La Ceiba () is a municipality, the capital of the Honduran department of Atlántida and a port city on the northern coast of

Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...

in Central America. It is located on the southern edge of the

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean ...

, forming part of the south eastern boundary of the

Gulf of Honduras The Gulf or Bay of Honduras is a large inlet of the Caribbean Sea, indenting the coasts of Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. From north to south, it runs for approximately 200 km (125 miles) from Dangriga, Belize, to La Ceiba, Honduras. ...

. With an estimated population of 199,080 living in approximately 170 residential areas (called ''colonias'' or ''

barrio ''Barrio'' () is a Spanish word that means " quarter" or " neighborhood". In the modern Spanish language, it is generally defined as each area of a city, usually delimited by functional (e.g. residential, commercial, industrial, etc.), social, a ...

s''), it is the fourth most populous and third most important city in the country. La Ceiba was officially founded on 23 August 1877. The city was named after a giant ceiba tree that grew near the old dock. The city has been officially proclaimed the "Eco-Tourism Capital of Honduras," as well as the "Entertainment Capital of Honduras". Every year, on the third or fourth Saturday of May, the city holds its famous carnival to commemorate

Isidore the Laborer Isidore the Labourer, also known as Isidore the Farmer ( es, San Isidro Labrador) (c. 1070 – May 15, 1130), was a Spanish farmworker known for his piety toward the poor and animals. He is the Catholic patron saint of farmers and of Madrid, ...

(Spanish ''San Isidro Labrador''). During this time, the city is host to approximately 500,000 tourists.

History

In 1872 Manuel Hernández built a small shack under the Ceiba tree that grew near the old docks. Over time, more and more people from present-day Honduras (especially the departments of

Olancho Olancho is the largest of all the 18 departments into which Honduras is divided. The department covers a total surface area of 24,057 km² and has an estimated 2015 population of 537,306 inhabitants. The departmental capital is Juticalpa, w ...

and Santa Barbara), and from around the world settled in La Ceiba. Workers were attracted to jobs associated with the banana industry, which became important to the regional economy. In the late 19th century, the banana business caught the attention of big North American banana companies, such as the Vaccaro Brothers' Standard Fruit Company from

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

. This new economic activity attracted national and international immigrantworkers to La Ceiba. The current neighbourhood known as Barrio Inglés was the first recognised neighbourhood in the city. It was so named after the many English-speaking people living in the barrio. At that point the main thoroughfare of La Ceiba was present-day Avenida La Republica, where the train tracks were laid. The rail line was built by the

Standard Fruit Company Standard Fruit Company (now Dole plc) was established in the United States in 1924 by the Vaccaro brothers. Its forerunner was started in 1899, when Sicilian Arberesh immigrants Joseph, Luca and Felix Vaccaro, together with Salvador D'Antoni, ...

(now Standard Fruit de Honduras, a Dole subsidiary) for transport of its commodity to ships at the port from the banana plantations. This company was largely responsible for the early growth of the city. La Ceiba was declared a municipality on 23 August 1877. At that time

Marco Aurelio Soto Marco Aurelio Soto (13 November 1846 – 25 February 1908) was President of Honduras from 27 August 1876 until 19 October 1883. He was known as a liberal. He was a reforming President and had a great impact on the Honduras of his time, includi ...

was President of Honduras. La Ceiba was the centre of banana and

pineapple The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been cultivated for many centuri ...

business, the basis of its economy. Other companies developed in the city, such as: * Cervecería Hondureña, the national brewing company and holder of the

Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance bar, temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pembe ...

licence in Honduras. Founded in 1918. * Fábrica de Manteca y Jabón Atlántida, known as La Blanquita, at one point, this was the largest producer of consumer goods in Honduras; it is now defunct. * Banco Atlántida, oldest Bank in the country, founded in 1913. * Mazapan School, the first bilingual school of the nation, the oldest high school and second oldest elementary school in the city. The first municipal building or

city hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...

was located in the corner of 2da Calle and Avenida Atlántida, at the site of the present-day Ferretería Kawas warehouse. The building was made of wood and in 1903 it was burnt down due to

vandalism Vandalism is the action involving deliberate destruction of or damage to public or private property. The term includes property damage, such as graffiti and defacement directed towards any property without permission of the owner. The ter ...

