About Honduras
Honduras is the second largest country in Central America, and 75% of the land is made up of a jumble of rugged mountain ranges. It is also home to the largest tropical rainforest north of the Amazon, and these vast rainforests mean that there is remarkable biodiversity for such a small country. Honduras is home to 200 species of mammals, 300 species of reptiles and over 700 species of birds. The rugged landscape means, however, that there is only a small proportion of arable land – just 9.52% compared to 13.22% in Guatemala.
The people of Honduras come from ten distinct ethnic groups. Five are indigenous, and five have emerged post-conquest due to immigration and mixing. Spanish is the main language of Honduras, but English is widely spoken in the Bay Islands, and Garifuna is spoken in some villages along the north coast.
Honduras is one of the poorest countries of Latin America with a per capita GDP of approximately $4400. The country has enormous foreign debt and is one of just seven countries outside Sub-Saharan Africa to qualify for aid from the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiative in 2006. Inequality is a big problem. Nearly two-thirds of the population of Honduras live in poverty. The bottom 40% of households earn just 9% of total household income. Approximately 28% of the adult population is unemployed.
The Honduran Public School school system has been plagued with its own share of problems during the last few years. Both teacher and student strikes have caused schools across the entire country to close for months at a time. Primary school enrollment in 200? was 79% and adult literacy 84%.
From the experiences of our volunteers, the people of Honduras are some of the kindest, most welcoming, people you could hope to meet. The generosity, warmth and support which they provide to our volunteer teachers, despite language, cultural, and economic differences has been a life changing and integral part of many volunteers’ experiences in Cofradia.
Based on www.unicef.org
Things to do and see in Honduras
Volunteer teachers receive 2 weeks vacation at Christmas and 1 week at Easter. In addition to this there are a number of 3 or 4 day weekends due to public holidays. The following destinations are all accessible by volunteers on weekends or long weekends (except for the Bay Islands). In addition to these destinations past volunteers have travelled, during vacations, to Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Cuba, Belize, the Mosquito Coast and Mexico.
Tela is a beach town on the north coast of Honduras just a 2 hour bus journey from Cofradia. From Tela you can take day trips to beautiful beaches, wildlife reserves, Garifuna villages or just enjoy the restaurants, shops and nightlife available in town.
La Ceiba is the third largest city in Honduras and is a 3-4 hour bus journey from Cofradia. La Ceiba is the adventure sports centre of Honduras. On day trips you can go hiking in the rainforest, wildlife watching, white water rafting, horseback riding, zip lining and on rainforest canopy tours. La Ceiba also hosts La Feria de San Isidro in May. It is the largest carnival in Honduras and, some say, in all of Central America!
Cayos Cochinos are comprised of 2 small islands and 13 little cays. They are located a short distance off the north coast of Honduras. With white sand beaches, turquoise water and palm trees galore they are the epitome of Caribbean beauty. Nearby reefs also make for excellent snorkelling. Most islands are off limits to tourists as they are protected by the national park, however, on one island there lives a small Garifuna community which you can visit for the day or overnight.
The Bay Islands are located an hour by boat from La Ceiba. Life on the Bay Islands is a world apart from mainland Honduras. The best diving in Central America is available here on the second largest reef system in the world and it is also one of the cheapest places in the world to gain your PADI diving qualification. The islands also offer excellent beaches, restaurants and nightlife.
Copan Ruinas is a beautiful cobblestone town 3-5 hours by bus from Cofradia. Just 10 minutes walk from Copan Ruinas is the Copan archaeological site, the only major Maya site in Honduras. The ruins are home to some of the world’s best preserved Maya carvings. You can also visit hot springs near to Copan and there are opportunities for hiking too.
Lago de Yojoa is Honduras’ largest and most beautiful lake. It is a 2-4 hour bus journey from Cofradia depending on the area you wish to visit. There are fantastic bird watching opportunities around the lake, hiking trails and an impressive waterfall.
Cusuco National Park is an beautiful cloud forest located just 2 hours away in the mountains surrounding Cofradia. The park has abundant wildlife and a number of different hiking trails, waterfalls and swimming holes. It also provides volunteers with a welcome escape from the heat of Cofradia!