La Mosquitia

The region east of Trujillo, and towards the Nicaraguan border is generally referred to as La Moskitia, or the Mosquito Coast. It is very sparsely populated, inaccessible by land and home to the largest tract of virgin tropical rain forest in the North American hemisphere. A good part of this area is protected by law under one of five distinct zones: The Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve, the Tawahka Anthropological Reserve, the Patuca National Park, the Cruta Caratasca Wildlife Refuge and the Rus Rus Biological Reserve. The area is populated by several indigenous groups, of which the Pech, Tawahka, Garifuna, Miskitos  and native mestizos are the most predominant.

Although getting up to date information of the area is difficult and mostly unreliable, a new and excellent source of online info for traveling into this region can now be found at www.larutamoskitia.com. This website is part of a new ecotourism project that is designed to increase the benefits of tourism to local communities in La Moskitia. The site features info on new, very attractive new lodging options in the area, as well as a menu of different cultural and nature tours you can enjoy. It simply offers a wealth of travel planning information!

Its uninviting name comes from the Miskito natives and not from the abundance of mosquitoes, although these are unquestionably inhabitants of the area! The Moskitia actually is an international region, as part of it is in Honduras and another part in Nicaragua. Getting to the area is not as difficult as it seems: There is regular boat service departing from La Ceiba and Trujillo. Although the schedules change, you can get up to date information once in Trujillo, where you can inquire at Casa Kiwi or directly at Puerto Castilla, where usually, there is never more than three or four days between departures. For information on schedules from La Ceiba, inquire at the Muelle de Cabotaje. Be prepared, however, to “rough it out” if you choose to sail to La Moskitia, boats traveling there are cargo vessels and do not have any facilities for passengers, who usually have to sleep on the deck in the open air, which can be a “fun” experience in good weather but a very scary one during a storm.

Another, easier alternative is flying into the region. There are several communities that have regular scheduled service. Sosa and Atlantic Airlines both serve the Moskitia region from La Ceiba, making it possible to fly to Brus Laguna, Puerto Lempira and Ahuas. (The Palacios runway is closed due to the fact it is need of repair) Atlantic Airlines also has limited service to Puerto Lempira from Tegucigalpa a couple of days a week. Airline service usually departs La Ceiba early in the morning between 6 and 8 a.m., and return flights are back in town before noon. Within La Moskitia, where traveling from one town to the other is a big issue, you will find that SAMI airlines offers a good alternative. With very flexible schedules, they fly when and where there is anyone that needs to travel, SAMI is probably the best way to get from point A to point B anywhere in the inland area of La Moskitia. SAMI has offices in Ahuas, Palacios, Belen, Brus Laguna and Puerto Lempira.  Along the coast, it is relatively easy to get a boat to take between towns and communities.

It is also possible to get trucks from Tocoa to Batalla, a Garifuna Town near Palacios separated by Bacalar Lagoon. Departures are from the municipal market in Tocoa early in the morning, around 5:00 a.m. It is recommended that you spend the night in Tocoa so that you can be at the market by that time. There are multiple bus departures from La Ceiba to Tocoa, with Cotraipbal and Cotuc bus lines being the most reputable. If you choose to take this route, make sure you are prepared for sun, rain and dust. It is also a good idea to take snacks and water since there are no or few stops en route. The trip takes approximately 5 hrs. and in the rainy season the trucks cross the sand bars using rafts built of barrels. From  Batalla you can hire motorized canoes that will take you to Palacios, and beyond. Palacios is connected by lagoons, rivers and man made canals to Las Marias,  Rio Platano and Brus Laguna.

For a more complete tour, you could check out some of the tour operators that specialize in the region. The most outstanding ones are La Moskitia Ecoaventuras, and Omega Tours, both with offices in La Ceiba and  Mesoamerica Tours in San Pedro Sula. La Moskitia Ecoaventuras and Omega Tours offer  unique 10 day rafting expeditions into the Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve, traversing the Rio Platano from its headwaters in Olancho down to Palacios on the Caribbean Coast. The trip offers the best adventure experience in the most pristine tropical jungle in Central & North America.  Silently floating down the Platano River, you have a chance to sneak up on wildlife on the riverside. Tapirs, cougars, spider monkeys and even an occasional jaguar have been sighted.

The most “civilized” outpost in La Moskitia is Puerto Lempira, the capital of the Gracias a Dios Department (Honduran equivalent to State). Puerto Lempira boasts a variety of restaurants, hotels and even has a bank operating here. This by the way, is the only bank in the whole department, so make sure that you have cash with you, since there will be no cash withdrawals from your credit card or bank accounts in the whole region with the exception of Puerto Lempira. Although you might be able to exchange a limited number of dollars into Lempiras at unfavorable rates, you will certainly not find anyone who will be able to cash your travelers’ checks or for that matter, make change for a $50 USA dollar bill. With that in mind, bring plenty of Lempiras with you to pay your bills.

