As the violent reputation of Honduras starts to die down, more and more people are slowly beginning to visit Honduras. However, those who do visit often bury their nose in guidebooks and fail to explore places off the beaten path. Yes, you can see Mayan ruins, ride horses, scuba dive for wicked cheap but what if I told you that there’s another part of Honduras that is waiting to be explored?
It’s the rural village called Zambrano, located in the countryside just 20 miles from Comayagua and about a 40 minute drive from the country’s capital, Tegucigalpa (or Tegus as the locals like to call it).
Zambrano is the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of the city, overly crowded tourist areas and a great opportunity to discover a place not found in your typical guidebook. It is also a safer alternative to staying in Tegucigalpa.
The town’s peaceful nature is something you don’t want to miss out on, there are plenty of things to do in the area such as hiking up mountains, visiting locals in near by villages, riding a horse, visiting beautiful waterfalls, or just plain out chilling and relaxing. You can also do day trips to the neighboring cities like Comayagua, and Tegucigalpa.
The cooler climate, and the mountainous and peaceful environment of Zambrano will have you forgetting you are even in Honduras. Backpackers coming from, or going to Nicaragua wouldn’t wanna skip this charming little village.
Please Note: There are no ATM or banks in the town. The nearest bank or ATM is 30 mins away.
Where To Stay:
Caserio Valuz, a beautiful inn, nestled in the hills of peaceful Zambrano is the perfect place to stay. The countryside inn was designed and build by the owner Jorge Valle-Aguiluz and has a number of rooms available, including a dormitory for backpackers. Each of the rooms has their own private bath and some even have a private balcony with a hammock waiting to be used.
There is a bar located on the premises as well as a restaurant where guests can order breakfast, lunch and dinner all made by the owner himself. Jorge also offers a variety of activities to his guests such as, horse-back riding, village tours, Spanish classes and so much more.
The inn is beautiful but the hospitality of the owner is what makes Caserio Valuz different from the rest and one of the best places we stayed in Honduras. I might even say in Central America.
Meet The Owner
Jorge has a huge heart and is amazingly friendly, knowledgeable and a well seasoned traveler. After closing his popular restaurant in Tegus, he followed his heart and built his dream hotel, Caserio Valuz in the country side of Honduras.
Jorge hospitality is like no other, he likes to share stories with his guests, take them around town to meet locals, explore the surrounding area and if your lucky, he might even take you on a hike to a nearby waterfall.
You will come as a guest but will leave as a friend, that’s a guarantee!
Prices
Prices for private rooms range from $60- $103 per night.
For budget travelers, there are bunk beds in a 10 person dormitory room available. There is a private bath in the room, as well as a small private kitchen.
Normally the prices are:
- From 1 to 3 people: US$20.50
- From 4 to 7 people: US$18.50
- From 8 to 10 people: US$16.50
However, if you mention Road Affair, Jorge will give you a discounted price of $15 per person no matter how many people you have in your group.
How To Get To Caserio Valuz
– Coming from San Pedro Sula take any bus heading to Tegus. You will want to get off by the 3rd pedestrian’s bridge, in the town of Zambrano or you can just ask the driver’s helper to let you know when you reach Zambrano. You will know that you are close when the bus passes through Comayagua.
– Coming from Tegus, get off at the first pedestrian bridge or simply ask the driver’s helper to let you know when you reach Zambrano.
No matter from what direction you come, the bus will drop you off at the village entrance. From there you can either walk or take a five minute mototaxi ride for 15.00 Lempiras (~$0.60 USD) to Caserio Valuz.
Address: 1 km 1.5 Camino a La Catarata Escondida. Zambrano, Francisco Morazan
For more information about Caserio Valuz visit the website or contact Jorge via email at [email protected].
So now you have no excuse not to visit Zambrano, you know it’s off the beaten path, you know what you can do there, where to stay and how to get there. The only thing left is YOU. What are you wanting for, go now before this hidden gem is no longer a secret and is polluted with tourist.
