Tours and Excursions in Southern Honduras
The area around Choluteca offers many different options for the traveler tho wishes to see more of this unique area in the neighborhood of the Gulf of Fonseca. Following our your best alternatives

Amapala, Tiger Island
A historical landmark in Honduras, that is featured on the front of the two lempira bills, this unique town in the island of the tiger is the largest town on the largest pacific island of Honduras. Although an island, it is fairly easy to get to Amapala. You must first get to the fishing town of Coyolito, buses to Coyolito run frequently from San Lorenzo, as well as from Choluteca. Once in Coyolito, you can hire a motor launch to take across the channel to the island. The trip will take you under 30 minutes, and cost you approximately 35 Lps per person each way . Once at the dock at Amapala, which used to be the main Honduran port in the pacific until recently, check out the charming little town, which although somewhat run down, still shows the glamour of yesteryear in the architecture of its main buildings. There is a road that goes around the island, which you can follow to reach the different beaches in the island. Playa Grande and Playa Negra are the most popular ones, with the nicest hotel on the island located on Playa Negra and many little beach champas offering restaurant and bar service in Playa Grande. There is also a road that leads to the top of almost perfect conical extinct volcano on the island From here, you can enjoy spectacular views of the Gulf. If you are headed for El Salvador, there is cuasi regular service to La Union in El Salvador. There is local immigration and customs service at Amapala, so getting a stamp on your passport prior to departure is no problem.
There is an hospedaje on the street facing the dock in addition to the Hotel Playa Negra that offers air-conditioned rooms and a small beach.

Bahia de Chismuyo Wildlife Refuge
Located very close to the border with El Salvador, this wildlife refuge is only accessible by water and offers a unique window into the wildlife of the Pacific coast of Honduras. To get there, you must first reach the fishing town of Coyolito, where you can hire a launch to take you to the reserve. A round trip will take at least a couple of hours including time to cruise the channels thorough the mangrove forests that line the bay. Bring along your own food and water. If you don’t, food is available at the champas on the dock at Coyolito. Remember, this is a protected wildlife area, please help us keep it clean!

Shrimp Farms
The area around the Gulf of Fonseca offers unique conditions for shrimp farming. Because of this, there are a variety of shrimp farms now operating in the region that provide an important number of jobs to residents, as well as a very important generation of foreign currency via the growing shrimp exports. Access to the farms is limited, but if you want to have access to one of the farms, check out the front desks at the major hotels, they will be able to assist you in negotiating an entrance pass.

City Tour of Choluteca
Although there are now operating city tours of Choluteca, it is worth while to take a stroll through the downtown area of this unique city, considered to have the best preserved colonial architecture in the country. I recommend that you do so in the late evening, to enjoy your walk once the heat of the day has passed. Of special historical interest is the house where Jose Cecilio del Valle, one of the important national heroes was born, located almost across from the main square. The old Colonial Cathedral is also of interest.