La Moskitia offers some of the best areas in the world for tarpon and snook fishing, and there are now several different fishing lodges operating in the area. Specifically in Brus Laguna, the brand new Sika Lanka Fishing Lodge offers packages that include full meals, tackle, guides, and lodging. The area has become famous for the large fish and is frequented by an international crowd.  This unique resort is located on the Sika Lanka Lagoon, about a 30 minute boat ride west of Brus Lagoon on the Rio Sicre. The lodge, offers outstanding fishing with experienced English speaking fishing guides, first class accommodations and good food. The name, Brus Laguna is without doubt of English origin, as the lagoon used to be called Brewers Lagoon!

For those flying into Brus Lagoon and looking to explore the area on your own, check out Hotel La Estancia, located at the waterfront in Brus Laguna. Jose Osvaldo Cruz, the owner is a very friendly person and can provide a world of information regarding the region. The hotel has 12 rooms with private bath, fan and TV. It also has one of the best options for restaurant and bar in town. Phone number is 898 7959. Another good option for accommodations in town is the Hotel Laguna Paradise, with phone number 898 7952. For boat trips in the area, contact Beto Zuniga or Kinsley Granuel, who can arrange for dugout canoes ( pipantes ) to Rio Maria.

Brand new is the Yamari Savannah Cabañas.  Hidden away in an isolated location in the heart of the Miskito Pine Savannah, the palm-thatched cabañas sit on the shore of a small river and offer comfortable beds, cool breezes, and some of the best bird watching in the region.  You have to pay a bit extra to get to the site by boat, but it is well worth the trip!  Tour options at the site include inner tubing on crystal-clear creeks, sit-on-top kayaking, horseback riding, and an exciting late night crocodile spotting tour.  More information can be found at www.larutamoskitia.com, by calling Dorcas Wood at 9889 - 7698 and 443-8265, or by contacting her directly in Brus Laguna. In La Ceiba you can call La Ruta Moskitia headquarters at  3391-3388 or 406 6782.

At the time of printing, Aerolinias Sosa operates regular flights into Brus Laguna three times a week (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays). Sami, the regional Moskitia airline flies small 4 passenger planes on a quasi-regular basis from Brus Laguna to other locations within the Moskitia.

Brus Laguna has public telephone service in several locations throughout town for approximately Lps 4.00 per minute, and there is now electric power in about half of the town from 5:00 p.m. till 10:00 p.m. regularly. Bottled water is available in many of the local pulperias. Boat trips from Brus Laguna to Jerusalem, Belen, Cocobila, Palacios and Plaplaya operate several days a week, and there is always an option for custom trips for 5 or more persons at request.  Access to Las Marias, in the Rio Platano Biosphere reserve is possible from Brus Laguna. It is a good idea to make you contacts to hire the “pipante”at the Platano River beforehand. A good contact to help you arrange your trips in the area is Mr. Jose Cruz at Hotel La Estancia. You can also contact Ms Melisa Bodden at Raista or Eliseo Tinglas at Las Maria’s. Mr. Jose Cruz can help you arrange everything via VHF radio. Brus Laguna is the most visited tourist destination in the region. It is the ideal point from where to launch your visit into the region.

Another fishing lodge is the Moskitia Hotel, located in Palacios. The Moskitia Hotel is on the waterfront and across the landing strip offers the best accommodations in town. The Rio Tinto Hotel, located on the waterfront offers basic rooms with a private bath and outstanding food. Ana Marmol,  the owner of the hotel, provides personal attention. From Palacios you can arrange a series of day trips to different areas. Perhaps most famous of all is Las Marias, a Pech community located on the banks of the Platano River. You can reach Las Marias from Palacios taking a motorized dugout canoe or “Pipante” If you take an express trip it should cost around $120.00 for the round trip as long as you don’t spend more than two nights in Las Marias. From Las Marias it is a good 5 hours upriver on a pole propelled Pipante (dugout canoe) up the river to the famous petroglyphs (Walpaulbansirpe). These smaller pipantes can only take up to two customers per vessel and cost approximately $30.00 US per unit. The easiest and best way to contract them is through the Ecotourism committee in Las Marias. This is an organization that has developed several tour options from Las Marias and can provide you with the logistics as well as professional guides. By contracting through them you not only insure the best experience possible, you are also helping protect the Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve, since it is imperative that the local communities can develop a way of generating revenue from the reserve to insure their commitment in its protection. From Las Marias tours to Pico Dama (a good 3 day hike with spectacular views) are available. Other alternatives are hiking tours to Cerro Mico and  Sula Wala. The Ecotourism Committee also has some good basic lodging facilities that are fully recommended. The water bus (colectivo) connects Palacios with all of the coast along the Moskitia, such as the Garifuna town of Plaplaya, Ibans, Cocobila, Raista and Belen. Departures are early in the morning, around 7:30 a.m. and cost about $4.00 USA per person. Departures into Palacios leave Belen around 3:30 a.m. in order to allow connections with the airplane and truck departures back to “civilization”. In Belen, the brand new Pawanka Beach Cabañas are a great option.  The cabañas are located just 10 meters from the Caribbean Ocean, and one can fall asleep to the sound of the ocean each night.  Three comfortable cabañas have space for a total of 12 visitors, and excellent local dishes are served in a spacious palm-thatched restaurant that offers spectacular views of the sunset over the Pico Baltimore mountain range.  Tour options in Belen include horseback riding on the beach, crocodile spotting night tours, and captivating Miskito dance presentations.  More information can be found at www.larutamoskitia.com, by calling Dorkas Wood at 433-8265 and 9889-7698, or by contacting Mario Miller directly in Belen.

