Honduras

handicrafts

Handicrafts - Honduras is famous for its Lenca ceramics and cotton sock manufacturing.

If visiting San Pedro Sula, be sure to visit El Mercado Guamilito. You will find many wonderful and cheap handicrafts like hand carved wooden boxes, Lencan pottery, hammocks, paintings, leather products from Nicaragua, and beautiful hand-woven fabrics from Guatemala.

Leather Items - Honduran leather items are of fine quality at only a fraction of the price they would be overseas, making your visit to Honduras a great time to purchase these. Bags, attaché cases, belts, wallets and even garments are a bargain. One of the producers in San Pedro Sula whose quality is up to par with international standards is Danilo's Pura Piel.

Honduras has a long history as a silver mining country. Excellent artisans work the silver and produce very artistic and high quality silver products and jewelry. There are several different jewelers in town. Another popular item are paintings by Honduran artists. These usually depict colonial towns and mountain landscapes that are typical of Honduras. The best selection of these can be found at the Maymo art Gallery.

Valle de Angeles, a town near Tegucigalpa, is also known for its beautiful handicrafts, such as carved boxes and tables, hammocks, etc.

money

The National currency of Honduras is the Lempira but, like almost everywhere in Central America, the U.S. Dollar acts as a second currency and nearly every business accepts both. The U.S. Dollar is the main currency on the Bay Islands due to the frequency of cruises that come by and by looking around, there are a lot of Americans. It is wise to carry small bills under $20, especially $2 bills considered lucky and makes a good tip. It is very important to use only bills printed recently and to avoid notes with tears.

ATM's can be found in most cities. Some ATM's dispense both U.S. Dollars and Lempiras and nearly all can be used in English. Be sure to bring cash to the Bay Islands because they do not have very many ATMs. Nearly all banks exchange money just make sure to bring your passport for identification purposes.

As of July 2011, there are 19 Lempiras to one Dollar and 27L for 1€. Sometimes it may be cheaper to buy in Lempiras.

If going to another country, exchanges all lempiras as they are useless once you leave the country, but they can be exchanged at most borders.

malls

There is always plenty to do while vacationing in Honduras. In San Pedro, things that revolve around shopping include visiting the City Mall and Metroplaza Mall. In these Westernized areas you can stock up on practical necessities such as adventure clothing for upcoming trips into the Honduran hinterland. Or, if you just like shopping, you can buy clothes and goods for everyday use at pleasingly cheap prices.Mercado de Artesanias Guamilito

Leather goods are particularly famous from here, though in truth you can find just about anything, from clothes to trinkets to food and drinks. The Mercado forcibly calls for you to use your bartering skills; obtaining the price you want can prove one of the more difficult—and therefore rewarding—activities in San Pedro Sula.