Most travellers to Honduras head for the Bay Islands, where Roatán and Utila are among the most popular diving spots in the Caribbean, and many add the Maya ruins of Copán near the Guatemalan border. The mainland cities are mostly places to pass through: international flights land at San Pedro Sula, at Palmerola for Tegucigalpa, or directly on Roatán. Honduras is outside the EU's Roam Like at Home area, so a European tariff charges its operator's own roaming rates there.
Key facts for Honduras
- EU roaming: not covered by Roam Like at Home
- Local networks: Claro (depending on the plan)
- Emergency numbers: 911
- Embassies: in Tegucigalpa
Safety on the mainland
Honduras has one of the highest rates of violent crime in Latin America, although most of it does not involve tourists. Avoid walking around Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula and the other large mainland cities, use a taxi booked through your hotel or a reputable company, and never travel by road between cities after dark. If you are robbed, hand over what is demanded: people have been hurt resisting. The US government bars its staff from the Gracias a Dios department, in the remote La Mosquitia region.
Roatán, Utila and the Bay Islands
Coverage is good in West End, West Bay and Coxen Hole on Roatán and around the village on Utila, though it fades on the quieter coves. Ferries link La Ceiba with both islands, and English is widely spoken. Petty theft is common, so ask your hotel which cash machines to use, especially on Roatán. Medical facilities on the islands are very limited: there is a hyperbaric chamber on Roatán and recompression facilities on Utila, but check that your insurance covers diving and evacuation.
Copán and the west
Copán Ruinas, the small town beside the Maya site, has decent coverage, as do the main roads to Lake Yojoa and San Pedro Sula. For longer journeys, use a reputable shuttle or a first-class private bus rather than the crowded local buses, which are poorly maintained.
Weather and protests
The hurricane season runs from June to November, and landslides and floods can cut roads. Demonstrations, mostly in Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula and La Ceiba, can turn violent and block roads at short notice, and foreigners are banned from political activity.
Paying
The currency is the lempira, and US dollars are widely accepted for payment and exchange. Use cash machines in shopping centres during the day, check them for signs of tampering, and keep a small amount of cash separate from the rest.
Getting connected
A travel eSIM installed before your flight connects as soon as you land in San Pedro Sula, Palmerola or Roatán, and your usual number still receives texts and bank codes. If your route continues to Guatemala, El Salvador or Nicaragua, a Latin America or Americas plan covers them all.
Honduran prepaid SIMs from Tigo or Claro are sold in phone shops and shopping centres; take your passport.
Consular protection: who to call in Honduras
- 911 connects you with the police, an ambulance or the fire brigade.
- Embassies are in Tegucigalpa. The Telcomia app shows yours, with address and phone.
- If you are an EU citizen and your country has no embassy or consulate in Honduras, the embassy of any other EU country must help you on the same terms as its own nationals (Article 23 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU).
- Off the Bay Islands, little English is spoken, so the app's Spanish emergency phrases are worth having ready.
Questions travellers ask about Honduras
Does my EU plan work in Honduras?
No: Honduras is outside Roam Like at Home, so roaming is charged at your operator's own rates.
Is there signal on Roatán and Utila?
Yes, in the main villages and resorts; it weakens on the more remote beaches.
Which networks does a Telcomia eSIM use in Honduras?
Claro, with 4G where available.
What is the emergency number?
911, for every emergency service.
The short version
Install the eSIM before you fly, avoid road travel after dark, keep city walks to a minimum, check your dive insurance for the Bay Islands, and save 911.
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