Tours
Guided tours are hands down the best way to experience La Mosquitía.
Under the guidance of a tour group, travelers can take in the exceptional landscapes and infinite wildlife without having to fret about where to stay, how to get there, or if they have enough cash on hand for dinner. La Moskitia Ecoaventuras and La Ruta Moskitia are particularly reputable tour companies and work with the local community to protect the region's pristine ecosytems.
The culturally focused Garífuna Tours' operator offers a four-day, three-night trek to Las Marías and Brus Laguna. Honduras Tourist Options is a family-run enterprise that offers a five-day rugged adventure in the Río Plátano reserve. La Moskitia Ecoaventuras' head guide Jorge Salaverri is an expert on the region. His highly regarded tour company offers 8- and 12-day rafting trips, plus jungle treks and wildlife excursions. La Rita Moskitia consists of six indigenous communities coordinating to offer four- to nine-day land- or air-based cultural and ecotourism packages. The Web site is also an invaluable resource for the intrepid few who want to map their own excursions. The international Mesoamerican Ecotourism Alliance teams up with area experts and guides to promote sustainable tourism and local development. In La Mosquitía, the alliance has 14-day rafting trips down the Río Plátano and 9-day hikes geared at bird-watching.
La Ceiba's most popular rafting outfitter, Omega Tours, has beginner-level rain-forest treks, plus challenging river expeditions for experienced outdoor travelers. Anthropologist Dr. Christopher Begley heads rain-forest rafting trips with The Exploration Foundation, a U.S.-based tour operator. Excursions focus on archeological ruins and cultural encounters. German-run Turtle Tours has guided trips to the Río Plátano reserve and La Mosquitía's Caribbean end.
Tour Operators
Garífuna Tours. Ave. San Isidro, 1ra Calle, La Ceiba, Atlántida. 440–3252; www.garifunatours.com.
Honduras Tourist Options. Blvd. 15 de Septiembre near the Central Bank, La Ceiba, Atlántida. 443–0337; 440–0265; www.hondurastouristoptions.com.
La Moskitia Ecoaventuras. Col. El ToronjalOne block north of Pollitos la Cumbre, La Ceiba, Atlántida. 441–2480; www.lamoskitia.hn.
La Ruta Moskitia. 406–6782; 3391–3388; www.larutamoskitia.com.
Mesoamerican Ecotourism Alliance. 800/682–0582; www.travelwithmea.org.
Omega Tours. El Naranjo, south of La Ceiba, 440–0334; 9631–0295; www.omegatours.info.
The Exploration Foundation. 859/608–2478; www.explorationfoundation.org.
Turtle Tours. La Ceiba, 429–2284; www.turtle-tours.com.
