The other
face of Honduras
There’s more
to mainland Honduras than the Caribbean coast, and this country of almost
seven million people is one of the most diverse you’ll find anywhere. Honduras—not
Costa Rica—is the most forested country in the region, with 47% of its
land still a wooded area. Its rushing rivers draw whitewater rafters from
around the world, and the cloud forests host a staggering array of flora
and fauna. The climate is temperate in the mountains, and subtropical
in the coastal areas.
A well-maintained
highway takes you from the lowlands into the sierra. On the way,
you’ll go through the attractive colonial city of Comayagua, a former Honduran
capital situated here to take advantage of the silver mines in the area.
According to local knowledge, this clean, orderly city was founded in 1537,
and was the site of the country’s first bank in 1741. We were surprised
to learn that there are about 200 or so North American expats living nearby,
many of whom came to do missionary work and decided to stay.
Arriving in
Tegucigalpa (the capital), you’ll find a study in chaos when it comes to
city planning. The central square and cathedral look well organized,
but the former silver mining settlement seems to have just spread out at
random from there. It has some exclusive and stately neighborhoods—comparable
with any you’d see in the world—as well as areas of poverty, crime, and
ramshackle buildings. But the city has everything you could want, from
exciting nightlife to fine restaurants, culture, malls, and an international
airport.
The food in
Tegucigalpa—and, in fact, throughout mainland Honduras—is great.
The strong Mexican influence has had a delightful effect on the already-unique
blend of Caribbean and Central American cuisine. It’s not unusual to see
a fondue of Mexican cheese or chorizo served with tortillas, along with
a blackened grouper or jerk chicken, with gallo pinto (beans and rice)
on the side. Of course, international cuisine is here, too, but I found
the local fare more interesting.
Would I live
in Tegucigalpa? Honestly, no. There are other Third World cities
that would be higher on my list. But there were some surrounding areas
where I’d be glad to settle.
The Valley
of Angels
Twenty minutes
from Tegucigalpa is the village of Santa Lucia, located at about 5,000
feet in the mountains surrounding Tegucigalpa, near an area known as Valle
de Angeles (Valley of Angels). The town looks almost medieval, with its
narrow, winding cobblestoned streets, stone walls, and old Spanish architecture.
A sparkling white church lies at one end, and at the other there’s a wooded
town park with a small lake at its center. Lush, green mountains rise majestically
around the town. While Santa Lucia enjoys a fair stream of visitors, it
maintains a residential feel.
Just a bit
farther along the road in the Valle de Angeles is the small town that bears
the valley’s name. This artisan village—with its souvenir shops, coffee
houses, and stately colonial church overlooking the town square—is surrounded
by 100-mile views of the most dramatic mountain scenery. Like much of the
mountainous areas around Tegucigalpa, the tall pines and hills are reminiscent
of the Rockies or the Sierra Nevadas around Lake Tahoe. As in Santa Lucia,
the altitude of about 5,000 feet provides for moderate weather year-round.
At first, I
assumed that property prices would be high, given the beauty of the valley
and its proximity to the nation’s capital. But, I found them to be reasonable.
For example, a large, 2,400-square-foot home in El Chimbo, with three bedrooms
and two bathrooms, a high front porch, as well as mango, banana, coffee
and lemon trees, was listed for $70,000.
Whether you’re
looking for a property or not, Santa Lucia and Valle de Angeles are worth
a visit if you’re in Tegucigalpa. Set aside enough time to do a bit of
craft shopping while you’re there.
For more information
on living in or retiring to Honduras, see:
www.internationalliving.com/honduras
SIDEBARS (5
to follow)
1. Building
versus buying
I was quoted
a range of numbers for building on the mainland, including $25 per square
foot out near Trujillo; $45 per square foot in Tela (on the coast) and
Tegucigalpa; and $65 per square foot in La Ceiba. However, I don’t think
these prices—all quite reasonable—were entirely reflective of their markets,
but rather of the contractor and type of house being built. You could probably
find the whole range in any of these cities.
If you speak
Spanish and want to build a home yourself, a construction worker will cost
you around $4.50 per day (at the current exchange rate) and a journeyman-level
craftsman will cost $15.75 a day.
2. Property
purchase process
Once you’ve
selected the property, you need to contact a notary who will complete the
title search and execute the process. Only a notary—not a lawyer—can close
a property transaction.
There are
two purchase documents in Honduras, an escritura publica and a dominio
pleno. The former is a record of property ownership for properties
that already exist in the public record, while the latter is a document
that attempts to bring land into the public record that’s not already there.
Don’t buy a property using a dominio pleno. If your heart’s set on
a property not in the public record, have the current owner get it registered,
and then buy it with an escritura publica. Title insurance is available,
and will take much of the risk out of buying property in Honduras.
The transaction
costs for property purchase include a registration fee, transfer tax, and
a notary fee, as well as a few other odds and ends. Ron and Janine Goben—who
run the Honduran IL office on Roatan ( e-mail: Honduras@InternationalLiving.com
) —tell me that they advise buyers to count on spending 4% of the purchase
price. Pending changes affecting legal fees (introduced in early 2006)
may cause a rise in transaction costs, but at press time the effect, if
any, is still unknown.
If you buy
your property via a Honduran corporation, many lawyers will give you a
package deal, which includes the corporation and the transaction. This
could save on your overall expense.
Foreigners
in Honduras are restricted to buying no more than ¾ acres of land—or
1½ acres for a couple buying the land together. If you’re
buying more than this, you’ll need to buy through a Honduran corporation.
3.
Basket
of goods
I didn’t make
any attempt here to find the lowest prices or the most upscale stores.
The following prices were taken at a local supermarket. You’ll notice that
electricity is expensive, as are imported items.
Rice per pound
$.27 Corn Flakes, 18 oz $1.49 Milk per gallon $2.47
Hot dogs, package of 10 $1.43 Butter per pound $2.32
Pork chops per pound $1.58
Fillet mignon
per pound $4.21 Chicken, whole, per pound $.88
Corn oil per liter $1.54 Mayonnaise, 14.1 oz (400g) $1
Apples, large imported each $.46
Carrots per
pound $.58 Onionsper pound $.58 Coca Cola, 2 liter
$.98 Wine, Concha y Toro Zuñirse $6.11 Beer, 6-pack,
local $4.42 Baccardi superior dark rum $5.37
Cigarettes, Marlboro carton (200) $10.53 Paper towels $1.06
Motor Oil, Quart $2.11 Gas, regular per gallon $3.32
Diesel per gallon $2.81
Electricity
per kw/h $.24 Internet café per hour $.80
Construction worker per day $4.50 Skilled journeyman per day
$15.75
4. Honduras
quick facts
Language:
Spanish
Time to Miami:
less than two hours
Time zone:
Central Standard, no DST
Electricity:
110 volts, with a US-style plug
Telephone
country code: 504
Monetary Unit:
Lempira |
