More location information and points of interest are available in the above map

NORTHERN HONDURAS

The lush, tropical northern region of Honduras has seduced visitors for centuries with its natural wonders and easy Caribbean vibe. Between the beaches are mangrove swamps and jungle reserves that scream out to be explored. Rafting the white waters of the Río Cangrejal is the big-ticket experience, but there's also fine hiking in Parque Nacional Pico Bonito and the unique flavour and rhythms of the coast's Garifuna villages. Finally, isolated Trujillo, the last stop before the Moskitia, is a charming slice of the old Caribbean, with some wonderful beaches nearby and superb mountain scenery behind it.

Despite all the region has to offer, many visitors simply travel through en-route to the Bay Islands or Belize, and see nothing more than the drab charms of Puerto Cortés, Tela or La Ceiba. More than anywhere else, northern Honduras is a place where you should avoid the towns and make a beeline for the countryside.

THE BAY ISLANDS

Spectacular diving and snorkelling draw visitors from around the world to the three Bay Islands (Islas de la Bahía) – Roatán, Utila and Guanaja – located between 25km and 50km off the north coast of Honduras. Their reefs are part of the second-largest barrier reef in the world, and teem with fish, coral, sponges, rays, sea turtles and even whale sharks. Life on the Bay Islands has more in common with Belize and Jamaica than with mainland Honduras.

Diving the Bay Islands is very affordable, but lodging and food on the islands are more expensive than on the mainland Honduras. Utila is the most affordable island (and very popular with backpackers), while Roatán has better beaches and a beautiful forested interior. Diving is also good on Guanaja, though prices there are prohibitive for most travellers.

The rainy season here runs roughly from October or November to February. March and August are the hottest months; at other times sea breezes temper the heat somewhat.

THE MOSKITIA

That vast part of Honduras you see on maps with very few roads, is one of the region's last frontiers of untamed wilderness. Huge expanses are virtually untouched jungle, and when combined with wetland and savanna habitats it's no wonder Moskitia is often dubbed Central America's Amazon. Manatees, tapirs and jaguars all still thrive here – they have learned to be circumspect around humans, and are not easy to spot. Crocodiles can be seen in the waters, while the birdlife, including macaws and fish eagles, is outstanding.

Not many people get out that far east and there’s a reason for that. The regions of Olancho and Gracias a Dios are virtually lawless with drug running and illegal logging part of daily life for most. You really don’t want to stick your nose in where it’s not wanted. But for the truly adventurous, this is a part of Honduras that is unmissable. Mountains, jungles, wide rivers, and rustic towns. A visit to this region is not for the faint-hearted – access is tricky and conditions on the ground rustic at best, making visiting as part of a tour the safest and easiest approach. Expect to up your normal budget considerably if you come here, and be sure to bring cash with you: there are no ATMs in this part of the country.

SOUTHERN HONDURAS & ISLA DEL TIGRE

Honduras touches the Pacific with a 124km coastline on the Golfo de Fonseca. This perpetually and often infernally hot coastal plain is dominated by agribusinesses: sugarcane, African Palm plantations and shrimp farms. While it's a much-travelled region (the Interamericana crosses through Honduras here), there's little of interest to travellers – except perhaps Isla del Tigre, which has some charm. But those who hang around get a treat. The city of Choluteca has its colonial charms, and the Pacific coast at the Gulf of Fonseca is stunning.

Isla el Tigre sits in the Gulf, in view of both Nicaragua and El Salvador. It’s a perfect desert island spot to lie in the sun on and decompress. It's a dramatic place covered in thick forest and with some decent beaches that attract droves of locals but very few foreigners. Its main town is Amapala, a scruffy fishing village with picturesque, crumbling clapboard architecture. Black-sand Playa Negra, in the north of the island, is arguably the island's best beach, though there are several other totally undeveloped stretches elsewhere here.