango. ©M.Schumacher

Our absolute highlight so far, however, was Fuego in Guatemala. It is a real powerhouse and currently erupts roughly every 10 to 15 minutes. We climbed the steep path up its twin volcano, Acatenango, to get a clear view.

Camp on Acatenango. ©M.Schumacher

What we found at the top was quite simply spectacular: like a natural firework display, the mountain shakes, spews, and explodes with a loud bang. Sleep was out of the question that night and despite the proximity to the glowing lava, the summit of its neighbour was one thing: ice cold!

©M.Schumacher

Relaxing in the thermal springs of the Panamericana

Fire heats up water too and there are thermal springs all along the route, some more accessible than others. Some are free in the middle of the wilderness; others are part of a resort or heavily commercialised.

Cavern in Tolantongo, Mexico.

In Bolivia, we were able to warm up in small concrete thermal pools – not exactly stunningly beautiful – whereas we skipped the springs in Costa Rica due to the extremely high prices. Even where it is supposedly free, you have to pay high parking fees. It just wasn’t worth it to us.

Springs on the Lagoon route in Bolivia, photo from an earlier trip.

In Honduras, on the other hand, we shared the thermals with the locals. But the most spectacular springs so far were in Mexico: Tolantongo. The place is very well known through Instagram, so we thought long and hard about whether we wanted to go. A local finally convinced us that it is almost empty during the week – and he was right.

In Tolantongo, you bathe in a cave with a warm waterfall that pours directly out of the rock. Or you can head to the pools – as long as you ignore the hotel complex around them, the view is beautiful, even if the water could have been a bit warmer for my taste.

Michael in Tolantongo.

Volcanic activity defines the entire West Coast and there is at least one exciting volcano or a beautiful spring in every country. We are thoroughly enjoying the volcano hikes, the natural fireworks, and the plunges into warm water. But now we are excited to see what surprises await us as we continue our way north.

Pre-hispanic civilisations: the lencas of Honduras

Cora — Sun, 08 Feb 2026 23:00:00 +0000

The guardians of colour

Incas, Mayas or Quechuas – for most people, these names conjure up memories of history lessons or images of wonders of the world such as Machu Picchu and Chichen Itzá. But who has ever heard of the Lencas? As we wind our way through the misty highlands of Honduras, one thing becomes clear: we are on our way to meet a people who have almost been forgotten.

A turn into another world

Sign of the weavers.

Honduras has a reputation for being a rough place. This also applies to the driving skills of the locals. Anyone behind the wheel here seems to regard life as an optional extra. However, as soon as you leave the main roads and head into the highlands, the scenery changes. The roads narrow and fill with potholes, and finally we turn onto a dirt road where we no longer encounter any cars.

Deep in the mountains, near the village of Intibuca, we pass simple stone houses and cows pasturing on green fields. It is foggy and cold – unexpected for Central America.

The steadfast Maya?

The seclusion of the mountains was once a safe haven for the Lenca people. After being driven out of the fertile valleys by Spanish conquerors, they settled at altitudes of over 1650 metres. The rugged highlands remain their home to this day

Their origins remain a mystery to anthropologists. Researchers such as Rivas and Castro suspect that they are descendants of the Maya. However, they are not ‘modern’ Maya; they did not leave their homeland when the great Maya cities collapsed but remained in what is now Honduras and El Salvador when the first Spanish galleons landed. Although they once formed the largest indigenous group in the country, alarmingly little is known about them today. An estimated 400 000 Lencas still keep their few traditions alive today.

Colour in the mist

Inside of the mill.

At work.

Colourful scarf in the making

Children and men walk along the side of the road, on their way to school or work. At a sharp bend, we see a lorry unloading a calf. Right behind it is our destination: a small weaving mill.

The building is unassuming, and the sign is almost illegible. However, when we ask timidly, a woman waves us into the parlour in a friendly manner. Inside, there are seven wooden looms strung with brightly coloured threads. It is a stark contrast to the grey mist outside.

The work here follows its own rhythm. The women come and go, sitting down at the loom for ten minutes, letting the shuttle fly and then taking another break. The process is entirely manual: stretching the warp threads takes a whole day, and another day is needed to weave the pattern. The end products are magnificent scarves, tablecloths and throws in checked patterns.

Tradition versus ‘Made in China’

While we’re chatting, we notice the women’s accent. They speak Spanish, but their actual native Lenca language has been lost. Only a few phrases and individual words survive, and there are only a few speakers left. The origins of the language are unclear, and it is unfortunately clearly not far from becoming extinct.

Outside of the small weaving mill.

And rummaging around, we discover a sticker on one of the balls of wool: ‘Made in China’ it says. Even here, in the most remote corner of the Honduran highlands, the global economy has left its mark.

It is a fascinating mix: the women weave according to centuries-old traditions, securing an independent income for themselves. The looms are antique, but the wool comes from overseas. There is no marketing, but there is an entry on Google Maps. And those who no longer have any lempiras in their pockets can quite pragmatically pay in US dollars.

We leave it open whether the scarves are made of pure cotton or sheep’s wool, as the women first told us that the wool was from Honduras. For us, it’s the encounter that counts. With a few colourful gifts in our luggage and knowledge of an almost forgotten people, we leave the misty mountains behind. The trip to meet the Lencas was worth every lempira.