The Jeannette Kawas National Park, AKA Punta Sal National Park is the most popular nature attraction in Tela.
The Jeannette Kawas National Park, AKA Punta Sal National Park is the most popular nature attraction in Tela. Located in the far Western end of the Bay of Tela, Punta Sal National Park offers a lovely peninsula with two beautiful, pristine little bays on its Western end, as well as the Los Micos Lagoon and a long stretch of white sand beaches. This is a marine tour, since the only way to get to the Peninsula is by boat. Typically, the boats leave from either the Lancetilla River estuary or from the sand bars that form at the mouth of the Lancetilla River.
You will find that there are many different people and businesses offering this tour, and that the price can be easily negotiated. We do recommend that you take into consideration that since this tour deals with the ocean and vessels, hiring the wrong boat could get you into trouble if it breaks down or has a problem in high surf. Because of this, we highly recommend that you look for one of the certified Atlantida tour operators, who provide regular maintenance on their boats, and make sure that all the safety features are operating accordingly.
Duration of the Trip
The trip from Tela to Punta Sal will take between 35 and 45 minutes, depending on the surf conditions. En route, you will pass in front of the
Indura Beach and Golf Resort, the premier luxury resort on the Caribbean coast of Honduras. You will disembark at the land’s end of the peninsula for a short hike through the rainforest in a well kept trail across the peninsula, where you may see monkeys, both howler and white face, before you walk into a beautiful little cove called Puerto Escondido. Puerto Escondido has
white sand beaches, and fits perfectly into the idyllic picture perfect concept of the Caribbean. This small cove was once a hideout for pirates and buccaneers waiting on the Spanish Galleons that would sail past the Bay Islands loaded with silver and other goods en route towards Spain.
Beaches of Cocalito
You will find your boat waiting for you in Puerto Escondido, where you will board it again to navigate around the peninsula and then stop for lunch at the beautiful beaches of Cocalito. Here you will be able to purchase some food, as well as beverages. There are also some basic restrooms available to you here. Just off the coast you will find some reefs that are ideal for snorkeling, which you can do while the group is at the beach. Snorkeling equipment is included and your guides will be happy to help you out if you do not have previous snorkeling experience.
Tour Includes
The tour includes the park entrance fee, boat transportation, guides and
snorkel equipment. It does not include lunch or beverages, so make sure you bring some cash to pay for your lunch and drinks. It is also highly recommended that you bring some sun screen, a hat and of course your bathing suit. You will have many options for good pictures, so bring your camera, but make sure you have some waterproof container for it. A good resource is a ziplock bag. The tour usually departs at 8:00 a.m. and returns around 4:00 p.m., however surf conditions might make the tour a bit shorter.
The following tour operators are all reputable, follow the security protocols and offer good service: From Tela, use Garifuna Tours, Eco Di Mare Tours; from La Ceiba, you can hire Tourist Options.
