La Ceiba facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
La Ceiba
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Municipality
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| Nickname(s):
La novia de Honduras (Honduras' girlfriend/bride)
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 La Ceiba
Location in Honduras
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| Country | Honduras | |
| Department | Atlántida | |
| Founded | 23 August 1877 | |
| Area | ||
| • Municipality | 654 km2 (253 sq mi) | |
| • Urban | 60 km2 (20 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 3 m (10 ft) | |
| Population
(2023 projection)
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| • Municipality | 232,696 | |
| • Density | 355.80/km2 (921.5/sq mi) | |
| • Urban | 215,973 | |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central America) | |
| Climate | Af | |
La Ceiba (pronounced la SAY-bah) is an important port city in Honduras, a country in Central America. It is the capital of the Atlántida department. The city is located on the northern coast of Honduras, right by the Caribbean Sea. It forms part of the southeastern edge of the Gulf of Honduras.
With about 209,000 people living in its many neighborhoods, La Ceiba is the fourth largest city in Honduras. It is also the third most important city in the country. La Ceiba was officially started on August 23, 1877. The city got its name from a huge ceiba tree that grew near the old docks. La Ceiba is known as the "Eco-Tourism Capital of Honduras" and the "Entertainment Capital of Honduras." Every year in May, the city hosts a famous carnival to celebrate Isidore the Laborer, its patron saint. About 500,000 tourists visit during this time.
Contents
History of La Ceiba
La Ceiba began in 1872 when Manuel Hernández built a small house under a large Ceiba tree. Over time, more people moved there. Many came from other parts of Honduras, like Olancho and Santa Barbara. People from other countries also settled in La Ceiba. They were looking for jobs in the growing banana industry.
How the Banana Business Shaped the City
In the late 1800s, large North American banana companies became interested in La Ceiba. One of these was the Vaccaro Brothers' Standard Fruit Company from New Orleans. This new business brought many workers to La Ceiba. The neighborhood called Barrio Inglés was one of the first in the city. It was named "English Quarter" because many English-speaking people lived there.
The main road in La Ceiba back then was Avenida La Republica. Train tracks were laid here by the Standard Fruit Company. These trains carried bananas from plantations to ships at the port. This company played a big role in the early growth of La Ceiba.
Becoming a Municipality
La Ceiba officially became a municipality on August 23, 1877. Marco Aurelio Soto was the President of Honduras at that time. The city's economy was based on bananas and pineapples. Other important companies also started in La Ceiba:
- Cervecería Hondureña: This company makes beer and holds the Coca-Cola license in Honduras. It was founded in 1918.
- Fábrica de Manteca y Jabón Atlántida: Known as La Blanquita, this company used to be a major producer of household goods. It is no longer in business.
- Banco Atlántida: This is the oldest bank in Honduras, started in 1913.
- Mazapan School: This was the first bilingual school in the country. It is the oldest high school and second oldest elementary school in La Ceiba.
The first city hall building was made of wood. It was burned down in 1903 by people who wanted to destroy property records. It was set on fire again in 1914 during social unrest. The city offices moved several times and were burned again in 1924. After that, the current city hall was built on land given by Manuel Mejía.
Geography and Climate
What is the Climate Like in La Ceiba?
La Ceiba has a tropical rainforest climate. This means it gets a lot of rain all year round. The heaviest rain falls between October and February. This is when the trade winds are strongest. The average yearly rainfall is about 3,200 millimeters (126 inches). This makes La Ceiba one of the wettest cities in Central America.
| Climate data for La Ceiba, Honduras (Golosón International Airport) 1970–1990, extremes 1965–present | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 32.8 (91.0) |
34.8 (94.6) |
35.4 (95.7) |
36.0 (96.8) |
38.0 (100.4) |
37.0 (98.6) |
35.7 (96.3) |
38.0 (100.4) |
36.0 (96.8) |
34.6 (94.3) |
33.6 (92.5) |
34.0 (93.2) |
38.0 (100.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 27.0 (80.6) |
27.6 (81.7) |
29.0 (84.2) |
30.1 (86.2) |
31.3 (88.3) |
31.3 (88.3) |
30.8 (87.4) |
30.9 (87.6) |
30.6 (87.1) |
29.5 (85.1) |
28.2 (82.8) |
27.3 (81.1) |
29.5 (85.1) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 23.8 (74.8) |
24.0 (75.2) |
25.6 (78.1) |
26.8 (80.2) |
28.2 (82.8) |
28.0 (82.4) |
27.5 (81.5) |
27.6 (81.7) |
27.4 (81.3) |
26.2 (79.2) |
25.2 (77.4) |
24.3 (75.7) |
26.2 (79.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 18.4 (65.1) |
18.4 (65.1) |
19.5 (67.1) |
20.7 (69.3) |
22.2 (72.0) |
22.6 (72.7) |
21.8 (71.2) |
21.8 (71.2) |
22.0 (71.6) |
21.2 (70.2) |
20.2 (68.4) |
19.1 (66.4) |
20.7 (69.3) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 13.2 (55.8) |
12.0 (53.6) |
11.5 (52.7) |
12.0 (53.6) |
14.2 (57.6) |
19.0 (66.2) |
17.5 (63.5) |
16.8 (62.2) |
18.9 (66.0) |
16.7 (62.1) |
12.1 (53.8) |
12.6 (54.7) |
11.5 (52.7) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 305.2 (12.02) |
330.0 (12.99) |
225.2 (8.87) |
120.5 (4.74) |
76.9 (3.03) |
154.6 (6.09) |
174.9 (6.89) |
197.3 (7.77) |
203.3 (8.00) |
423.8 (16.69) |
539.6 (21.24) |
478.9 (18.85) |
3,230.2 (127.17) |
| Average rainy days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 11 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 118 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 81 | 83 | 82 | 80 | 79 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 78 | 79 | 84 | 80 | 82 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 170.5 | 192.1 | 217.0 | 234.0 | 213.9 | 192.0 | 201.5 | 217.0 | 174.0 | 151.9 | 144.0 | 151.9 | 2,259.8 |
| Mean daily sunshine hours | 5.5 | 6.8 | 7.0 | 7.8 | 6.9 | 6.4 | 6.5 | 7.0 | 5.8 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 6.2 |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Deutscher Wetterdienst (sun and humidity) Meteo Climat (record highs and lows) | |||||||||||||
Economy and Trade
La Ceiba is the second most important port town in Honduras, after Puerto Cortés. Its economy mainly relies on trade and farming. Pineapples are the city's main export. The Standard Fruit Company, which is part of the Dole Food Company, is the biggest producer of pineapples here.
