La Ceiba

La Ceiba is a port city on the northern coast of Honduras and forms part of the southeastern boundary of the Gulf of Honduras. It has been proclaimed the “Ecotourism Capital” of the country due to the natural beauty that surrounds the city and which can be enjoyed on a Honduras vacation.

The original inhabitants of La Ceiba were the Pech people, however, the first non-indigenous people to settle the area were the Garifuna from Trujillo who arrived in 1810. After this, various waves of immigration from around Honduras began. The Spanish were the next to come to La Ceiba in 1846, followed by the French in 1857 and La Ceiba officially became a city in 1872.  The Vaccaro brothers settled in the city in 1899 and established the Standard Fruit Company, a very successful endeavour that grew into the Dole Fruit Company. Much of the city’s earliest infrastructure was the result of the establishment of the company including the port and railroad tracks.