This morning its another early wake up. The last couple of days we’ve been exploring the picturesque architecture of Gracias, its fort, museums and super tasty baleadas but today is time to move on to our next destination: Lake Yojoa. On the 27th January, the recently voted president (cause of the many riots and protests post-elections) will officially take charge in an event known as the “toma de poder”. Since by many Hondurans we’ve been advised to stay away from cities, what’s better than spending a long weekend in one of the most secluded yet beautiful places of Honduras?
The first ride from Gracias to La Esperanza seems to be never ending (2h) but thankfully we’re sitting on the right side of the bus and from here we can enjoy the gorgeous landscapes of valleys & mountains. Once in La Esperanza, we realize that the bus terminal is one of the major bus hubs in Honduras as it lies exactly in the middle of the country and connects the west, to the north & south. Here, we’re lucky enough to catch one of the fancy buses heading to San Pedro Sula that for just 100L each can drop us off at La Guama, our gateway for the lake.
Back in Guatemala we’ve met many travelers saying that one of the nicest and cheapest spots where to stay to enjoy the lake is the D&D Brewery. This hostel, which is also a microbrewery (pretty expensive food & drinks though), is situated in the small village of Los Naranjos (not far from the relatively lively town of Peña Blanca): the perfect place to explore Lake Yojoa’s nature.
In La Guama, there’s an hourly bluebird bus that connects the town to Peña Blanca or alternatively there’s also a smaller more direct bus named Mochito that rides up until nearly the doorstep of D&D. Unfortunately, when we get there we get told that the last direct has already left and that now there is only the big yellow bluebird bus leaving in 10min. Not a big problem, we pay the 15L each and hop on. The ride takes around 30min and once in Peña we start our hunt for the white cheap “official” taxis rather than the expensive tuk-tuk riding around town. Did you know that to Los Naranjos a tuk-tuk fare is min. 20L each (only if you’re great at bargaining) but with an official taxi is literally half?
About 15min later, we’ve reached our final destination: Los Naranjos. This village doesn’t really have many tourist facilities (if not at all) apart from a couple of hotels but there’s still enough tiendas and comedores for you to eat local food at an affordable price. And the best thing is that everything can be found along the main road so there’s no need for wandering around in search for the perfect spot. Just head there and make your pick!
During the three days we spend at D&D, we learn that there are several activities to do in the area of the lake; in the southern part you can explore caves (Caves Taulabe), in the west you can take a hike in Cerro Azul Member National Park and in the north you can visit the Pulhapanzak Waterfall. On top of this, in the vicinity of the Los Naranjos you can do birding, take a kayak tour, have a nature walk in a finca (Finca Paraiso), enjoy village’s Eco-Archaelogical Park or hike a Cerro nearby. But of all these activities is there really something you can do for free? The good news is YES!
Kayaking on the river at Los Naranjos
Or fancy renting a boat?
Obviously, all the activities outside Los Naranjos are the most expensive since on top of the entrance ticket you have to also pay the transport to/from there. The entrance to the caves is 4$/pp (transport by bus is 50L one-way), to the Cerro Azul N. Park is 7$/pp (transport involve a 25L bus and then taxi/hitchhike to the visitor center) and to the Waterfall is 3.5$/pp (transport by bus is 20L). Similarly, other activities such as birding (20$/pp half day, 55$/pp full day), nature walk in the Finca (50L/pp) and rent a kayak for the day (10$/per kayak) can also be pretty costly. But what about the hike to the Cerro and the walk in the Eco-Archaelogical Park? Both can be done for free!!!
The hike to the Cerro de Las Nalgas is an easy hike that starts just off the main road of the village and leads you up to two miradores on top of the Cerro offering great views over the town itself and the lake. In contrary to what the D&D guys tell us (apparently a 10$/each worth of guide is essential), the path for the hike is extremely easy to find and anybody can definitely do it as a great half-day self-guided tour. Read our guide on Self-guided hike to Cerro de Las Nalgas!
View from atop the Cerro de Las Nalgas
On the other hand, the walk inside the Eco-Archaelogical Park Los Naranjos is a completely different story. In fact, every visitor should pay a theoretical entrance fee of 6$/pp at the entrance but here it gets complicated… because there is no entrance booth if you enter the park from Los Naranjos!!! The park has two entrances, one close to Peña blanca and the other from Los Naranjos but from the latter, in order to pay the entrance, you’re told that you have to walk all the way to the other entrance to pay the ticket and then go back. Well, in all honesty there is nobody checking at the Los Naranjos entrance and even locals consider the nature walk up until the Lake Mirador to be free! Have a nature walk on the wooden path to the Mirador or have a quick look at the ruins and surely nobody will charge you anything like they did to us.
Spending a couple of days around Lake Yojoa is definitely a holy grail for those wanting to enjoy sometime away from the city but especially for those who love nature at its fullest. If you’re planning to travel the Lenca Route make sure to include this place in your travel plans, surely you won’t regret it!!!
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