. Some people wanted to destroy private property ownership records in La Ceiba. The municipal building was set on fire again on 7 March 1914 during more social unrest. The

Municipal Corporation A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including (but not necessarily limited to) cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. The term can also be used to describe municipally ...

moved the offices further south of the city. They were burned again during unrest in 1924. Soon after this, the office building was constructed at its current location, on land donated by Manuel Mejía.

Geography

Climate

La Ceiba features a trade-wind

tropical rainforest climate A tropical rainforest climate, humid tropical climate or equatorial climate is a tropical climate sub-type usually found within 10 to 15 degrees latitude of the equator. There are some other areas at higher latitudes, such as the coast of southe ...

( Köppen ''Af''), with substantial rainfall throughout the course of the year. Due to its northerly aspect, there is a peak between October and February when the

trade wind The trade winds or easterlies are the permanent east-to-west prevailing winds that flow in the Earth's equatorial region. The trade winds blow mainly from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and from the southeast in the Southern Hemisph ...

s are strongest and extreme

orographic Orography is the study of the topographic relief of mountains, and can more broadly include hills, and any part of a region's elevated terrain. Orography (also known as ''oreography'', ''orology'' or ''oreology'') falls within the broader disci ...

rainfalls occur. The average annual rainfall is about , making it one of the wettest cities in Central America, second only to

Colón, Panama Colón () is a city and seaport in Panama, beside the Caribbean Sea, lying near the Atlantic entrance to the Panama Canal. It is the capital of Panama's Colón Province and has traditionally been known as Panama's second city. Originally it was ...

among urbanised areas with more than 100,000 people.

Economy

Among Honduran cities, La Ceiba is the second most important

port town A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as H ...

after

Puerto Cortés Puerto Cortés, originally known as Puerto de Caballos, is a port city and municipality on the north Caribbean coast of Honduras, right on the Laguna de Alvarado, north of San Pedro Sula and east of Omoa, with a natural bay. The present city ...

. Its economy is made up of mostly commerce and agriculture. Pineapple is the city's major export. Its largest producer is the

, a subsidiary of the

Dole Food Company Dole plc (previously named Dole Food Company, Standard Fruit Company) is an Irish agricultural multinational corporation headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. The company is among the world's largest producers of fruit and vegetables, operating wit ...

, which operates throughout northern Honduras and is based in La Ceiba. Tourism also plays a large role in the city's economy (see below). Since its development in the late 20th century, the La Ceiba seaport has played an ever-increasing role in the economy of the city. This port represents a vital economic artery to La Ceiba's growing tourist industry. Additionally, the La Ceiba sea port is home to one of the finest boatyards in the north west Caribbean (According to ''Western Caribbean Cruising Guidebook''). Known as the La Ceiba Shipyard, this company offers a complete group of marine services for all types of seagoing vessels.

Education

La Ceiba is home to many public schools. Among the largest is Escuela Francisco Morazán along Avenida San Isidro, which is considered the main street of the city. Instituto Manuel Bonilla is the largest public High School in the city, with over 5,000 registered students. There are also many private schools in La Ceiba. Several private

bilingual Multilingualism is the use of more than one language, either by an individual speaker or by a group of speakers. It is believed that multilingual speakers outnumber monolingual speakers in the world's population. More than half of all ...

education schools offer instruction in both Spanish and English. Most of these offer a Honduran Bachillerato Diploma (equivalent of

High school diploma A high school diploma or high school degree is a North American academic school leaving qualification awarded upon high school graduation. The high school diploma is typically obtained after a course of study lasting four years, from grade 9 to gra ...

), while Mazapan School offers a US-accredited High School diploma as well. These schools usually offer grades 1 – 11/12, with some offering

pre-school A preschool, also known as nursery school, pre-primary school, or play school or creche, is an educational establishment or learning space offering early childhood education to children before they begin compulsory education at primary scho ...

education. The first university in the city was the Centro Universitario Regional del Litoral Atlántico (often called CURLA). It is a

Public university A public university or public college is a university or college that is in owned by the state or receives significant public funds through a national or subnational government, as opposed to a private university. Whether a national universi ...

run by the larger Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Honduras ( UNAH). The first

private university Private universities and private colleges are institutions of higher education, not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. They may (and often do) receive from governments tax breaks, public student loans, and grant (money ...

to open in the city was Universidad Tecnológica de Honduras(UTH), which opened in 1995. At the time the college offered only night classes, using the classrooms in a local private high school. In 2002 the college built its own campus. 2002 also marked the opening of the Universidad Católica de Honduras, run by the

Catholic church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...

