Municipal beach
Golden sand and palms.
Olmantorres20 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Stefano Foggetti — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Olmantorres20 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Olmantorres20 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Olmantorres20 — CC BY-SA 4.0
Tela is a beach town on the northern Caribbean coast of Honduras, in Atlántida, home to about 40,000 people. It is known for its long, palm-shaded beaches and lies about 63 km in a straight line east of Omoa Fortress. The Spanish conquistador Cristóbal de Olid founded the town on 3 May 1524 near an indigenous settlement. In 1808 the Garifuna people founded communities along the coast around it. In 1914 it became an important port and the headquarters of the Tela Railroad Company, which ran banana farming, with its Honduran headquarters here until 1970, and a new town was built for its staff. The municipal beach of golden sand and rows of palms runs along the bay, backed by a promenade and big colourful letters spelling the town's name. The old railroad company office still stands in its calm white style, and the central square has trees and stalls. Sunset over the bay is one of the town's finest sights. Near town are the Lancetilla Botanical Garden, with its bamboo-lined paths, and Jeannette Kawas National Park. Swim only where others do, keep valuables secure, and ask locally which areas are safe to walk after dark.
Golden sand and palms.
A banana-era landmark.
The sun over the bay.
Tela, Atlántida, Honduras
Lancetilla Botanical Garden and Jeannette Kawas National Park.
Swim where others do, in calm seas.