Travel Photos: The Textures of Honduras

I’m really enjoying Honduras and there is no shortage of things to photograph. Peeling paint, decaying buildings, rusted iron and weathered wood are everywhere, much to my delight. Unfortunately, it’s rainy season so getting a good shot without taking a shower can be a challenge.

The Mayan ruins at Copan were a lot harder to capture on film (well, you know what I mean) than I’d hoped. The sun is up by 6:00am here and the park doesn’t open until 8:00, so the light isn’t ideal. Many of the buildings and stelas are covered by structures to protect them from the elements. It’s still an amazing place to wander and explore, especially if you get there early — standing alone in the middle of a 1,000 year-old ball court was an incredible experience.

Copan Ruinas is a lovely mountain town and is a great place to spend a couple of days. Often towns near major tourist sites are kind of ‘one trick ponies’ and just serve as a base to spend the night while visiting the main draw. But Copan Ruinas has it’s own charm and is great place to relax and explore.

The beach town of Tela on the north coast is a good spot to stop en route to the popular island of Utila. It’s a popular tourist stop for Hondurans and has a nice beach, good food and a relaxed vibe.

Utila Island is the main backpacker destination here and is the cheapest place in the world to get your PADI diving certification. It can be as rowdy or relaxed an experience as you like, too, with bars that stay open late and hammocks that are open all day.

Hanging out, waiting on the sunset by the main dock.

It was worth the wait.