Despite being the second largest country within Central America, Honduras is also one of the least visited.

Instead of being subjected to crowds and line ups, visitors on our Honduras tours are greeted by breezy open spaces that hold secrets to ancient civilizations while being surrounded by lush and dense forests with low rising mountains all around.

The Mayans are known to have occupied Honduras for thousands of years. During the height of their power, they constructed the Copan complex which is found near the furthest southern reaches of the Mayan Empire.

The Mayans are one of the most well known of Mesoamerican cultures, especially known for their use of hieroglyphics on temples. Copan'™s prominence is heavily displayed on the intricate carvings at the acropolis of the site. Perhaps the most impressive portion of the site is the 63 steps of the hieroglyphic stairway which has several thousand carvings to display the royal house, as well as the enormous stone faces of the stalaes.

As the Mayan culture declined, Spanish colonizers moved in starting in the Bay of Islands on the Caribbean side of the country. Moving westward along many of the rivers of Honduras, slaves from Africa were eventually brought in to work for the silver mines founded in Honduras. The faces of Honduras today is mostly from this time of history.

Though Honduras was a part of the Kingdom of Guatemala under the Spanish rule, there are only a few small colonial towns remain with cobblestone streets and pleasant plazas typical of the Spaniards. Wedged between the Pacific Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, Nicaragua and Guatemala - Honduras is in the heart of Central America.

Honduras tours will undoubtedly call not only to someone keen on history, but also to the nature lover or eco-tourist. The dense tropical forests are home to extraordinary trees including mahogany, indio desnudo (gumbo limbo), chico zapote, Spanish cedar and fig trees. Beneath the thick canopy are animals such as the anteater, armadillo, coyote, deer, fox, peccary, pocket gopher, porcupine, puma, tapir, and monkeys.

But it is the national bird which garners the most attention: the scarlet macaw. Ranging from Mexico to Peru, the vibrant plumage of the bird as well as its noisy call of it is found naturally across Honduras but is also protected in the Macaw Mountain Bird Park & Nature Reserve. The innovative tropical bird reserve cares for rescued and endangered birds of the American tropics and is an excellent location to gain a greater knowledge of the birds of the region.

Recent narratives and histories of Honduras is what keeps most tourists away. Stories centre around crime and poverty, depicting regions with stats to be among the most dangerous cities in Central America. The truth is that while Honduras does experience crime, most intrepid travellers who exercise a bit of caution enjoy Honduras without a hitch. Friendly locals interact with smiles and genuine kindness.

Honduras might just be one of the best kept secrets of Central America. Join one of our Honduras tours to find out what all the excitement is about.