. Additionally, development of a new campus in La Ceiba for the

Universidad Tecnológica Centroamericana The Central American Technological University ( es, Universidad Tecnológica Centroamericana) (UNITEC) is a private coeducational institution with campuses in the three main cities of Honduras: Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula and La Ceiba. Histor ...

– UNITEC was begun in 2008.

Tourism

La Ceiba has long been known as the tourism capital of Honduras, due to its proximity to the beach, active night life, and a variety of

parks A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are green spaces set aside for recreation inside towns and cities. ...

and recreational areas in and around the city. Another factor contributing to the city's tourism is the city port. It provides ferry services to the Bay Islands/

Islas de la Bahia The Bay Islands ( es, Islas de la Bahía; ) is a group of islands off the coast of Honduras. Collectively, the islands form one of the 18 departments of Honduras. The departmental capital is Coxen Hole, on the island of Roatán. Geography ...

in the Caribbean. Ferries from this port also offer daily service to the main islands of

Útila Utila ''(Isla de Utila)'' is the smallest of Honduras' major Bay Islands, after Roatán and Guanaja, in a region that marks the south end of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, the second-largest in the world. The eastern end of the island ...

and Roatán. The area around La Ceiba has many parks and natural reserves. Its most recognised natural area is the Pico Bonito (Beautiful Peak)

National park A national park is a natural park in use for conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual ...

. This park's most recognised feature, Pico Bonito on the Nombre de Dios

mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have ari ...

, is 2435 meters high and provides a back drop for the city. The Cangrejal River, popular for its Class III-IV river rafting, borders the eastern edge of the city and the Cuero and Salado Wildlife refuges with its wild

manatee Manatees (family Trichechidae, genus ''Trichechus'') are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows. There are three accepted living species of Trichechidae, representing three of the four living speci ...

s is located a few miles to the west of the city. Semana Santa (

Holy Week Holy Week ( la, Hebdomada Sancta or , ; grc, Ἁγία καὶ Μεγάλη Ἑβδομάς, translit=Hagia kai Megale Hebdomas, lit=Holy and Great Week) is the most sacred week in the liturgical year in Christianity. In Eastern Churches, w ...

) is one of the city's busiest tourist seasons. During this week tourists from all over the country flock to the city to enjoy its sun, beach, and very active night life during that week during Carnaval before Ash Wednesday. The busiest tourist season by far is the week leading up to the internationally renowned " Gran Carnaval Internacional de La Ceiba" which is a citywide celebration in honour of the city's

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...

, St. Isidore (San Isidro). During the week leading up to the third Saturday in May, many neighbourhoods have smaller celebrations in one or a couple of their streets. On Saturday afternoon the big

parade A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of s ...

with elaborate floats takes place along Avenida San Isidro, the city's main

thoroughfare A thoroughfare is a primary passage or way as a transit route through regularly trafficked areas, whether by road on dry land or, by extension, via watercraft or aircraft. On land, a thoroughfare may refer to anything from a multi-lane highw ...

. After the parade, the locals and tourists all have a celebration along that same road, where stands sell food, beer, drinks, and souvenirs.

Transportation

There were trains running through La Ceiba to bring the bananas from the plantations but they are not active any longer although traces of the old railroad tracks can still be seen. Nowadays a 3 km-long city rail line still works and, in the nearby village of La Unión, it exists a short

tourist railway A heritage railway or heritage railroad (US usage) is a railway operated as living history to re-create or preserve railway scenes of the past. Heritage railways are often old railway lines preserved in a state depicting a period (or periods) i ...

to Cuero y Salado National Park. Buses and taxis make up most of the public transportation in the city, with numerous buses serving almost every available route in the city. Taxi-cabs are numerous in the city, costing as little as L.25.00 (just over $1.25 as of 2013) for destinations within the city limits. The pier to the east of the city offers transportation via ferry to 2 of the 3 major islands that make up Islas de la Bahia; Roatan and Utila. The

Golosón International Airport Golosón International Airport ( es, link=no, Aeropuerto Internacional Golosón) is an airport located on the western side of the city of La Ceiba, in the Atlántida Department on the north coast of Honduras. It is also known as La Ceiba Airp ...

to the west of town offers flights to the other major cities in the country as well as other towns in the Mosquitia Region of Honduras in the east. This airport is hub to Aerolíneas Sosa. There is also a bus station just west of the city centre though some buses also run from their own terminals.

