6 Best Places to Live in Honduras

When we asked expats living in Honduras to offer newcomers advice about the best places to live in Honduras, they offered several great suggestions. Here are the 6 best places to live in Honduras:

Roatan

Pictured Above
Population: approximately 100,000
Island Size: 32 square miles
Climate: Tropical climate with highs in the mid to upper 80s most days
Location: 30 miles offshore

There are three primary Bay Islands in Honduras: Roatan, Utila and Guanaja. Roatan is the most well known. "I believe that Roatan, Honduras would be a great place for you to land to retire. English is spoken here even though Spanish is getting to be more spoken than English. And the reef is very close here to the shore and easy to swim to in a couple of minutes as there is no boat ride necessary to get to the reef. And retirees can get a residency easily," advised one expat.

"Roatan---is an island, well, a utopia rather, off the mainland of Honduras. We have been there many times to visit. On our last cruise, we were able to set up an appointment with a realtor due to previous planning who was most helpful/personable. She was an expat herself. Roatan has many English speakers, and many 'comfort amenities' that an expat would find attractive. One may have to travel to the mainland for some necessities, but Roatan is very much a thriving island/ primarily self-sufficient, and is expanding all the time. The beauty of this place cannot be put into words. I would definitely encourage you to check it out," added another expat.

"We personally have fallen in love with Roatan. We were there in July and it was not overly hot. There is usually a breeze , lots of shade. I will say building our home in July heat was at times sweltering but I am sure that is the case most anywhere in July. We are all in with our retirement from the states, transferring our assets to where we want to be rather than hoping there will be retirement money left when we are ready for it. There is a great expat community and the island is very safe compared to most of the main land," said one expat mom.

Utila

Population: approximately 4,000
Island Size: 17 square miles
Climate: Tropical climate with highs in the mid to upper 80s most days
Location: 18 miles offshore

Utila is another Bay Island that many expats recommend. With a population of just over 4,000, Utila is smaller than Roatan (17 square miles) and closer to the mainland. "Check out Utila. It is flat, you do not need a car.. you should be able to get around here in the town area fine. Not touristy and very friendly people. Most speak English. This is a rustic island, so you may consider it run down as well. Bathrooms in a restaurant my be an issue for you. There are a few areas that have reefs close to shore, but most are by boats, not to far out. Good share of americans here. Too small of an island for cruise ships," recommended another expat.

Guanaja

Population: approximately 5,500
Island Size: 19 square miles
Climate: Tropical climate with highs in the mid to upper 80s most days
Location: 40 miles offshore

Guanaja is the most unspoiled of the Bay Islands probably because it is the farthest offshore. There are quick, 30-minute flights to Guanaja from the airport in La Ceiba. There are also 20-minute flights on Saturdays from Roatan to Guanaja on Hahn Air. If you're traveling to Guanaja from the US, flying to Roatan and then on to Guanaja is the fastest way to go. There's also a ferry that you can take from Trujillo to Guanaja.

La Ceiba

Population: approximately 200,000
Climate: Tropical climate with highs in the mid to upper 80s most days
Location: Caribbean port city in northern Honduras, gateway to Bay Islands

"La Ceiba has everything you will need... modern malls, downtown open air market, movies, banks, good hospitals, nightlife and much much more. La Ceiba has it all now... Outskirts to me is a 10 minute drive to downtown. Close to everything yet you will feel like on a tropical island when at home. Like every city there is crime. Luckily, for foreigners in Honduras the locals love foreigners living around them," commented another expat in a thread about safe places to retire in Honduras.

Trujillo

Population: approximately 60,000
Climate: Tropical climate with highs in the mid to upper 80s most days
Location: Caribbean city in northern Honduras, 100 miles east of La Ceiba (3 hour drive)

Trujillo is beautiful. Not very big and not over developed, yet. It is the beach spot for Hondurans living in the eastern portion of the country. We travelled to Trujillo overland from Juticalpa after a visit to Catacamas. Trujillo, where William Walker, filibustero, was executed by firing squad and where he is buried. Columbus landed in Trujillo on his fourth voyage. O. Henry wrote Cabbages and Kings while in Trujillo on the lam for embezzlement in Texas, and home of the Garifuna. The old Spanish fort is home to a hospital and a small museum. So lots of history. A Canadian outfit has built a beachside resort just west of town," said another expat.

Copan Ruinas

Population: approximately 60,000
Climate: Average temperature in mid 70s most days, with highs in mid 80s (highs in upper 80s in March, April & May)
Location: Inland city, 8 miles east of Guatemala border

"Copan is very safe, very friendly - the combination of the 2 Mayan Archeological Parks, Macall Mountain Parrot Sanuary and Jaguar Hot Healing Mineral Springs - creates a mystical atmosphere - it is UNESCO site, historic in nature...I love it," said one expat in Honduras.