Honduras

Nature takes center stage in Honduras. More than half of the country is covered in forests. Mountain highlands sport cloud forests of pine, oak, birch, and alder trees. Valleys lush from tropical rains are blanketed in mahogany, lignum vitae, Spanish cedar, balsa, rosewood, and ceiba trees. Pine-covered lowland savannas transition to coastal palm groves and mangrove ecosystems. These rich and varied ecosystems are home to Central America’s profuse and varied bird life, totaling more than 750 species.

Eco-adventurers can explore La Mosquitia reserve, the largest and least explored expanse of pristine lowland rainforest in Central America. Paddlers navigate the mangrove mazes of the Gulf of Fonseca on the country’s Pacific coast, while divers and snorkelers find pristine reefs and colorful marine life on Caribbean coral reefs in the Bay Islands.