When is the best time to visit Honduras?

09.01.2024 - 07:27 / lonelyplanet.com

A warm, subtropical climate makes Honduras an ideal year-round destination so the best time to visit depends on what you want to do when you arrive.

Many outdoor activities are weather-dependent and, just to add a little spice to your travel planning, some parts of Honduras remain dry while the rest of the country gets lashed by tropical deluges.

Whenever you visit, be prepared both for sun and rain and pack a sweater for the cooler highlands. Here’s our guide to the best time to visit Honduras.

Sunny, warm days and brisk nights draw visitors to Honduras to explore the Maya ruins of Copán, hike in the mountains around Lago de Yojoa, and soak up the atmosphere in the quirky coastal town of Trujillo. This is Honduras’ busiest season and hotel prices spike around New Year and during Easter.

It’s also the driest time to hit the Bay Islands, where you can head beneath the waves to explore the world’s second-largest barrier reef – visibility is best between January and March.

January is a relatively quiet month, as everyone goes back to work after the Christmas celebrations and the Día de los Reyes Magos parades on January 6.

It’s cold at night in Santa Rosa de Copán, Tegucigalpa and other high-altitude destinations, but it’s a great time to head out to the Bay Islands where balmy temperatures and the last of the winter rains are a boon for beach bums and scuba divers alike.

February is the driest month of the year and that means terrific visibility for scuba divers visiting Roatán and Utila; if you’re lucky, you may spot the first solitary whale shark of the year.

It’s a wonderful time to explore the Maya ruins at Santa Rosa de Copán, but pack a sweater or two for the cold nights. Feria de la Virgen de Suyapa is celebrated across the country on February 3.

Easter is one of the biggest festivals in Honduras and highlights include solemn processions and carpets of flowers. While the highlands are beginning to see rain showers, they rarely last long, and warmer evenings bring an influx of visitors to Santa Rosa de Copán.

May brings the start of the rainy season in mainland Honduras; daytime temperatures remain hot and muggy. Coastal La Ceiba kicks off its two-week-long carnival – the biggest party in Central America, complete with costumed parades, exuberant dancing in the streets and live music.

It’s still relatively dry in the Bay Islands in June but it’s one of the hottest and rainiest months of the year in the rest of Honduras. In the forests, savannahs, and grasslands to the far east of the country, humidity is close to 100% and hurricanes begin to form in the Atlantic.

If you have your heart set on spotting whale sharks, July is the time to visit the Bay Islands. It's the peak of the annual whale shark migration,