New Banana Coast Cruise Port in Honduras Books More Calls

Starting next year, the cruise industry will have a new port to visit on the Western Caribbean in Central America. The Banana Coast cruise port, now under construction on mainland Honduras, said Holland America Line is the first cruise line to schedule regular calls. The 1,260-passenger Ryndam plans to make its first call on Nov. 19, 2014, followed by 10 more visits during its winter Western Caribbean season. Silversea Cruises was the first line to book a call at Banana Coast for the Silver Cloud on Dec. 17, 2014.

The $30 million project is located on the Bay of Trujillo, which has a natural, deep-water harbor that is protected from winds and waves. The site is about 32 miles south of the Honduran island of Roatan, a familiar port of call on Western Caribbean itineraries.

Construction has been completed on a passenger reception area, some retail and a tender pier. They are part of what will be the 50,000-square-foot Banana Coast Landing, which is also expected to offer jewelry stores, boutiques, and a themed restaurant and bar. The site is home to a marina for shore excursions and a large, sandy beach. The second phase of the development includes a two-berth pier capable of handling post-Panamax ships.

The facility’s design evokes the Banana Coast’s glory days, from the 1920s to 1940s when the economy was fueled by the banana trade, and big commerce, steam trains, foreign consulates, and American capitalists were mainstays in the colonial town.

It is believed that Christopher Columbus landed in present-day Trujillo in 1502, and the town was settled in 1524 by Spanish conquistadors under Hernán Cortés. A Spanish adventurer, conquistador and rebel Cristóbal de Olid is regarded as the town’s founder. The Santa Bárbara Fort was constructed starting around 1575 to protect the town from pirates. The fort is still largely intact and its cannons overlook the bay. A town plaza and park are near the fort, as is San Juan Baptista Church. Historic British, French, and U.S. consulates are within walking distance.

A slate of shore excursions has been developed, including a plane ride to the Mayan ruins of Copan, a hop-on-hop-off tour of Trujillo on an open-air trolley, an 18-tower zipline at the Guaimoreto Lagoon, snorkeling, ATV rides through the jungles to the beach, and trekking to waterfalls and a lagoon.

Source: Travel Pulse, http://www.travelpulse.com/new-banana-coast-cruise-port-in-honduras-books-more-calls.html