Bus Travel

Collective pickup trucks, or pailas, make stops in Batalla, but no buses or taxis make their way into La Mosquitía (save for local trucks that run along a dirt road in Laguna de Ibans to Raista and Belén). The six-hour ride is long and grueling, especially when the highway ends and trucks hit the beach, but at a negotiable rate of L500, the fare is far less costly than a plane ticket. Passengers can pay fewer lempiras to sit in the truck bed, although low-lying tree branches and erratic driving make this a riskier option.

Trucks head out at 7 am from the central market in Tocoa, a town two hours southeast of La Ceiba. Cotraipbal and Cotuc bus lines leave La Ceiba for Trujillo at 3 am and make stops along the way in Tocoa. Pickups return from Batalla the next day at 6 "am." During the rainy season, trips may be cancelled or severely delayed due to flooding on the beach route.

Bus Information

Cotraipbal. Carretera La Ceiba–Tela, Bo. Buenos Aires, La Ceiba, Atlántida. 441–2182.

Cotuc. Carretera La Ceiba–Tela, Bo. Buenos Aires, La Ceiba, Atlántida. 441–2182; 434–3777.