Shopping

The best place for a wide selection of handicrafts, including Garífuna dolls, Lenca pottery, tribal textiles and jewelry, and other assorted items from around the region and country, is the Rain Forest Souvenir shop (Av. La Bastilla; tel. 504/443-2917). Alternatively, Souvenir El Buen Amigo (tel. 504/414-5504) has a variety of handicrafts and regional items at its two locations, beside Expatriates Restaurant in Barrio El Iman and on Avenida 14 de Julio, downtown. Piq' Art Gallery (Av. Morazán beside Farmacia Kielsa; tel. 504/440-4041; www.piqartgallery.com) sells paintings from Honduran artists as well as assorted crafts and furniture. They just opened a small cafe and plan on turning it into a B&B, too.

The new Mall Megaplaza, at Avenida Morazán and 22a Calle (no phone), is home to North American chain stores, fast-food restaurants, a movie theater, an Internet cafe, and a few banks. Visiting this mall makes for a completely un-Honduran experience, but there is air-conditioning. It's open daily from 10am to 9pm.

Even if you don't buy anything, it's worth the effort to just walk through La Ceiba's main rambling street market [S] to check out the mouthwatering fruits and vegetables on display. If you look hard enough, you'll find a baleada stand or two. For stuff like CDs, DVDs, shoes, sunglasses, beach towels, or crafts, look no further. The market is on 6a Calle and Avenida 14 de Julio, and is open Monday to Saturday from 6am to 5pm, and Sunday from 6am to noon. It costs L10 to L50 (50¢-$2.50/25p-£1.25) to enter the market grounds.