Héctor Enrique Gutiérrez González
It is great to read this review, in 1999 my mother was in charge of the first park of Honduras, that is called Parque Zambrano, located on the right side of the road leading to San Pedro Sula, we had the time of our lives living in Zambrano, it was a treat not just for the eyes, it is a jewel for the heart. I certify even as a Mexican produce made in Honduras that got the fortune to meet Jorge, Caserío Valuz, Zambrano and I just wanted to certify that this wanderful review falls short faced by the beauty, ness and big hearted people depicted in it.
Paul Velasquez
Hi. I really enjoyed your article about Zambrano. I am a native from Honduras living in the USA. I had been to Zambrano a couple of times. The area is beautiful and safe. I will like to mention also other small villages near Tegucigalpa, worth of a day or 2 days trip. They are Ojojona, a peaceful town famous for its pottery and pleasant climate. Santa Lucia and Valle de Angeles are about 30 minutes away from Tegus. They are colonial towns with interesting churches, small restaurants and lots of crafts. Cedros is another interesting colonial town. All them are surrounded by pine forest. Nights maybe chilly in all them. Honduras has a lot of beautiful places, full of history to enjoy. Locals are friendly and helpful.
Ana
Thank for writing this beatyful, beautyful article about my beautyful HONDURAS. Since evything you hear in the news about my country is so negative what you have posted about Zambrano it was very REFRESING and BEAUTYFUL. I am from Honduras but I had never heard about this gorgeous place. Thank you soooo much.
Jazzy
No problem Ana… just like all countries there are some bad cities but that doesn’t mean the country lacks in beauty in different areas. If you get the chance you should definitely check out Zambrano, as you can see we loved it :).
Ray
The most “off the beaten path” destination I have ever been to was in the Toledo District of Southern Belize. My friend and I heard about some Mayan villages located in Southern Belize that we wanted to check out. We managed to spend a night in one of the smallest ones – San Antonio (est. population of 200).
It was really interesting to learn more about the indigenous peoples of Central America on this visit. Our visit included playing soccer with the village kids, eating a homemade dinner, watching a traditional Mayan dance, and witnessing one of the most beautiful starry nights we have ever seen in our lives. And to top it off, we were the first tourists they had seen in almost 7 months, which made this experience my own personal Zambrano.
Francesca @onegrloneworld
Wonderful post, so glad Honduras is having a changing reputation! How did you find out about this place?
Jazzy
Honduras is trying hard to get rid of its negative reputation. In a few years it will be a popular spot on the gringo trail just like Guatemala and Nicaragua are. We randomly found it when looking for an alternative to Tegucigalpa (the capital) and I am sure glad we did :D
Francesca @onegrloneworld
Wow that’s awesome! So cool you went with a place outside of one of the major cities. I hope the reputation will change! I dream of going back all the time to visit my Grandma’s village… until then I’m living through your central america posts!! ^_^
Marty
Ahh – your wonderful story took me back to May of this year when my husband and I stayed at Caserio de Valuz. Waking up to birds singing and the sound of a herd of cows passing by on the road and cool breezes coming through the window reminded me of Switzerland. In fact the inn’s style and it’s location are very alpine. A young guy on bicycle delivered fresh made tortillas which we enjoyed with a full breakfast complete with delicious local cheese,fresh squeezed orange juice and rich Honduran coffee. Jorge’s interesting conversation and a walk around his beautiful garden made it hard to leave. Can’t wait to return!
Ben
Thanks for stopping by Marty. Zambrano sure is a magical place and I definitely agree the inn felt very European, as an Austrian I felt right at home there. I am glad you too got to experience the real Honduras and the great hospitality of Jorge. We can’t wait to go back as well.
Jessica @ Green Global Travel
Caserio Valuz sounds like a great place to stay; Jorge definitely knows how to run a wonderful inn! Also, I absolutely love your first photo of Zambrano– you can practically feel how peaceful this area is. Great post; I definitely need to visit Honduras!
Ben
It really is peaceful up there Jessica. Jorge was such an awesome host and showed us a side of Honduras that we didn’t even know existed. If you ever make it to Honduras you should hit him up.
Tim
This place reminds me a lot of Finca Isabella in Guatemala where I stayed for a long time in the early 90’s. Out of town and with plenty of nature around. Prices cheap and food good. Was a great moment in my life.
Jazzy
I wonder if it’s still operating, it seems like it would be a great addition to the list.
Guatemala is just awesome – Random thought :)