Puerto Cortes

Cargo ship at Puerto Cortes

Puerto Cortes is a city in Honduras, on the coast of the Caribbean Sea.

Understand

Puerto Cortes is the main port of Honduras; indeed the busiest port in Central America. The main part of town is on a peninsula between the Caribbean and a lagoon. A causeway crosses to the south to connect with the town of El Porvenir.

The town was founded in the 16th century as "Puerto Caballos"; in the 19th century it was renamed after Spanish Conquistador and explorer Hernan Cortes who landed in the area in the 1520s.

It was a small town until it boomed with the coming of the railway to San Pedro Sula in the 19th century, and became a center of the export of bananas. It has continued to grow to today.

Get in

By ship or by road. There is no airport here. A good multi-lane highway connects Puerto Cortes to the city of San Pedro Sula and its international airport about 60km /1 hour to the south.

See

• El Malecón, a concrete promenade along the bay front

Go next

• Beaches to the west of town; Playa Coca Cola and La Cieneguita.
• Omoa quaint beach front town with an historic colonial fortress
• San Pedro Sula The second city of Honduras.