Cataratas Pulhapanzak
Cataratas Pulhapanzak
4.5
About
One of the most beautiful tourist attractions and interesting Honduras, and one of the best natural landscapes in Central America.1. Waterfall tour2. Tour to waterfall and caves. Extreme adrenaline.3. Canopy (5 cables from above a waterfall). Extreme adrenaline.4. Child Canopy “The Chipmunks.”5. Moutain Biking.6. Horseback Riding7. Tour of milking and feeding calves.8. Tour fruit trees, beehives and coffee.9. Tour to the birth of Rio Lindo.
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karen c
New York City, NY93 contributions
Jun 2021 • Friends
This is such an impressive waterfall. The guided tour is worth the visit. It’s not for the faint of heart. Especially the caves behind the falls. Not suitable for small children. Our guide took us into the falls and the caves. If you don’t wish to go that deep you can still get wonderful views of the falls.
It’s totally worth the trip if you can make it.
It’s totally worth the trip if you can make it.
Written 1 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Compass732301
2 contributions
Dec 2023 • Friends
Must visit location in Honduras! Great adventure, delicious food and amazing memories! Stayed for one night and wished I’d stayed longer! Best micheladas ever!
Written 28 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Queen J
California2,505 contributions
Aug 2021 • Solo
This was one of my favorite activities in Honduras. Park entry is about $6 US. There was no charge for parking.
Zip lining in front of the waterfall is about $15 and well worth the money. I also tipped the guides $5 each. It was beautiful. You zip over the river and back. Then in front of the waterfall and back. The view from the zipline cannot be had from anywhere else in the park. I took pics and video of the top of the falls, bottom of the falls, and turned to snap a pic of the river downstream.
After ziplining, I went on the cave tour behind and under the waterfall. It cost the same as the zipline tour. I was the ONLY one on the tour and it was fun!
You begin by walking down the path facing the falls until you reach a locked fence. The guide unlocks it and you pass through and climb down the wet rocky hill to the water below the falls.
Then you climb into caves and swim across a pool to climb along the rocks directly under the smaller waterfall. There are times when you cannot see at all and need to look down, breathing through your mouth, feeling your way along the rock face of the waterfall, holding on to a wire rope that is bolted into the rock. You climb up a ladder between two boulders and use the wire rope to climb up another boulder to a partially covered cave directly behind the waterfall. You ese through the water to the end of the cave, watching the waterfall pour down in front of you. Then you turn and head back the way you came, stopping on the rock cliff near the gate to jump into the river from a height of about 15 feet and then climb up again.
The tour wasn't very long, especially with only the two of us, but it was something I hadn't done before and it was well worth $15. I tipped my guide another $15 because it was a private tour, and everyone knows the guides don't get paid much. He took lots of pics with my camera (it kept closing from the force of the water hitting the screen, so I didn't get any pics of the best parts. I recommend bringing a GoPro if you have one).
If you don't partake in the extreme activities, it's still worth visiting. It's a large park with lots of picnic tables and a snack shack. It takes a while to drive there from Lake Yojoa - about 35 min. because the roads are narrow and have many potholes. The parking lot is a giant dirt lot, but I was able to park in the front because it wasn't very crowded, due to Covid.
The river is very shallow and I saw kids wading and playing in it, but it's not deep enough to swim in. There are bathroom buildings and many benches and picnic tables. There is also a hotel on site with cabins and a nice pool for hotel guests, though no one seemed to be monitoring who was in the pool. I changed out of my wet clothes in the nice bathroom by this pool.
I spent about 4.5 hours here and it was perfect. If I was traveling with a family, I would have spent the day here and had a picnic. It was a fun day and one of the highlights of my trip.
Zip lining in front of the waterfall is about $15 and well worth the money. I also tipped the guides $5 each. It was beautiful. You zip over the river and back. Then in front of the waterfall and back. The view from the zipline cannot be had from anywhere else in the park. I took pics and video of the top of the falls, bottom of the falls, and turned to snap a pic of the river downstream.
