¡Bienvenidos! Welcome to the heart of Central America—Honduras, a country of lush rainforests, towering mountains, and ancient Mayan history. There are around 11 million people living here, and the capital is Tegucigalpa, nestled in a high mountain valley. The official language is Spanish.

Honduras covers about 112,492 square kilometers (43,433 square miles). The country is roughly the same size as the state of Virginia in the U.S., or about the same size as Bulgaria in Europe. It has two coastlines: a long one on the Caribbean Sea and a small, rugged opening to the Pacific Ocean in the south.

The most popular sport is Football, which is followed with incredible passion across the nation. Their national animal is the White-tailed Deer, while the vibrant Scarlet Macaw is the national bird, often seen flying over ancient ruins.

The flag consists of three horizontal stripes of turquoise and white with five turquoise stars in the center, where the turquoise stripes represent the two oceans and the five stars symbolize the five original nations of the United Provinces of Central America and the hope for their future reunion.

The food is comforting and full of flavor. You must try the Baleada, which is a thick flour tortilla folded over mashed fried beans, cheese, and mantequilla (Honduran sour cream). Another favorite is Sopa de Caracol (conch soup), a Caribbean-style specialty cooked in coconut milk with spices and yuca. Honduras is also a world-class producer of Coffee, which grows perfectly in the high-altitude mountains.

Honduras is home to the Copán Ruins, an ancient Maya city famous for its intricate stone carvings and the longest “hieroglyphic stairway” in the Maya world. If you love the ocean, the Bay Islands (Roatán, Utila, and Guanaja) sit on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the second-largest coral reef system in the world, offering some of the best diving and snorkeling on the planet. For nature enthusiasts, the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve is a massive “Green Lung” of tropical rainforest and a UNESCO site filled with jaguars and exotic birds. Honduras is also unique for the “Lluvia de Peces” (Rain of Fish), a phenomenon in the city of Yoro where, legend has it, hundreds of small silver fish fall from the sky during massive rainstorms every year.

From the misty cloud forests of La Tigra to the white sandy beaches of the Caribbean, Honduras is a land of natural wonder and ancient heritage. ¡Gracias! That means “Thank you!”