THE FORLORN FORTRESS, OMOA HONDURAS
Dec 09 '03 (Updated May 09 '05)
The Bottom Line A great place to drop the back pack and just relax for a couple of days, or the rest of your life.
The ramparts stand empty these days. The cannons that used to be mounted in the gun ports are now stacked in neat rows on the grassy fields that is the centre of the fortress. Only cobwebs remain in the deep ammunition galleries that line the rust stained iron stone walls. The only sentries left in the covered watch towers on the corners are the ghosts of long gone soldiers.
Fortaleza de San Fernando de Omoa still guards the small fishing village of the same name on Honduras’s Caribbean coast. The Spanish commenced work on the fortress in 1759 to guard the important port of Puerto Barrios in neighbouring Guatemala from marauding pirates. The fortress wasn’t even completed in 1779 when a mixed force of British and Miskito Indians from nearby British Honduras (Belize) captured it in after a brief four-day battle.
By the time Spanish troops from Puerto Barrios arrived to repel the invaders they had already sailed away. The Spanish repaired the damage and they and after their independence in 1821 the Honduran Government continued to use the fortress throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. At one time it was even used as a prison.
Now a day’s Fortaleza de San Fernando de Omoa has been restored to its original condition and is maintained by Instituto Hondeureno de Antropologia e Historia. It is open to the public Monday to Friday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, and 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on weekends. Admission is 25 Lempiras ($1.50 US) and this includes admission to the visitor centre and small museum beside the fortress.
The visitor centre contains numerous weapons and other artefacts recovered from the fortress. There is also a detailed scale model and various period pieces of artwork. Another room contains some examples of Mayan artwork. A small gift shop sells a good selection of local handicrafts.
There is an ancient steam engine on the grounds beside the visitor centre. Behind the fortress is a well-maintained ancient cemetery in a small clearing beside a mangrove swamp. The headstones tell the history of the fortress and it’s inhabitants.
The village of Omoa surrounds the fortress that once protected it. The beach is now a kilometer away from the fortress walls, the waters having receded in the past century. Most of the present village has been built on this reclaimed land.
Omoa is a tiny village with not much to do there. Popular pastimes include taking a dip in the warm waters of the Gulf of Honduras, lazing on the beach and/or passing the day with a great seafood meal, cold drink and good conversation in one of the dozens of thatched roofed open air restaurants that line the beach. It is for this reason that has long been a favoured destination of the back packer crowd. The main border crossing from Guatemala to Honduras for this region is only a couple of hours down the road.
Among the dozens of restaurants and beach bars to choose from some recommendations are Champa Johnsons, El Paraiso de Stanley, Michelles, and The Sunset Bar and Grill. All but the first double as popular evening hang outs for the surprisingly large expat population of Omoa. The last two are owned by Canadians.
For its size Omoa has a fair number of accommodations. Most of these would fall into the basic back packers’ hostel type but there is one exception. The small but elegant Hotel Flamingo right on the beach is inexpensive, comfortable and highly recommended. Michelles run by a Canadian is also a good bet for those on a budget.
Not recommended are either Roli’s a hostel in the centre of town run by a Swiss expat, or Pia’s Place on the beach run by a Dutch expat. For some reason these two have been engaged in a turf war for several years now. While it may be a source of amusement to locals and the other expats, visitors really don’t want to get into the middle of it.
There are several small stores and a bank (no ATM) in Omoa, most located out by the main road. Anything that can’t be found in the village can most likely be found in Puerto Cortez, Honduras main seaport, which is about a thirty minute drive away. There is a regular and frequent bus service between Omoa and Puerto Cortez.
Omoa may be a sleepy quiet place during the week, but that’s not the case on the weekends. San Pedro Sula, the second largest city in Honduras is only a couple of hours away and Omoa is the nearest beach. Every weekend hundreds of locals flock here from San Pedro Sula and Puerto Cortez to enjoy a respite from the city. The beaches, restaurants, and bars all become crowded with boisterous fun seekers. Accommodation becomes scarce at this time and prices’ naturally rise. By Sunday evening though everything is back to normal.
Perhaps the best way to finish the day here is to enjoy the spectacular sunset. Omoa is located on a small peninsula that juts out into the Gulf of Honduras and the Bahia de Omoa. Unique among places on the Carribean side of Central America, one can enjoy the spectacle of the sun sinking below the waves here. The mountains of neighbouring Guatemala and Belize make a spectacular backdrop to this daily event.
Other articles on Honduras
Pia’s Place Omoa
http://www.epinions.com/content_110242926212
Flamingo Hotel, Omoa
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