After ziplining, I went on the cave tour behind and under the waterfall. It cost the same as the zipline tour. I was the ONLY one on the tour and it was fun!
You begin by walking down the path facing the falls until you reach a locked fence. The guide unlocks it and you pass through and climb down the wet rocky hill to the water below the falls.
Then you climb into caves and swim across a pool to climb along the rocks directly under the smaller waterfall. There are times when you cannot see at all and need to look down, breathing through your mouth, feeling your way along the rock face of the waterfall, holding on to a wire rope that is bolted into the rock. You climb up a ladder between two boulders and use the wire rope to climb up another boulder to a partially covered cave directly behind the waterfall. You ese through the water to the end of the cave, watching the waterfall pour down in front of you. Then you turn and head back the way you came, stopping on the rock cliff near the gate to jump into the river from a height of about 15 feet and then climb up again.
The tour wasn't very long, especially with only the two of us, but it was something I hadn't done before and it was well worth $15. I tipped my guide another $15 because it was a private tour, and everyone knows the guides don't get paid much. He took lots of pics with my camera (it kept closing from the force of the water hitting the screen, so I didn't get any pics of the best parts. I recommend bringing a GoPro if you have one).
If you don't partake in the extreme activities, it's still worth visiting. It's a large park with lots of picnic tables and a snack shack. It takes a while to drive there from Lake Yojoa - about 35 min. because the roads are narrow and have many potholes. The parking lot is a giant dirt lot, but I was able to park in the front because it wasn't very crowded, due to Covid.
The river is very shallow and I saw kids wading and playing in it, but it's not deep enough to swim in. There are bathroom buildings and many benches and picnic tables. There is also a hotel on site with cabins and a nice pool for hotel guests, though no one seemed to be monitoring who was in the pool. I changed out of my wet clothes in the nice bathroom by this pool.
I spent about 4.5 hours here and it was perfect. If I was traveling with a family, I would have spent the day here and had a picnic. It was a fun day and one of the highlights of my trip.
Written 19 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Purplegrapefruit
Belleville, Canada595 contributions
Feb 2019 • Family
We spent a day with friends and their children at this beautiful location. It's perfect to bring a family and young children. There are two fresh water pools, covered seating and hammocks, as well as a small bar and restaurant area, which are also shaded. There are change rooms/washrooms located near the pool, and beautiful cabins if you wish to stay overnight (we did not). The river is wide and very shallow in parts, perfect for small children. We had lunch which was super cheap (about 6 bucks for a lunch and a beer). You can just spend the day and have a picnic and play in the river and admire the falls, or you can try one of the more extreme attractions, going behind the waterfall (note: this is EXTREME) and ziplining.
We chose to do the waterfall tour, although to be honest, we did not completely know what we were getting into. Travel tip, learn a few key phrases in Spanish! We were given helmets and lifejackets, and changed into watershoes/crocks. They provide everything, but bring your own watershoes if you have them. You are guided down a path along the river, about 100 steps down, to a gated area beside the waterfall. Here you can only go past the gate with a guide. Note, the rocks are permanently slippery from the waterfall, so be careful.
We were guided along the rocks to a large pool, where we were asked to jump in. It was about 3-4 feet down to the water, which was cool and exhilerating. We thought this was it, but no! Our guide lead us by hand (because you cannot see with the pounding water) up and INTO the waterfall. You have to pull yourself up on the rocks, and along a tiny wire bolted into the rocks. DO NOT do this if you have any pre-existing injury or physical limitation. This is not your average "behind a waterfall tour" you are literally IN the waterfall, being pounded with spray and water from overhead. Don't even think about trying to take pictures, you can't see anything anyways. Do not bring anything that is not waterproof. Actually, the only thing I would recommend bringing is a Go PRo, but wear it on your chest (or head) as you will need BOTH hands free to clammer along the rocks.
