News Update
News from the Honduras Bay Islands and North Coast
27 August 2000
By Pierre Renaldo, The Coastwatcher©

We have great news for our very first issue of Coastwatcher. Big things are happening in Honduras and the Western Caribbean, which will make this region an even more exciting tourist destination and potential retirement Mecca for Americans. I will bring you updates weekly as events affecting the future of the region unfold.

BIG NIBBLE.
The Republic of Honduras has been-hard pressed to divest itself of nationally held utilities and public services that have been a drain on the state treasury due to myriad inefficiencies and poor management. Government owned entities the world over, have rarely been productive, especially in third world countries.

In a recent effort to sell 51% of Hondutel, the state owned telecommunications company, the deadline imposed for decision making had been postponed four times in an effort to find an acceptable bidder. It appears that a French company has made a valid offer, and has sent a delegation to Honduras for serious discussion. We are holding our breath, hoping that something good comes of it. A modern well managed telephone company can only mean a big plus for the entire country, and especially the Bay Islands. (The International Monetary Fund had made this sale a mandatory prerequisite for Honduras, to gain loan eligibility from the World Bank.)

SOMETHING NEW FOR ROATAN.
It is no longer a rumor or a myth. It has actually happened. There have been major improvements on the road base on the West End-West Bay Beach Road, and the continuation of that road to the south side of the island into Flowers Bay. No paving has begun yet, but that is the plan. It is a pleasurable, scenic drive instead the axle breaker moonscape. We can now smell the flowers and look at the lush foliage when we make this pleasant trip.

Then if you drive the scenic shore drive from Flowers Bay to Coxen Hole, you are in for another pleasant surprise. That entire shoreline has been cleansed of the litter and debris that once cluttered the coast. We are still getting flotsam washing up on the south coast of Roatan, from the shipping that plies the Bay of Honduras. You can't blame the locals for that. They are making every effort to keep the beaches clean.

One other nice touch. The municipality of Roatan has placed new road base from the end of the paved road in Coxen Hole to the municipal pier. The cruise ships are coming in every week and we are being discovered by over three thousand new tourists every month. Most of them are surprised at how well we have recovered from the greatest storm of the century: Hurricane Mitch.

There are many new and interesting places for tourists to go now. I will describe some of these ideas in forthcoming issues.

NORTH COAST UPDATE
The largest air-conditioned mall in Honduras has recently opened in the city of La Ceiba. Fast becoming an even better shopping hub than ever before, La Ceiba has a wide array of every kind of shopping, including a new membership discount store like Price Mart, Sam's Club, etc. It is Best Price and has a nice variety of merchandise. Not as big physically, but the bargains are. Nice atmosphere too.

Farther west, the first two lanes of the four lane paved boulevard from Puerto Cortes to the Guatemala border have been completed. It will be a boon for the Omoa Resort Area, which has been virtually unknown to tourists in the past. If you have the time for a side trip, this is a very pretty part of the North Coast. It features beaches, restaurants, marinas and the old fortress for those who like to explore history.

I intend to give you a first hand account of this overlooked area in the near future. Some great potential in this part of Honduras.

By Pierre Renaldo, Mountain Coastal S.A,. General Contractors, Construction Management and Construction Consultants.