Sport

La Ceiba is the home of two clubs of the top division of the Honduran National Professional Football League, Vida and Victoria. Both play in Nilmo Edwards Stadium. The matches between the two rival clubs are known as ''Clásico Ceibeño''.Article about the ''Clásico Ceibeño''
on '' La Prensa''

Notable people

* Guillermo Anderson – musician and recording artist, recipient of the Honduras La Orden Laurel de Oro * José Azcona del Hoyo – former President of Honduras from 1986 to 1990 *

Marvin Chávez Marvin Antonio Chávez (born November 3, 1983 in La Ceiba) is a Honduran footballer who played as a midfielder, most recently for C.D. Marathón in the Liga Nacional. Career Club Chávez – who is nicknamed "el hijo del viento" (''the son of ...

– professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugb ...

for the

San Jose Earthquakes The San Jose Earthquakes are an American professional soccer team based in San Jose, California. The Earthquakes compete as a member club of the Western Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). Originally as the San Jose Clash, the franchise ...

Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Cana ...

Víctor Bernárdez Víctor Salvador Bernárdez Blanco (; born 24 May 1982), also known as Muma, is a Honduran former footballer who most recently played as a defender for Oakland Roots SC. Early life Bernárdez was raised in La Ceiba, living with his mother, ...

– professional footballer for the

* Dunia Elvir – television journalist and producer * David Meza – former radio journalist *

Jerry Palacios Jerry Nelson Palacios Suazo (; born November 1, 1981) is a Honduran football striker, who currently plays for Belmopan Bandits in Belize. Club career Palacios made his senior debut for Olimpia for whom he played 7 successive years except for ...

– professional footballer for Marathón in the Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Honduras *

Johnny Palacios Johnny Eulogio Palacios Suazo (; born 20 December 1986) is a Honduran footballer who plays as a defender for Olimpia. Personal life His brothers are Milton, Jerry, Wilson and Edwin René Palacios. On 30 October 2007 Edwin, aged 14, was kidn ...

– professional footballer for Olimpia in the Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Honduras * Milton Palacios – professional footballer for Victoria in the Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Honduras * Wilson Palacios – professional footballer for

Stoke City Stoke City Football Club is a professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, which competes in the . Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, it changed its name to Stoke in 1878 and then to Stoke City in 1925 after Stoke ...

in the

Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...

* Arnold Peralta – former professional footballer who last played for Olimpia in the Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Honduras * Williams Reyes – professional footballer for FAS in the

Salvadoran Primera División Salvadorans (Spanish: ''Salvadoreños''), also known as Salvadorians (alternate spelling: Salvadoreans), are citizens of El Salvador, a country in Central America. Most Salvadorans live in El Salvador, although there is also a significant Salvado ...

Hendry Thomas Hendry Bernardo Thomas Suazo (born 23 February 1985), also known as ''Buchuca'', is a Honduran former footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. Thomas has been described as displaying a "rugged approach driven by his ample physical gift ...

– professional footballer for

Wigan Athletic Wigan Athletic Football Club () is an English professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1932, ...

in the

* Steve Van Buren – former

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...

player and member of the

Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coa ...

* Alfredo 'Dr. Sebi' Bowman – Natural healer, Health & Wellness lecturer, Founder of USHA Village, La Ceiba, Honduras

Twin towns – sister cities

* Broken Arrow, United States *

Cali Santiago de Cali (), or Cali, is the capital of the Valle del Cauca department, and the most populous city in southwest Colombia, with 2,227,642 residents according to the 2018 census. The city spans with of urban area, making Cali the second ...

, Colombia * San Cristóbal, Venezuela * Santa Ana, El Salvador * Tela, Honduras

In fiction

* In Paul Theroux's novel '' The Mosquito Coast'', Allie Fox, disillusioned with America's materialistic culture, abandons his native country and emigrates with his family to Honduras, initially disembarking at the city of La Ceiba before making his way inland with a vision of starting a new life.

References

External links

*
Interactive Map La Ceiba, Atlantida

{{Authority control Municipalities of the Atlántida Department Populated places established in 1872 1872 establishments in Honduras