La Ceiba, Honduras – City Guide for Nomads and Expats
La Ceiba, Honduras – City Guide for Nomads and Expats
The fourth largest city in Honduras, and considered to be the nightlife capital of the country. Even the government promotes the city as the “Entertainment Capital of Honduras”. You may find yourself in town to take the ferry to Roatan. Situated on the Caribbean, the city started out growing bananas for the Standard Fruit Company. The city continued to grow economically, and banks and other businesses sprouted up. Perhaps the best known is Cervecería Hondureña, a brand founded in La Ceiba that still exists today.
The city houses a massive Carnival celebration in May each year, during at which time over 500,000 tourists invade the city. It’s a solid carnaval with all the colors, decorations, and parties you’d expect in any Latin country. If you’re looking to visit, I’d only come to this city during Carnival, otherwise it’s hard to make a strong case for La Ceiba.
POPULATION: 200,000
Have questions? Skip the guesswork…
CULTURE IN LA CEIBA
Despite it’s party reputation, La Ceiba feels very relaxed. It’s really quite a sleepy little city. It’s a little bit more expensive than San Pedro Sula, but this makes sense given the higher traffic of tourists and foreigners. The city is home to a sizable percentage of Afro-Hondurans, who bring an energy and dynamism to the city. You can find afro barbershops and restaurants that you won’t find elsewhere in the country.
HOW TO GET TO LA CEIBA, HONDURAS
San Pedro Sula is a 3.5 hour drive away. Guatemala City is a 12 hour drive away. San Salvador is an 11 hour drive away.
RENT AN APARTMENT IN LA CEIBA
$300.00 for an apartment near La Ceiba’s centre.
IS LA CEIBA SAFE FOR NOMADS & EXPATS?
La Ceiba is relatively safe for Honduras, although crime rates are on the up and up. Use caution at night and on the beach, travel in a group, and always stay in well-lit areas. By Honduran standards it’s a very safe city.
DAY TRIPS & THINGS TO DO IN LA CEIBA
The #1 thing to do in La Ceiba is party! More on that below…
La Ceiba is also good spot to organize forest trips. Go ATVing in the jungle!
COST OF LIVING IN LA CEIBA FOR NOMADS & EXPATS
The following data is from Expatistan, a crowdsourced database of prices and cost of living around the world. In our experience, the data tends to underestimate cost of living, so take the following as the minimum you might need to live here.
If you’re looking for cheap food, baleadas are delicious and nutritious. They cost 40 or 50 lempiras for a big deluxe one (around 2$).
*Figures are listed in USD
You’ll need a minimum of $804 USD/month to live in La Ceiba, Honduras
NIGHTLIFE IN LA CEIBA
La Ceiba is a bit disappointing for what is supposed to be the best Honduran city for nightlife. It’s going to depend a lot on what time of year you visit. More tourists will be found during the high season between November and March, when the city experiences better weather. The city is also home to a large population of Afro-Hondurans, who definitely know how to party.
La Palapa: A popular restaurant/bar one block from the water. This place is a must. It’s a very festive vibe and at night the center of the restaurant turns into a dancefloor.
Hibou: A chain of bars that may have closed down? Send us a message if you know the latest on this spot.
El Jaguar: Well known bar near the river with chill music and artsy decor.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Definitely better than San Pedro Sula. Come to La Ceiba for a party on your way to Roatan, or for a party on your way back.
The weather is a bit uncomfortable with the humidity, and there’s not much to do. The city lacks culture and is more than a little rundown. It’s cool to see the old train tracks, colonial buildings, and remnants of a once-thriving banana exporter. These days, the only real seasons to come to La Ceiba is for carnaval celebrations or as a quick visit before taking the ferry to Roatan.