El Progreso
Introduction
El Progreso is a city and municipality in the Honduran department of Yoro, and it is a substantial one, so you will find the services and bustle of an urban centre rather than a quiet provincial town. Use it as a base for exploring this part of Yoro, and expect a working Honduran city as your setting.
Before you go
Before you go, it helps to know that El Progreso is a poor region of the country, though it has remained relatively free of the violence that some larger cities have faced throughout Central America. If safety is on your mind, the hotels in the area include places with full-time security, so you can arrange lodging that puts your mind at ease. You should also know that the local mayor and police are very supportive of the tourism industry and go out of their way to ensure the safety, as best they can, of those traveling through the area.Getting there
El Progreso sits about 20 minutes south of Ramón Villeda Morales International Airport, which lies outside San Pedro Sula. International flights arrive there from Houston, Atlanta, Miami and San Salvador, so you can fly in and reach the city shortly after landing. Taxis are available from the airport to El Progreso.
Bus services of varying quality are easily accessible throughout the region. The region's main bus station is on the outskirts of San Pedro Sula, which is only a 45-minute ride from El Progreso, making it a practical option if you're coming from elsewhere in the area.
Getting around
El Progreso has no rail, metro or tram network, so you get around by road — on buses, in taxis or on foot. A very efficient local bus system covers most major areas of the city, and city buses are plentiful. Buses commonly display the destinations "Quebrada del Yoro" and "Pallermo," the two far ends of the city; most run a circuit back and forth between these points, so those names tell you which direction a bus is heading. One caveat: taking a bus in the middle of the day can be tricky, since many local buses run primarily during the morning and evening hours, when people travel to and from work and school. If you plan to rely on the bus, aim for those peak windows.
Taxis are plentiful and, alongside city buses, make it easy to travel around the city; you can also take a taxi directly from Ramón Villeda Morales International Airport, which lies west of El Progreso and is about 20 minutes away. El Progreso is sometimes called "the bicycle city" because many residents use bicycles as a faster and more economical way to get around, but many streets remain unpaved and conditions for walking and cycling vary from area to area — the municipality is divided into three geographic zones comprising more than 100 barrios, so expect the quality of streets and pavements to differ across the city. For onward journeys to San Pedro Sula, Tela, La Ceiba, La Lima or Tegucigalpa, bus services of varying quality are easily accessible throughout the region, with the region's main bus station on the outskirts of San Pedro Sula, roughly a 45-minute ride away.
Where to stay
El Progreso has a scattering of small hotels, but two stand out as the usual choices for international visitors. Hotel H4 El Progreso sits about 3 km out of town on the road to Tela, made up of cabins you can rent for the night. It is peaceful and clean, with a pool, internet access, and the option of having meals cooked for you on site. High walls surround the property and a guard is on duty around the clock, which will reassure anyone worried about security. The owner and his wife speak English, making it a comfortable base if your Spanish is limited.
Hotel Casa Blanca is closer in, roughly 800 m from the centre of town across from Turiplaza. It is clean and upscale, with a pool, internet access and a restaurant, and it also rents cars if you want to drive yourself around the area. Like H4, it is enclosed by high walls, here with several night guards on duty.
Food & drink
El Progreso has plenty of dining options, from familiar fast-food chains in the town centre to regional eating at the mall food court. For steak and grill meals, La Parrilla and Las Tejas are among the better choices; Las Tejas sits off the main boulevard, while La Parrilla is a short drive out of town towards Tegucigalpa. If you're watching your budget or want a true taste of Honduras, head to Auto-pollo, which serves a wide range of affordable Honduran dishes in an unusual setting—the food, rotisserie chicken only, is outstanding.
For drinks, the centre and its surroundings offer a range of bars and lounges. H2O, across from Wendy's, is a new lounge with a refreshing, relaxing atmosphere, though there's no dance floor. Something Different, a block from Pizza Hut off the main boulevard, is a large lounge good for watching sports or waiting for the late crowd to fill its dance floor. Coco's, a block from Wendy's, is a karaoke bar that's often crowded and smoky but has a decent dance floor and free entry. Below it, Zona 504 is the main disco and the place to see and be seen on Friday and Saturday nights, with a large dance floor and an upstairs VIP section. Jardin Progreseño, two blocks from the new city hall towards the boulevard, has a downstairs open-air bar and dance area with live music every weekend, plus La Jungla upstairs, a karaoke bar with a big screen and free admission, and the Baracuda Bar on the corner, a pool hall and sports bar.
What to see and do
El Progreso is a commercial city at heart, but its central plazas, main cathedral and downtown streets give you a window into everyday Honduran life. Dozens of small stands and shops fill the centre of town, selling local produce, handmade goods and everyday essentials. The city's past as a logistical hub for the United Fruit Company's banana trade still shows: in the 1920s this was a booming rail centre, and old train cars remain at the train station just off the boulevard towards Tegucigalpa, where Sunday markets now set up.
For crafts, head to Turiplaza, one of the largest tourist shops in the area, about a mile from the city centre on the way to Tela; the wooden carved boxes typical of Honduras are a highlight, and the central city markets carry similar handmade work. Mega Plaza, the city's new mall, is large and clean, and shopping there is a cultural experience in itself; it also has a three-screen movie theatre. Day trips are easy from El Progreso, whether to the beach town of Tela, the mountainous Lake Yojoa region, or along the scenic drive west towards Tela and La Ceiba, where you pass the protected mountain range of Pico Quemado.
Three days in El Progreso
Day one: Arrive at Ramón Villeda Morales International Airport and take a taxi or bus into El Progreso, a busy Honduran town in Yoro. Settle into a hotel such as Hotel Casa Blanca or Turiplaza, then get your bearings on foot and stop for a meal at La Parrilla or Las Tejas. Spanish will serve you well; English is less widely spoken.
Day two: Use El Progreso as your base for exploring the surrounding area. Buses run to nearby places including Tela, La Ceiba and La Lima, and taxis are useful for shorter trips. Before heading out, check connections, since schedules can be limited.
Day three: Spend your last day in town before departing. If you are flying onward, allow time to reach San Pedro Sula and its international airport, from where flights connect to Houston, Atlanta, Miami and San Salvador. For onward travel within Honduras, buses also serve Tegucigalpa.