We really enjoyed our stay at Finca el Cisne; it was a highlight of our three weeks in Honduras. It is not your normal tourist experience. The drive up there is 45 minutes up a rough dirt mountain road that goes past the hot springs and continues through spectacular scenery to the guesthouse. We were met there by Carlos, the son of the owner, who spent the day showing us around and treating us more like personal friends than paying guests. The land has been in his family for five generations and they grow coffee and cardamom and raise cattle, fish and horses.

In the morning we went horseback riding with the sweetest, gentlest horses I have ever encountered. We rode through spectacular mountain scenery, grassy green meadows, and splashed through pretty, clear mountain streams. Carlos’ mother served us a delicious lunch at his parents’ lovely, gracious home. Then we visited the coffee processing plant, which sounded dull to me, but I really enjoyed. It was built in the 1920s, when machinery was still kinda cute, and located on a hillside with a nice view. It was one of the most attractive factories I have ever visited. Then we went to the hot springs in the back of a pick up, standing up and hanging onto a bar behind the cab, just like all the locals. It was the complete Honduran experience. Afterwards, we had a delicious candle light supper and went to bed very tired and happy.

Although we loved it, if you don’t like to rough it a bit, don’t go there. If you have a problem with riding in the back of a pick up, this place isn’t for you. The rooms were very clean and comfortable with nice linens and many thoughtful touches, but the building is old and a bit rustic. There are no electrical lights in the rooms, although there is in the bathroom. There is no hot water. We didn’t have any bugs in our room, but if you can’t handle a spider or something, you might not want to stay there. However, if you can handle a few less comforts than perhaps you are used to and want to visit a real working Honduran ranch, sample authentic, homemade traditional country Honduran food, and meet a genuine, hospitable Honduran rancher, then the Finca el Cisne can be an incredible experience and I recommend it highly.