• Population: 7 million
• Capital City: Tegucigalpa (pop. 1.2m)
• Time difference: -6 hours GMT
• Language: Spanish

Honduras is an agricultural country of succulent tropical fruits, sometimes unkindly labelled “the original banana republic”. It does however have much to offer the visitor with its many miles of coastline, dazzling Caribbean islands, a cool mountain interior and impressive Mayan ruins.

As a nation situated in a region of turbulent political and economic history, Honduras is known by many as one of the participants in the so-called Football War of 1969, when disagreements between fans of El Salvador and Honduras football teams escalated into a full-scale, if short-lived, war. 

Now, the country is peaceful, and beginning to develop a tourist infrastructure partly based on eco-tourism. A number of national parks in the cloudforest, coastal wetlands and mountain interior have been established.

Outdoor activities are popular in Honduras, an ideal environment for hiking, rafting, bird watching and horse riding. Combining this with an essential visit to the magnificent Copán ruins and the beaches of the Bay Islands, makes for a wonderful and varied holiday itinerary.