The colonial center of Trujillo is built on a hill beside the town's fort, high up from the bay and surrounded by green mountains. A few roads lead down to the beach below the center, where there is a string of seafood shacks and the Garífuna neighborhood of Cristales. A single dirt road runs west along the coastline to the Garífuna communities of Santa Fe and Guadalupe. The airport, 1km (1/2 mile) away from Trujillo's center, is on the eastbound road outside of town. Puerto Castillo, Trujillo's deepwater port, is 8km (5 miles) east across the bay.

Visitor Information

Banco Atlántida, on the Parque Central, has a 24-hour ATM and will exchange traveler's checks. Internet access can be found at a number of small shops near the park or at Casa Kiwi. You can make long-distance phone calls at Hondutel, 1 block south of the park. For tourist information, see the Trujillo Pages (www.trujillohonduras.com).

Getting There

By Car

CA 13, which begins at El Progresso outside of San Pedro Sula, runs parallel to the coast all the way to Trujillo, first stopping in Tela and La Ceiba. Two more scenic roads run through the interior of the country through Olancho, Hwys. 39 and 23; but neither are well paved, and both are often impassable during heavy rain.

By Bus

The terminal for Cotuc (tel. 504/2444-2181) buses is in Barrio Cristales, although they also stop at the Texaco gas station towards the entrance to town, about a kilometer from the center. Cotuc buses travel daily to La Ceiba (L100; 3 hr.), Tela (L150; 4 1/2 hr.), and San Pedro Sula (L200; 6 hr.). Cotraipbal also runs buses to these destinations, which depart from the terminal next to the Texaco station, almost every other hour for the same price.

By Boat

While it isn't one of the high-speed super ferries that operate between Roatán, Utila, and La Ceiba, the Bimini Breeze (tel. 5042/987-0875) gets you back and forth between Trujillo and Guanaja, eventually. At last check, the ferry wasn't running on a regular basis, so be sure to call ahead for times. You can buy tickets directly on the boat for L650 or call for reservations.

Trujillo is also the jumping-off point for cargo boats down the Mosquito Coast that will take on passengers, which leave only sporadically from the Muelle de Cabotaje. Boats run to Brus Laguna at least once a week, usually leaving in the afternoon and arriving in the morning. The fee is L250.

Getting Around

Trujillo's center is easily navigable by foot, even when you factor in having to walk up and down the hill to the beach below. The bus terminal and many of the town's hotels will need to be reached by taxi, however. Local buses run sporadically to Santa Fe to the west, leaving from the old cemetery. More frequent buses head east to Puerto Castillo from the Texaco terminal.

Keep Exploring