4 Best Sights in Southern Honduras, Honduras

A glance at the reverse of the L2 bill gives you a preview of the island's most prominent natural feature. Isla del Tigre is really an inactive volcano, the Cerro Vejía, which locals frequently refer to as simply El Cima ("the Summit"). If you can get to the top—the volcano measures 783 meters (2,580 ft) in elevation—the views of the gulf, the ocean, and the three countries (Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua) are stupendous. The path up heads inland from the naval post halfway between Amapala and Playa Grande. Plan on three hours each way, and it's no small feat to make the hike in this very warm climate. Until 1990, a U.S. military station on the top of the volcano was used to monitor troop movements in the Contra war in next-door Nicaragua. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) also used the facility to monitor drug trafficking in the region. The site has now been abandoned.

The closest beach to town lies just east of Amapala. It is the calmest beach for swimming since its sheltered location directly faces the mainland. El Burro gets muddy at low tide—that's the most common complaint about this beach. A few food stands pop up every weekend, and for finer dining, the seafood restaurant at Veleros is right here.

Visualizing the island as a clock, its most popular beach sits at the nine-o'clock position, facing the Salvadoran mainland. Less shelter from the ocean makes for rougher swimming at Playa Grande. But this beach does not have the mud problem evident at Playa El Burro, which does make for a more pleasant stroll along the sand. A slew of makeshift food stands spring up on weekends, seriously cutting into the space here. Local legend holds that pirate treasure is buried somewhere here on the beach.

Isla del Tigre's prettiest beach is the black-sand strand on the southwest corner of the island. With almost no shelter from the Pacific Ocean, swimming is rough here. A couple of lodgings on Playa Negra—we don't recommend them as places to stay—have hotel restaurants. A few food stands magically appear on weekends, too.