Santa Barbara

Hi Everyone, I am going to be moving to the Santa Barbara area in May for a year long project.

1. Can someone tell me about the area, traveling around there, security, and what there is to do around there. Thank you?

Welcome to Expat.com kapppy2000!

Harmonie.;)

Hi Kappy!

I think you'll really enjoy the Santa Barbara area. I've lived here for the last 6 months and really enjoyed my time here. As I'm sure you've read the international news on Honduras, you should know that Santa Barbara is one of the safest cities in Honduras, as far as I can tell. I don't have statistics to back me up, but from talking with a lot of people it seems that Santa Barbara enjoys quite a bit of safety! And what's more, there are people who walk around the town at night (that's telling!).

Traveling is good, but it's not your "tourist" trap. There is great, wild areas nearby (like the National Park nearby) and many rivers in the area. The people are very friendly and will show you the local secrets (like the "Castillo" where a governor used to live on the side of a mountain). You are 1 1/2 hours from San Pedro, 2 hours from Comayagua, and 2 1/2 hours from Copán. Even the beach (Tela is nice) is 4-5 hours, if I remember correctly.

The bus system is very good, and cheap. A recent trip to Comayagua via bus cost me $20 American for food, bus fare, and lodging. Nice!

If you're white or "Non-Honduran-looking," you will get lots of looks. The people here know everyone but they are very friendly and you will make friends fast! Santa Barbara is a real gem and I hope you'll love it as much as I do!

May I ask what project you'll be doing here? I'm a volunteer at the Hogar de Niños right outside of town, but it's looking like I'll be leaving around May :(

Feel free to check out my blog about my adventures!
logan-in-honduras.blogspot.com

If you will have a car you can buy a GPS and a GPS map to drive around Honduras while there, if you need more info about this just ask