Lake Yojoa
Lake Yojoa (Lago de Yojoa) is the largest natural lake in Honduras with a surface area of 79 km² (30.49 mi²) and an elevation of 700 m (2,297 ft).
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Get in
[edit]The lake is off the highway between Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula. Bus and car are the only options for getting there.
From San Pedro Sula:
- To destinations on the northwest side of the lake (including Peña Blanca, Los Naranjos, and D&D Brewery): take the El Mochito bus. This bus leaves hourly from the central bus terminal in San Pedro Sula.
- To destinations on the northwest or south of the lake, including Cerro Azul Meambar National Park (PANACAM), Honduyate, or the Taulable Caves, take a Tegucigalpa bus.
From Tegucigalpa:
- To destinations on the northwest side of the lake (including Peña Blanca, Los Naranjos, and D&D Brewery): Take a San Pedro Sula bus, then get off in La Guama. In La Guama, take the bus to Peña Blanca. For D&D Brewery, take a motortaxi (L60 max) or the El Mochito bus (L7).
Get around
[edit]The Lake Yojoa region is one of the safest in Honduras, especially on the northwest side of the lake. Hitchhiking to and from Pulhapanzak is acceptable and to-and-from Peña Blanca to D&D Brewery. Otherwise, local buses, motortaxis, collective taxis, and buses run frequently.
See
[edit]- Pulhapanzak Waterfall, a beautiful set of falls, popular with Honduran and foreign tourists alike. Great for spotting macaws. Small armadillo population lives on the banks below the falls. L60 entry for foreigners, L150 to go behind the falls on a guided tour where you can enter a cave and jump into pools below for an incredible adrenaline rush.
Do
[edit]- Sport fishing: After years of over-fishing the black bass population in the lake has again returned to sufficient levels. Bring your own equipment or join a tour with one of the hotels.
- Honduyate Marina has sailboats and other water activities.
- Hiking: Cerro Azul Meambar Park. Very nicely developed park run by an NGO. You can stay in the park for US$40 per night per room. Trails are well marked, so you won't need to hire a guide. You can also go and hike there for the day for L40. To get there, catch a bus from La Guama to Santa Elena. Tell the driver you want him to take you to Los Pinos, it'll cost you an extra US$8.
- Nature walk: Los Naranjos Ecological and Archaeological Park.
Buy
[edit]Eat
[edit]- Fried Tilapia, "Lake Yojoa Style" with fried plantains (tajadas). Available at more than 60 restaurants on the eastern side of the lake along the main highway, CA-5.
Drink
[edit]- Micro-brewed beer at D&D Brewery, Lodge, and Restaurant. The first microbrewery in Honduras, on the north west side of the Lake.
- Locally-roasted coffee at El Dorao Cafe in Peña Blanca. Try one of their V60 pour-overs.
Sleep
[edit]- La Posada at Honduyate Marina
- Brisas del Lago
- Hotel Finca Las Glorias (former glory, and been known to threaten guests - armed)
- 1 D&D Brewery, Lodge, and Restaurant (from Tegucigalpa, bus to La Guama, then bus to Peña Blanca and taxi or bus to Los Naranjos; after the football field on the right, second right hand turn and 300 m further), ☏ +504 9994-9719, reservations@ddbrewery.com. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 11AM. Camping, dorms, private rooms, and cabins. Lush garden with orchids, citrus, firepit for cool evenings surrounded by Adirondack chairs, and more. Good restaurant with local and foreign dishes and, of course, hand-crafted beer brewed on site. Birding tours on the lake (L450) with local guides. All rooms have been fully renovated. There is always a good mix of travelers, volunteers, teachers in Honduras, and locals. Camping: US$3.50/person, Dorm: $9.99/person, Private w/shared bath: $12.50 (1 person) or $15 (2 people), Private w/private bath: $20 (1 person), $22 (2 people), $5 for each extra person, Cabins: from $49.
- El Cortijo Del Lago (Turn off the Tegucigalpa-San Pedro Sula highway at La Guama towards Pena Blanca, go 2 km. turn left at the El Cortijo del Lago sign. By bus, get off at La Guama and catch a bus going to Pena Blanca), ☏ +504 9906-5333. Basic accommodations, but beautifully situated on the lake and very quiet. Great for birdwatching. Bring bug spray and wear it. Nice screened-in restaurant and friendly owners.Note: temporarily closed during the COVID-19 pandemic and as of April 2022 has not yet reopened.
Stay safe
[edit]The region in and around Lake Yojoa is one of the safest in all of Honduras, if not all of Central America. Travelers will find that locals are willing to offer rides in the back of their trucks for free and will often invite tourists into their homes for a cup of local (albeit sugary) coffee.
Travelers should avoid walking down the main highway of CA-5 as there have been many pedestrian deaths due to irresponsible driving on the shoulders of the road by cars attempting to pass slow-moving tractor trailers.