4th – 8th August, 2023
The journey to Lake Yojoa was without incident. The reason that I feel a need to mention this is because I passed through San Pedro Sulla which is infamous for being one of the most dangerous cities in the world. I have seldom heard a conversation during my travels where someone has mentioned this city without people then discussing how dangerous it is.
I have looked more into this, and it is true that it once was the murder capital of the world back in 2012 – when its homicide rate peaked at 173 per 100,000 – but it has since dropped to 36. This still places it in the top fifty in the world – so it is still a cause for concern – but to put that in perspective; Cancun in Mexico scores higher, and so do several cities in the United States which don’t seem to come with the same grave warning whenever they are mentioned. Also, most of the murders in San Pedro Sulla are gang-related and rarely affect tourists. When I passed through, I did not linger – as it didn’t have anything that would interest me anyway – and I was actually quite impressed by how modern its bus station was.
A few hours later, I arrived at Los Naranjos; a little village by the shore of Lake Yojoa. Like almost everyone who visits this place I stayed at D&D Brewery. It is the place that pioneered tourism in this area and still to this day possesses its only backpacker-friendly lodgings.
I found it to be deserving of its status. They have created a beautiful ambience by cultivating a lush jungle between all of their cabins connected by pathways, a great restaurant area with plenty of power points, a firepit area (which they light up most nights), and hammocks.
I have over the years learnt to be a bit suspicious when it comes to isolated accommodation. A lot of places will take advantage of their guests relying upon them and inflate their menu prices, but this place has not let their status – nor the fact that they have a monopoly – affect them, and everything is still reasonable. I think it is because they do not seem to rely primarily on backpackers for their income anyway; during my stay, I noticed that they are busiest during lunchtime when daytrippers arrive. The evenings, by comparison, were quiet. The first night of my stay I had the eight-bed dorm to myself, and after that there were never more than three of us.
One of the other things that I found refreshing about this place is that they provide their guests with plenty of information about things they can do in the area independently – instead of just trying to push expensive tours onto them like many places do these days. They do have some tours on offer for their guests, but they are not pushy with them. They seem to understand how hospitality works because this approach makes people feel inclined to stay longer. During my five days here I went to several places, including:
Pulhapanzak Waterfall, which was just a short bus journey away. The pictures speak for themselves. It was very beautiful.
I also went for a hike up the nearby Cerro Las Nalgas, a route that passed through some farms and then into the jungle until I reached the top which had two viewpoints. One overlooking Los Narajos.
And another with a view of the lake.
But the place where I spent most of my time was Parque Arqueológico Los Naranjos. Which was not only interesting for its mysterious ruins.
And its little museum, which is home to some pottery and some information about the history of the area.
It also has a lovely boardwalk by the wetlands at the shore of the lake.
But mostly, this place was remarkable for its birdlife. It is home to over five hundred known species.
I came here almost every day during my stay. Usually in the morning and always with my camera.
And, well, I think we all know by now that I am not a professional photographer. There are certainly better photos that can be found of all of these birds online.
But it is still nice to be able to post my own snaps and know that I was the one who took them.
And let us not forget the thing that D&D Brewery is named after; beer. I am usually more of a wine or cider drinker myself but I found myself having a glass or two each evening. They even do taster platters where you can try them all.
Once again, Honduras has surprised me with more fond memories that I will take with me. This country keeps exceeding my expectations, and I expect that to continue when I head to Utila for some scuba diving.
For more photos from Lake Yojoa, click here.
Tej Turner 