This is an EXTREME tour. There is no way that this would be allowed on a cruise ship excursion, or in any place in North America for that matter. We did it with 3 children under 10, and didn't sign any waivers. I tipped the guides well because I'm pretty sure they saved my life! It was exhilarating and terrifying, and probably a little bit careless on our part, but it was a memorable experience, and the guides certainly seemed to know what they were doing. .
The kids went on to do the ziplining tour, but we were too exhausted after the waterfall (and climbing back up the 100 steps at altitude!). We spent the rest of the afternoon listening to music in the shade and watching the kids play in the river and the pool.
We chose to do the waterfall tour, although to be honest, we did not completely know what we were getting into. Travel tip, learn a few key phrases in Spanish! We were given helmets and lifejackets, and changed into watershoes/crocks. They provide everything, but bring your own watershoes if you have them. You are guided down a path along the river, about 100 steps down, to a gated area beside the waterfall. Here you can only go past the gate with a guide. Note, the rocks are permanently slippery from the waterfall, so be careful.
We were guided along the rocks to a large pool, where we were asked to jump in. It was about 3-4 feet down to the water, which was cool and exhilerating. We thought this was it, but no! Our guide lead us by hand (because you cannot see with the pounding water) up and INTO the waterfall. You have to pull yourself up on the rocks, and along a tiny wire bolted into the rocks. DO NOT do this if you have any pre-existing injury or physical limitation. This is not your average "behind a waterfall tour" you are literally IN the waterfall, being pounded with spray and water from overhead. Don't even think about trying to take pictures, you can't see anything anyways. Do not bring anything that is not waterproof. Actually, the only thing I would recommend bringing is a Go PRo, but wear it on your chest (or head) as you will need BOTH hands free to clammer along the rocks.
This is an EXTREME tour. There is no way that this would be allowed on a cruise ship excursion, or in any place in North America for that matter. We did it with 3 children under 10, and didn't sign any waivers. I tipped the guides well because I'm pretty sure they saved my life! It was exhilarating and terrifying, and probably a little bit careless on our part, but it was a memorable experience, and the guides certainly seemed to know what they were doing. .
The kids went on to do the ziplining tour, but we were too exhausted after the waterfall (and climbing back up the 100 steps at altitude!). We spent the rest of the afternoon listening to music in the shade and watching the kids play in the river and the pool.
Written 14 February 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
londonspop j
Miami, FL7 contributions
Oct 2013 • Family
Our group of 9 had a blast! The zip line, the cave tour behind the falls, river tubing, the cabins and just the overall warmth and hospitality! Honduras has a bad rap, we felt more than safe and literally had no worries! I would recommend this to anyone especially if you're adventurous! This trip provided life time memories and I can say I'd go back for sure!
Written 11 November 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tzrpcv
Houston16 contributions
Aug 2013 • Couples
The Pulhapanzak waterfall is a great half-day trip from San Pedro Sula. The park is cheap to enter, the waterfall and grounds are beautiful, and the guides are friendly and helpful. The cave tour was an exhilarating experience that we're glad we did, but it was definitely really scary. You have to navigate through extremely turbulent waist-deep water. Getting your footing is tricky, so wear water shoes or tennis shoes that can get wet. You'll get completely soaked. If you wear glasses, definitely strap them on, and if you wear contacts you might want to wear goggles. The wind and mist are intense and it's really hard to see, which makes it a lot scarier. The view underneath the waterfall was spectacular, but several of the adventurous, well-traveled adults in our group admitted it was one of the scariest things they've ever done. Other reviews make it sound less scary, so perhaps it depends on the water levels or something. I think they may tailor the trip to the group, too, because the way we came back was much less scary than the way we went in. Some people mentioned bringing teenagers, which might be okay if they're brave and strong swimmers, but I definitely wouldn't bring any younger children. In the end it was one of the highlights of our trip, so I definitely wouldn't pass it up, just be aware what you're getting into!