How Tourism Boosts the Economy
Tourism is also a very important part of La Ceiba's economy. The city's port helps a lot with tourism. It offers ferry services to the Bay Islands/Islas de la Bahia in the Caribbean. You can take a ferry from here to the main islands of Útila and Roatán every day.
The La Ceiba Shipyard at the port offers many services for different types of boats. This makes the port a key part of the city's growing tourism industry.
Education in La Ceiba
La Ceiba has many public schools. One of the biggest is Escuela Francisco Morazán. Instituto Manuel Bonilla is the largest public high school, with over 5,000 students.
There are also many private schools in La Ceiba. Some offer bilingual education, teaching in both Spanish and English. Most of these schools offer a Honduran Bachillerato Diploma, which is like a High school diploma. Mazapan School also offers a US-accredited High School diploma.
Universities and Higher Learning
The first university in La Ceiba was the Centro Universitario Regional del Litoral Atlántico (CURLA). It is a Public university that is part of the larger Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Honduras (UNAH).
The first private university to open was Universidad Tecnológica de Honduras (UTH) in 1995. At first, it only had night classes. In 2002, UTH built its own campus. That same year, the Universidad Católica de Honduras, run by the Catholic church, also opened. In 2008, a new campus for the Universidad Tecnológica Centroamericana – UNITEC began to be built in La Ceiba.
Tourism and Fun
La Ceiba is known as the tourism capital of Honduras. This is because it has beautiful beaches, a lively night life, and many parks and fun areas.
Natural Parks and Wildlife
The area around La Ceiba has many natural parks and reserves. The most famous is Pico Bonito National park. The park's main feature is Pico Bonito, a mountain that is 2,435 meters (7,989 feet) high. It forms a beautiful background for the city.
The Cangrejal River is great for river rafting and flows along the eastern edge of the city. A few miles west of the city is the Cuero and Salado Wildlife refuge. Here, you can see wild manatees.
Festivals and Celebrations
Semana Santa (Holy Week) is a very busy time for tourists in La Ceiba. Many people from all over Honduras come to enjoy the sun, beach, and active night life.
The busiest tourist season is the week before the "Gran Carnaval Internacional de La Ceiba." This is a huge citywide celebration for the city's patron saint, St. Isidore. In the week leading up to the third Saturday in May, many neighborhoods have smaller parties. On Saturday afternoon, a big parade with amazing floats goes along Avenida San Isidro, the city's main road. After the parade, everyone celebrates along the same road. There are stands selling food, drinks, and souvenirs.
Getting Around La Ceiba
In the past, trains ran through La Ceiba to carry bananas from plantations. These trains are no longer active, but you can still see traces of the old tracks.
Today, buses and taxis are the main ways to get around. Many buses serve almost every route in the city. Taxis are also common and are quite affordable.
The pier east of the city offers ferry services to two of the three main Islas de la Bahia: Roatán and Utila. The Golosón International Airport is west of town. It offers flights to other major cities in Honduras and towns in the Mosquitia Region. This airport is a hub for Aerolíneas Sosa. There is also a bus station west of the city center, but some bus companies have their own terminals.
Sports in La Ceiba
La Ceiba is home to two top football (soccer) clubs in the Honduran National Professional Football League. These are Vida and Victoria. Both teams play at Nilmo Edwards Stadium. When these two rival clubs play each other, it is called the Clásico Ceibeño.
Famous People from La Ceiba
- Guillermo Anderson – a musician and recording artist.
- José Azcona del Hoyo – a former President of Honduras.
- Marvin Chávez – a professional footballer.
- Víctor Bernárdez – a professional footballer.
- Dunia Elvir – a television journalist and producer.
- Jerry Palacios – a professional footballer.
- Johnny Palacios – a professional footballer.
- Milton Palacios – a professional footballer.
- Wilson Palacios – a professional footballer.
- Arnold Peralta – a former professional footballer.
- Williams Reyes – a professional footballer.
- Hendry Thomas – a professional footballer.
- Steve Van Buren – a former National Football League player and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
- Alfredo 'Dr. Sebi' Bowman – a natural healer and lecturer.
Sister Cities
La Ceiba has "sister city" relationships with several cities around the world:
Broken Arrow, United States
Cali, Colombia
San Cristóbal, Venezuela
Santa Ana, El Salvador
Tela, Honduras
La Ceiba in Stories
- In Paul Theroux's book The Mosquito Coast, a character named Allie Fox leaves America. He moves with his family to Honduras, first arriving in La Ceiba. He then travels inland to start a new life.
See also
In Spanish: La Ceiba para niños
