Everyday practical information for Honduras

The basics

• Plugs are the American flat two-pin, type A and B, at 120 V.
• Spanish is the language on the mainland. On the Bay Islands, English is widely spoken as a first language - an Antillean Creole English that predates Spanish there. This surprises people and makes Roatan far easier than the mainland.
• Garifuna communities on the north coast have their own language and culture, and it is worth knowing they are a distinct people rather than a variation.
• UTC-6 all year. Dialling code +504, eight-digit numbers, no area codes.

Two countries in one

• The Bay Islands feel Caribbean and the mainland feels Central American, and the difference is not marketing. Prices, language, food and pace all change on the ferry.
• A trip that does both needs to plan for that, particularly the budget.

Climate

• Hot and humid on both coasts year round; the interior mountains are cooler.
• Rainy season roughly May to November, and the north coast is wetter than the Pacific side.
• Hurricane season June to November.

Small things

• Copan is an hour from the Guatemalan border and is often done as a side trip from Antigua - which for a British passport now needs a Honduran visa arranged weeks in advance.
• Cash in small notes, and keep US dollars for the border.
• Sunday is quiet and much closes.