Safety in Honduras

Crime: The crime rate is high, though most of it is gang business among locals. What threatens visitors is robbery, so do not flash expensive watches or cameras in crowded places.
After dark: Do not walk anywhere after sunset in Tegucigalpa or San Pedro Sula. Even for two blocks, have reception call you a taxi or phone one yourself.
Where it is calmer: The islands and Copan are far more relaxed than the rest of the country and you can let your guard down a little. Even there, do not leave valuables unattended on the beach or in an open room.
Valuables: Use the hotel safe and carry copies rather than original documents. Split your cash between several pockets so a bad moment does not leave you with nothing.
Road travel: Avoid night journeys on intercity buses and plan your logistics for daylight. Roads are often in poor shape and drivers can be reckless on the switchbacks.
Health: Drink bottled water only and avoid ice in cheap places. On Roatan's beaches, strong sunscreen and repellent are the only defence against burning and sandflies, and it is worth reading your own government's travel advisory before you book.

Honduras has among the world's highest rates of violent crime. Its tourist destinations — the islands of Roatán and Utila and the ruins of Copán — nonetheless function and are relatively insulated from urban problems.

San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa. High-crime cities including armed robbery. Nobody walks, nobody goes out at night, and movement is by car with a driver. Keep transit through them to the airport-to-hotel run.

Roatán and the Bay Islands. Island destinations and markedly calmer. The main complaints are theft from beaches and rooms. Even on Roatán, though, walking unlit stretches at night is not done.

Taxis. Only those booked through your hotel or an app. Shared taxis are not for a foreigner.

ATMs. Withdraw in daylight and inside banks.

Utila dive centres. Dive training here is among the cheapest in the world and quality varies. Check the centre's certification and the state of the equipment.

Drugs and gangs. Honduras is a transit country, and street gangs control whole districts of the cities. The law is strict, but what matters here is geography rather than law: certain areas are simply not entered.

Photography. Military installations and police are off limits. Filming in poor districts can be received with hostility.

Drones. Permission is required.

Antiquities. Exporting Maya artefacts from Copán is a criminal offence.

Roads. Do not drive between cities at night under any circumstances. Highway robberies are real, especially on the road to the Caribbean coast.

Marine parks. Roatán and Utila apply rules: do not touch coral, do not feed fish, and pay the marine reserve fees.

States of emergency. The authorities have declared states of emergency restricting certain rights as part of the campaign against gangs. This means more checks and a military presence.

Vaccinations. Hepatitis A, typhoid and rabies are advised. A yellow fever certificate is required from arrivals out of endemic countries.

Dengue. Major epidemics occur regularly. The mosquito bites by day.

Malaria. Risk in the Caribbean lowlands and in La Mosquitia.

Water. Bottled only.

Diving. Hyperbaric chambers exist on Roatán and Utila — important, as this is diving country. Insurance must cover diving as a named item.

The sea. Coastal currents are strong and lifeguards are few.

Healthcare. San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa have private clinics. Roatán's standard is basic, and anything serious means evacuation to the mainland or the US. Insurance with evacuation cover is essential.

Hurricanes. The season runs June to November and the Caribbean coast is exposed.

Emergency number is 911.

Honduras ranks low on the Corruption Perceptions Index, the police are overstretched, and public trust in them is low.

Do not resist a robbery. The rule is especially important here: attackers are armed and use their weapons.

Tourist police. Operating in Copán, on Roatán and at the main tourist points, where conditions are controlled.

Reporting theft. Reports are taken and certificates issued; the process is slow.

Geography decides everything. Roatán, Utila, Guanaja and Copán Ruinas are tourist enclaves where incidents are rare. San Pedro Sula, Tegucigalpa, La Ceiba and the border areas are a different reality. Move between them by plane rather than bus.

What actually matters. People come to Honduras for diving on Roatán and the ruins of Copán, and those trips pass calmly provided you do not linger in the big cities or travel the country independently at night.

Emergency number is 911.