Honduras Rout Descriptions & Maps

Honduras 2007

El Salvador Border at El Amatillo to San Lorenzo 52Ks

Hwy #1 (Pan American), 2 good wide lanes with a 1 meter shoulder. Light traffic. Good riding. OK scenery, road winds thru low mountains. Occasional moderate climbing. Traffic builds, trucks come through the border in late morning. NE winds (head). At 35Ks, Nacaome (there’s a new hotel on the Hwy). At 40Ks, junction right (left to Tegucigalpa). Slightly down, tail wind, fast, dull. Variable shoulder, often broken then (hold on to your hat) a bike Path at 48Ks . At 51Ks, veer right into San Lorenzo. Centro at 52Ks.

Side trip: to Cayolito from San Lorenzo 30Ks (One-way) on Route #66
4Ks north of San Lorenzo, turn left (west) at Gas station. 22Ks of flat road with ranches then shrimp farms then mangroves then mountains. Good road. NE winds (tail). Quiet. At 22Ks , steep climb for 1K, then steep rolling hills. At 27Ks, down to Cayolito. At 30Ks, boat to Amapala on Isla de Tigre. You can ride around the island on a good dirt road.

San Lorenzo to Choluteca 35Ks

1K out to Hwy 1 then right (east). 2-lanes, a somewhat broken shoulder. Mostly flat. NE winds (head). Moderate traffic but trucks come in clumps. So-so scenery. A few moderate hills. At 33Ks, turn right into town at 35Ks.

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Choluteca to San Marcos de Colon 55Ks

Hwy #1 now very quiet with few trucks (they go to Guasaule). 2-lanes with shoulder. OK scenery. Wicked head winds (NE). Gradual climb for 14Ks on a straight road. Then climb to1300 meters at 38Ks. Big vistas all the way to the Pacific. Fluky winds in the mountains. Serpentine. Rolling hills down to 51Ks. Headwinds. No more vistas. At 51Ks, climb for 2Ks then flat into town at 55Ks.

San Marcos to Nicaragua Border 11ks

Rolling hills. Good quiet road. Lighter head winds today (NE).

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Honduras 2006 to Copan

El Poy border to Santa Rosa 95Ks

(see Santa Rosa to El Poy below)

Santa Rosa to La Entrada 43Ks

(see La Entrada to Santa Rosa below)

La Entrada to Copan 74Ks

(see Copan to LaEntrada below)

Copan to the Guatemala border 12Ks

Hwy 11.

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Copan to La Entrada 63Ks

Out on Hwy 11, rolling up along river 2-lanes wide but no designated shoulder. Light traffic. At 16Ks, climb for 2Ks. Away from river then down to a valley. Gradual climb. Nice scenery. North winds (head) some rain in November. Again up the river. Less gradual for 2Ks then easy grades. No more river. Good views. At 37Ks start a gradual descent for 3Ks. 1K steep up then gradual again and then down at 43Ks. Some gradual, some steeper. Almost flat near LaEntrada, a couple mild hills into town 63Ks.

LaEntrada to Santa Rosa 43Ks

Start climbing (road marker 105). 2-lanes sometimes a shoulder, which is actually like a wide 2-lane. Light traffic, some trucks. North wind (tail). In November it’s cold here. Mostly moderate climbing (5-7%) with some respites. At 20Ks, a fast 3K descent then climb again. Some rolling to 24Ks then climb, again. Top at 38Ks. More like rolling hills up for last 10Ks. At 39Ks, turn off for Santa Rosa. Good vistas. Down for 2Ks then up into old town for 2Ks. Old town has cobble stone streets. 43Ks.

Santa Rosa to Gracias 51Ks (Altitude 680 meters)

Back toward LaEntrada on Highway 4Ks then right at the PUMA Gas station. 3Ks moderate ups and downs then mostly moderate grades down 8Ks. Up 1K then 2 wide lanes. Quiet. Good Vistas. Steep and windy 8Ks down to river valley at 23Ks. Up and down 1 to 2K hills. Very good scenery. The hills become shorter and less steep as you go. North wind (tail). At 45Ks, cross the river and gradually climb into town for 6Ks. Into Gracias at 51Ks (cobble stone streets).

Gracias to La Esperanza 83Ks

Our original plan was to do this but we ran out of time and the weather in November was colder than we expected. The best information is at the Guancascos Hotel from Froni. She reported that the road has some broken pavement but is mostly pot holed dirt after the rainy season. San Juan is 37Ks and has private rooms. To San Juan is over the river bridge. Climb then back down to the river then climb to San Juan. From San Juan, climb as high as 2100 meters. La Esperanza is the “coldest place in Honduras” at 1600 meters. From La Esperanza there is a 65K paved Highway up to the main highway to Tegucigalpa. Other wise you can cut down into El Salvador. This road is also high, mountainous and rough. It would be a tough trip. (There’s unreliable transport in this area)

Gracias to Santa Rosa

(see above in reverse)

Santa Rosa to El Poy 95Ks

1K climb out of town then 9Ks mostly steep down. Good views. 2 wide lanes. Some rough parts and some pot holes. Light traffic with some trucks. At 10Ks, cross river and climb 3Ks of rolling hills then climb 7Ks. Mostly moderate then down (167 road marker) to a river at 30Ks. Then rolling. Strong north wind (tail). Narrow road at times. Light traffic. At 37Ks, start up a narrow river valley. Easy rolling hills. Pretty. The valley widens out. At road marker 203 start climb for 16Ks windy and long. Lots of wind. Top at road marker 218. About 2000 meters. Down mostly steep some gradual. Lots of curves. Descend for 20Ks into Nuevo Ocotepeque then rolling to El Poy for 8Ks. El Poy 95Ks.

Day-by Day Itinerary Honduras 1992

Border with El Salvador to Jicaro Galan 41Ks

All the roads in Honduras are excellent. Smooth, no traffic and well engineered. It’s ___Ks to Jicaro Galan and the intersection for Tegucigalpa (6Ks past Nacaome). No major climbs and easy grades.

Jicaro Galan to Tegucigalpa 95Ks

Highway CA5 heads north to Tegucigalpa from the hot coastal plain to the pine covered hills around the capital. At an altitude of 975 meters, Tegucigalpa has a fresh and pleasant climate and is much cooler than the coasts. First climb for 60Ks. Excellent road, well engineered, and little traffic. Traffic increases, however, toward Tegucigalpa. 17Ks down into Tegucigalpa. Finally a four lane road. Tegucigalpa sprawls over the pine covered hills. Up and down into town.

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Tegucigalpa to Danli 98Ks

Four lanes out of town to a four lane highway (follow signs to Danli). Good road. 15K climb then with little traffic down 20Ks into a valley. Continue in and out of small valleys. Another long climb up for 15Ks and finally a slight down into Danli. There’s sugar cane and tobacco grown here.

Danli to Las Manos (border with Nicaragua) 39Ks

South out of Danli. The road is poorer but has little traffic. Mostly easy riding to El Paraiso (29Ks) but there’s a 5K climb to the border at Las Manos. It’s a poor road.

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