Trujillo
A quiet bay town on the northeastern coast, the first Spanish settlement on the American mainland, with a fort above the beach.
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Trujillo sits on a deep bay backed by the Capiro y Calentura hills, and it was founded in 1525, which makes it the first Spanish town established on the mainland of the Americas. The Santa Bárbara fort still stands above the beach with its cannon facing the water. The bay is calm, the sand is pale, the Garífuna community at Santa Fe is along the coast west, and the town is slow enough that most days almost nothing happens in it.
What you actually see
- Fortaleza Santa Barbara - the Spanish fort above the beach with its guns facing the bay.
- The bay - deep, calm water with pale sand and hills behind.
- The old town - a small colonial grid on the slope above the shore.
- The Garifuna coast - Santa Fe and other communities west along the shore.
When to go
February to May is the driest window on this coast. September to January is wet. The bay is sheltered and stays swimmable when the coast further west is rough.
Honest expectations
The road east from La Ceiba is long and the last section is slow. The town has limited accommodation and few restaurants outside the season. The fort is small and the visit is short.
Nearby
Santa Fe and the Garifuna coast are west, and the Rio Platano biosphere lies far to the east.
What to pack for Trujillo
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.