Our Favorite Things to Do in San Pedro Sula
Our Little Roses has been caring for girls in San Pedro Sula since 1988. Although our city has its share of sensational headlines, we’re steadily making an impact, one girl at a time. Our organization is committed to creating a healthy, thriving community for future Hondurans.
We’d like to share another side of the story, so you can learn about San Pedro Sula’s rich natural and cultural treasures. As the second-largest city in Honduras, we’re ideally situated for travelers to enjoy the best of what our country has to offer. Planning a visit? Here’s a list of our favorite things to do in San Pedro Sula and the neighboring communities.
Take Home a Handmade Souvenir from Guamilito Market
The Guamilito Market is the city’s largest marketplace. You’ll find handicrafts from all over Honduras, as well as Guatemala and El Salvador. There’s ceramic pottery made by the indigenous Lenca people, t-shirts, beaded jewelry, and coconut carvings from the mixed indigenous Garífuna people. Feel free to barter the price.
It’s also the local flower market, so you can smell your way through a variety of flowers native to Honduras. If you’re hungry, you’ll also discover butcher stalls, produce sections, and inexpensive Honduran dishes. Don’t forget to take a moment to watch the line of women making tortillas by hand.
Learn About Our Past at the Museum of Anthropology and History
This well-loved local museum houses archaeological and historical collections, which by law belong to the people of Honduras. They’ve devoted the ground floor of the museum to the history of Honduras, and San Pedro Sula in particular. The upper floor shows you a glimpse into the prehistory of the valley where San Pedro is located. On the first Sunday of the month, you can visit for free!
Play at Mi Pequeño Sula Children’s Museum
If you’re traveling with little ones, you must visit our local children’s museum. You’ll find it on the south side of the city, at the intersection between the Segundo Anillo Circunvalacion and the Boulevard del Sur. This facility features a planetarium exhibit, a “Jurassic Adventure” with life-size replicas of several dinosaurs, and a cavern experience (modeled after Taulabe Caves, located near the Yojoa Lake).
Plan a Mission Trip to Our Little Roses
If you’d like to contribute to our mission here at Our Little Roses, we welcome visiting groups. We have plenty of space at our Mission B&B in San Pedro Sula or the Schilling-Weeks Retreat/Training Center just an hour away in the mountains of Santa Barbara. Many of our mission teams return each year, watching our girls grow from vulnerable little girls to strong and educated young women. Together, we’ll spend our time playing games, having adventures, growing spiritually, and building life-long relationships.
Eat Your Way Through the City
No trip to Honduras would be complete without sampling our local cuisine. San Pedro Sula is home to some of the best restaurants in the country. For an authentic experience, visit Plaza Típica Coracts. You’ll find real Honduran (and Salvadoran, Mexican, and Guatemalan) recipes.
There are about twenty stalls, most with regional dishes from places such as Olancho, Colón, Yoro, Cortés, and Atlantída. Try some baleadas, Garifuna seafood stews, Chuletas de Cerdo (pork chops), and pupusas. You won’t regret it!
Stroll Through Angeli Gardens
A lovely secret within San Pedro Sula is Angeli Gardens. This began as a tropical plant nursery but is now an expansive nature retreat right within the city. You’ll find the only private trails into the Merendon Mountains, which serve as a backdrop to San Pedro Sula. The Angeli Gardens also has an excellent restaurant and holds evening musical events.
Cool Off at a Water Park
San Pedro Sula has a nice selection of water parks within the city limits. The two most complete complexes are Zizima Water Park and Wunderland. At Zizima, you can make it a full-day event. They offer a food court, wall climbing, a mini-zoo, and lots of waterslides! Just be sure to plan ahead since these parks are not open daily. However, they’re almost always open on weekends.
Head to the Beach
Water parks are fun, but sometimes, you just need to see the ocean. San Pedro Sula is a good base for getting out to many beautiful shorelines. You could visit the sleepy beach town of Tela, or perhaps Omoa, which has a historic colonial fortress to explore. There’s also the Bay Islands in the Caribbean Sea and points further south like Lake Yojoa or Tegucigalpa. Whichever destination you choose, it’s not far from San Pedro Sula!
Go Back in Time at The Mayan Ruins of Copan
Although this is a bit further to travel, it’s well worth the trip. Copan is an exceptionally beautiful Mayan archaeological site. Make sure you also visit the charming colonial town adjoining the archaeological park. There’s a restaurant as well as several museums with many local artifacts located in the center of town. If you want to spend the night, there are several hotels and hostels in Copan Ruinas.
Pictured above is the quaint main square of the town adjoining Copan ruins.
Watch a Soccer Match
It’s no secret that Hondurans love soccer! San Pedro Sula is the only city in the country to have two football stadiums. The Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano and the Estadio Francisco Morazán are home to San Pedro Sula’s most popular professional football teams Marathón and Real CD España. San Pedro Sula has also been the home venue for Honduras national football team matches since 2009.
Zipline Through the Canopy
To experience the lush tropical rain forest of the Merendon mountains, check out El Ocote. This farm sits just over 2,500 ft above the valley. You can enjoy the spectacular panoramic views of the city and get a bit of relief from the humidity of the city. For the more adventurous traveler, the facility includes eight ziplines and four jungle bridges. If you prefer a slower pace, walk a lovely trail that follows a dry canyon, across a flowing creek.
Have we inspired you to plan a visit? There are so many things to do in San Pedro Sula, but we hope you’ll learn more about Our Little Roses and make plans to see us soon!