Amapala

Amapala sits on El Tigre, a volcanic cone rising straight out of the Gulf of Fonseca, and it was Honduras's main Pacific port until the mainland facilities at San Lorenzo took the trade in the 1970s. What is left is a small town of wooden and adobe buildings around a bay, a road that circles the island, black-sand beaches, and a view across the gulf to El Salvador and Nicaragua. A track climbs the cone to a viewpoint near the top.

History

Local legend says El Tigre got its name from pirates led by Francis Drake, whose men the islanders saw as wild beasts, though Drake probably never stayed here and later pirates such as William Dampier did. Amapala was founded in 1838 and its port was opened and declared free in 1868; in the 19th century it exported large quantities of gold, silver and other ores, in 1895 El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua signed the Treaty of Amapala here, and by the mid-1970s the mainland port of San Lorenzo had gradually taken over its role (Wikipedia, Amapala).

The main sights

• The old port town - wooden and adobe buildings around the bay, largely as they were.
• The volcanic cone - El Tigre rising to around 780 metres, climbed by track.
• The black beaches - volcanic sand on the southern and western shores.
• The three-country view - across the Gulf of Fonseca to El Salvador and Nicaragua.

When to go

November to April is the dry season on the Pacific side. The gulf is hot year-round and the climb is best at dawn. The crossing from Coyolito is short and runs through the day.

Good to know

The island is hot, dry and dusty, and the town is faded rather than picturesque. Accommodation is limited and simple. The climb up the cone is unshaded and hard work in the heat.

Nearby

San Lorenzo is on the mainland shore, and Coyolito is the ferry landing.