Written 15 September 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tabarber99
Stuart, FL165 contributions
Aug 2013 • Family
The falls are gorgeous, but its the "cave" tour that will blow your mind and make your vacation. Its $25 us a person and its not really a cave tour -- its walk down beneath and behind this amazing and astonishingly powerful waterfall tour. You literally stand behind where all the water is crashing down. Super cool. Unbelievable experience. Watch the video on Youtube and then multiply the excitement and scariness and danger factor by 3. Do not bring small children -- my 13 year olds are as young as I would recommend for it. You must crawl over slippery rocks and down to the pools beneath the waterfall. Then jump into the swirling pool beneath the waterfall, swim to the other side, then wade through waste deep swirling water to the tiny "cave" and then crawl beneath the crashing falls. And then you repeat it all to get back. Exhilarating. Amazing. Once in a lifetime!
There is a also a terrific tubing trip down the river (it's not lazy river -- you have to get out and walk when the rapids get dangerous) and 5 new cozy cabins to stay at (with pool -- see separate review!) Highly recommend "cave" tour if you know what you are getting into. Special tip: the big "mounds" behind the restaurant area are unopened Mayan mittens -- the govt doesn't have the money to fund the archeological work but you can look at them and take photos. Super cool.
There is a also a terrific tubing trip down the river (it's not lazy river -- you have to get out and walk when the rapids get dangerous) and 5 new cozy cabins to stay at (with pool -- see separate review!) Highly recommend "cave" tour if you know what you are getting into. Special tip: the big "mounds" behind the restaurant area are unopened Mayan mittens -- the govt doesn't have the money to fund the archeological work but you can look at them and take photos. Super cool.
Written 6 September 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carl B
Deerfield Beach, FL146 contributions
Nov 2011 • Solo
If you find yourself anywhere near San Pedro Sula I would recommend getting out of town and checking out the Waterfalls and the Zip line tour. 135' over the waterfalls makes for some pretty awesome pictures.
Written 28 November 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Laura Donatella
Toronto, Canada45 contributions
Sept 2016 • Friends
I takes at least 35mins to get to the actual waterfall from Lago de Yojoa. As you get there, you have to pay for Admission. For adults it's L.70 ($3-4). With that ticket, you'll have acess to the entire area. You can swim in the different natural pools and do some sightseeing to take some amazing pictures.
There's a nice restaurant that gives you several options to eat. They have all kinds of beverage and ice-cream.
If you want to upgrade the experience, try Zip Lining (L.500) Under The Waterfall Tour (L.250), River Tubing (L.500), etc. You can get all the tour information abou the tours at the info office by the cabins.
Be aware that this zone of the country is hot and humid.
There's a nice restaurant that gives you several options to eat. They have all kinds of beverage and ice-cream.
If you want to upgrade the experience, try Zip Lining (L.500) Under The Waterfall Tour (L.250), River Tubing (L.500), etc. You can get all the tour information abou the tours at the info office by the cabins.
Be aware that this zone of the country is hot and humid.
Written 13 September 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mckenzie F
Bothell, WA159 contributions
May 2015 • Friends
My mother and I had some time to kill in San Pedro Sula, and since there's not much to do in the city, we decided to spend a Saturday at Pulhapanzak Falls. We practiced saying the name of the falls all the way to the bus station, but it turned out to be unnecessary since everybody shortens it to "Pulha."
We arrived at the central bus station a few minutes after 8:00 in the morning. We went straight to the booth selling tickets for the Pulhapanzak Express bus, but the next departure was not until 10:00. After asking around, we were directed to a company called Empresa Tima. We paid 35 lempira ($1.59) for tickets to the town closest to the falls. The bus departed at 8:40 (when it was full enough).
We arrived in town at 10:20, and the bus dropped us off on a street corner. There were taxis waiting there to take passengers on the five minute (uphill) trip to the Pulhapanzak complex.
