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North of San Pedro Sula, Highway CA-5 runs through the flat agricultural lands of the Sula valley, amidst lush, tropical scenery. After 60km the four-lane highway reaches the coast at PUERTO CORTES , Honduras's main port, where the unstinting heat and dilapidated wooden buildings merely add to the rough and ready feel of the place. There's nothing here to entice you to stop, but if you do, Hotel El Centro (tel 665 1160; US$5-25), at 3 Av, just west of the Parque Central, has basic but serviceable singles and doubles, some with cable TV and private bathrooms, while Hotel Villa Capri (tel 665 6136, fax 665 6139, villa-capri@lemaco.hn ; US$60-80), close to the docks at 1 C and 2 Av, has the best rooms in town, all with a/c. Three companies run buses between San Pedro Sula and Puerto Cortes, including the reliable Citul, whose offices are at 6 Av, 7-8 C SO in San Pedro; they have services every thirty minutes between 6am and 6pm, and the journey time is one hour. The Citul terminal in Puerto Cortes is a block north of the main plaza at 4 Av and 4C - if you're heading on to Belize or Guatemala, the migracion (Mon-Fri 8am-noon and 1-5pm; tel 665 0582) is conveniently close by at 5 Av and 4 C, one block to the north. To change money , head for Banco Atlantida on the south side of the plaza, or to the market just to the west, where the largest shoe-stall owner cashes dollars at fair rates. There's Internet access at Plaza Marinakys, 2 Av and 6 C (Mon-Sat 8am-6.30pm), two blocks east of the Parque. Moving on from Puerto Cortes, there are buses to Corinto, for Guatemala , every ninety minutes (8am-3.30pm; 4hr) and hourly connections to Omoa (1hr); buses leave from the Transportes Citral terminal on 3 C a block west of the Parque. It's also possible to travel from Puerto Cortes by fast skiff, the Gulf Cruza , to Belize , with weekly departures on Mondays at 10am from the old bridge at La Laguna, 3km south of the town centre. The journey to Belize City (US$75) takes around seven hours, with stops at Belizean immigration at Big Creek and at Placencia (4hr; US$50). For more information and the latest schedules and prices call 665 1200 or 665 5556.
updateyongo pingu says "Have you guys been there lately?
There are new hotels in Cortez.
check them out next time!!!"
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