The pier
A long walk over the water.
Alfredobi — Public domain · Phoenix Crown — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Dennis Garcia — CC BY 3.0 · Alfredobi — Public domain · Alfredobi — Public domain
Amapala is a quiet town on El Tigre Island, «Tiger Island», in the Gulf of Fonseca on Honduras's Pacific coast. A green volcanic cone rises over the island, about 103 km in a straight line south of Tegucigalpa. Thanks to a natural deep channel, Amapala long served as the main Honduran port on the Pacific. It was founded in 1838, its port was opened and declared free in 1868, and it exported large amounts of gold and silver in the 19th century. By the 1970s the mainland port of San Lorenzo had replaced it. A local story says the island's name came from pirates who were likened to wild beasts. The town has old painted houses with wooden balconies and tile roofs around the square, and a yellow church with a clock tower. A long pier with lamp posts runs out into the water, ending in a gazebo with views of small islands and mountains across the gulf. Most residents fish, and colourful boats rest on the shore. Visitors reach the island by boat from the mainland. The area is hot and dry most of the year, so bring water and sunscreen. Ask the fishermen about boat trips around the islands.
A long walk over the water.
A clock tower on the square.
A green cone over the island.
El Tigre Island, Gulf of Fonseca, Valle, Honduras
By boat from the mainland; ask locally about times.
It was Honduras's main Pacific port.