Punta Sal

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Punta Sal National Park

Tourists at Punta SalLocated on the western end of the Bay of Tela, the Punta Sal National Park takes its name from the rocky point that juts out into the sea. Based on its size and biodiversity, the park is one of the most important national parks in Honduras. The small bays within the park served as havens to the pirates and buccaneers of yesteryear.  The peninsula forms a natural barrier that protects the bay and port of Tela from the "nortes" that blow during the winter months. The park has two separate, well defined areas: the peninsula and the lagoon.

The peninsula, is only accessible by sea, and there is a symbolic fee of  Lps. 95.00  (5 USA dollar) that is collected upon your arrival to the park. The fee is handled by the pro-ecology group PROLANSATE, a non profit private organization dedicated to the preservation and development of the park. There are several tour operators within Tela that offer tours  by motor launch. The trip itself takes about one hour  before arriving at the park. A vast natural beauty awaits the traveler: white sand beaches, an exotic and very exuberant jungle and a very attractive coral reef are the main attractions. During the tour, it is quite possible to encounter different animals, such as dolphins, monkeys and of course a large variety of tropical birds, giving an added spice to your tour.

The Lagoon, known as the Micos Lagoon, is the area with the highest population of birds in the park. During the "summer"  (In Central America, the dry season is referred to as the summer, being in fact the  months of December through May) you will find up to 350 different species of birds living within the lagoon! The lagoon is surrounded by mangroves, forming canals and cayes where other types of tropical plants and trees coexist.  To the east, the lagoon is separated from the sea by a narrow tongue of sand, forming an extensive and very beautiful beach.

The Garifuna village of  Miami is built precisely on this sand bar, and offers a true cultural patrimony of the Bay of Tela, allowing visitors to experience life the way these villagers have lived for over two hundred years, since they established themselves on the North Coast of Honduras.  The village, built entirely of thatched huts, makes the tour to Punta Sal both a natural as well as a cultural experience.

 

Dolphin

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