Back to Palacios, another nice alternative in the area is available in nearby Raista, located on the banks of Ibans Lagoon. Melisa Bodden, is your best contact person here to help you arrange any tour that you might want. She is most helpful and we wholeheartedly recommend that you talk to her to help assist in visiting the nearby attractions, that include the Parú, Ilbila and Banaka creeks. Banaka Creek has some petroglyphs in the area that can be visited. There is a nice trail between Ilbila Creek and Tramp that can be traversed in about a half day in the dry season. It passes through a wetland where you can have outstanding bird watching as well as a good chance to spot white face and howler monkey’s.  Passage to Raista can easily be arranged in Palacios. A new, eight-bedroom hospedaje that sits on the shores of Ibans Lagoon is under construction and expected to open its doors soon.  The hospedaje was constructed from local building materials, is open and breezy with large windows, and each spacious room offers a private deck.  More information can be found at www.larutamoskitia.com.

Around Plaplaya, you can visit the “turtle project” which operates between April and August. The community has an intensive turtle conservation effort to save leatherback and hawksbill turtles. There are three basic hostels in Palplaya. Ask for Bacilia Montero, Tito or Sedi for lodging and food here.

La Moskitia Ecoaventuras offers inexpensive four day tours to Las Marias departing from La Ceiba. Tours are sold for $198 USA with departures every Tuesday and Friday from La Ceiba, and operates with a minimum of 4 persons. Round trip air tickets, lodging, local transportation and guides are included in the package. One of the highlights of the trip is the visit to the petrogyphs. Extension options to visit the tropical rainforest can be arranged at very reasonable prices. Contact La Moskitia Ecoaventuras for more info at Tel. 441-2480 and 441-0839. Tourist Options, based out of La Ceiba also offers a variety of options for trips to La Moskitia, you can locate them at Tel. 9982-7534 and 9978-8868.

Last, but not least, Puerto Lempira offers the best hotel facilities in La Moskitia. Hotels such as the Gran Hotel Flores and Yu Baiwan View Hotel are located here. Puerto Lempira has flights into La Ceiba and Tegucigalpa and is served by both Sosa Airlines and Atlantic Airlines. The Caratasca Lagoon offers world class fishing in the Caratasca Sand Bar area. Fishing can be arranged locally with Eduardo Chow, Delmar Brown or Delmar Haylock. Other activities can include a boat tour to Tansing Lagoon, a fresh water lagoon where you can visit native Miskito communities and enjoy extensive water fowl observation. Caukira, a fishing village is also within the realm of a day trip. The Mocoron river offers crystal clear waters in a tropical rainforest environment. This river flows into the Caratasca Lagoon and can be visited from Puerto Lempira.

From Puerto Lempira you can depart to Puerto Cabezas in Nicaragua via Leimus on the main dirt road in la Moskitia. The best, safest and fastest route is to take the public transportation from Puerto Lempira to Leimus, which is on the Coco River on the Honduran side of the border. From here, you can take a boat downriver to Waspan, also on the Coco River, but on the Nicaraguan side. From there you can choose between air or land transportation available into Puerto Cabezas. Puerto Lempira has immigration and customs offices, where you can get your exit visa.

La Moskitia is certainly the ideal spot for an adventure vacation. The natives are friendly and there is a lot of wildlife. However, you will find accommodations very limited and getting food hard, and if you are not carrying your food, you will end up with a limited variety of food available, basically the local staples. Unless you are truly adventurous, I recommend that you visit the area with one of the local tour operators. They will certainly make your life a lot easier in the region, and contrary to what you might expect, it will not be much more expensive. Although accommodations are very limited and generally primitive in the area, transportation is very expensive. The local tour operators have a network of local help that will make your life a lot easier!