The falls are pretty, the river is nice for a swim, and the restaurant is good and inexpensive (we had french fries and fruit smoothies)...but none of this is worth the long journey up to the falls. It's all about the activities!
I enjoyed the waterfall tour very much. As others have said, it can be intense at times. There is a lot of swimming, climbing over rocks, and keeping your head bowed so the pounding water doesn't knock out your eyeballs. Sometimes you have to do all three at once! There is one part where you squeeze through a narrow passageway into a little cave, so the tour is not for the claustrophobic. Wear shoes with good traction. The most slippery part is mud-covered cement path down to the river. I was sliding all over the place.
The waterfall tour is conducted in Spanish, but the guides know enough English/sign language to give tourists instructions on how not to get hurt. The guides on my tour were a lot of fun. They played a cute joke on us, but I won't say anything to spoil the surprise for future visitors.
It was really cool behind the waterfall, and I highly recommend this tour to anyone healthy enough to try it. Being inside the waterfall is well worth the effort you must expend to get there.
The other big activity at Pulhapanzak is the canopy tour. I found it to be disappointing compared to other canopy tours throughout Central America. There are 11 zip lines, and they are all short and boring (criss-crossing the river) until you get to #9 (through a jungle area) and #10 (over the top of the falls). There is no braking involved in the canopy tour, because you are "zipping" slowly enough that the guide can catch you at the other end. This is a good entry-level canopy tour for people who have never done one before and may be leery about wearing a leather glove and braking by grabbing hold of the wire, as is the typical system for most zip lines.
The nice thing about this "kiddie canopy tour" is that it's offered at an entry-level price - only 500 lempira. This is worth it just for the photo op while zipping over the top of the falls.
There is indication on Pulhapanzak's website that it may be possible to do an inner-tubing tour on the river, but I didn't this activity being sold or practiced during our visit.
When we were ready to return to the city, we called for the taxi to come and get us at the park entrance (we had taken the man's phone number on the drive up). The taxi took us 5 minutes back to the little town where we could catch the Pulhapanzak Express bus to San Pedro Sula. Just for the record, the "express" portion of the name is only for show. The bus stopped approximately 600 times on the way to the city. Just relax and enjoy the ride!
We arrived at the central bus station a few minutes after 8:00 in the morning. We went straight to the booth selling tickets for the Pulhapanzak Express bus, but the next departure was not until 10:00. After asking around, we were directed to a company called Empresa Tima. We paid 35 lempira ($1.59) for tickets to the town closest to the falls. The bus departed at 8:40 (when it was full enough).
We arrived in town at 10:20, and the bus dropped us off on a street corner. There were taxis waiting there to take passengers on the five minute (uphill) trip to the Pulhapanzak complex.
The falls are pretty, the river is nice for a swim, and the restaurant is good and inexpensive (we had french fries and fruit smoothies)...but none of this is worth the long journey up to the falls. It's all about the activities!
I enjoyed the waterfall tour very much. As others have said, it can be intense at times. There is a lot of swimming, climbing over rocks, and keeping your head bowed so the pounding water doesn't knock out your eyeballs. Sometimes you have to do all three at once! There is one part where you squeeze through a narrow passageway into a little cave, so the tour is not for the claustrophobic. Wear shoes with good traction. The most slippery part is mud-covered cement path down to the river. I was sliding all over the place.
The waterfall tour is conducted in Spanish, but the guides know enough English/sign language to give tourists instructions on how not to get hurt. The guides on my tour were a lot of fun. They played a cute joke on us, but I won't say anything to spoil the surprise for future visitors.
It was really cool behind the waterfall, and I highly recommend this tour to anyone healthy enough to try it. Being inside the waterfall is well worth the effort you must expend to get there.
The other big activity at Pulhapanzak is the canopy tour. I found it to be disappointing compared to other canopy tours throughout Central America. There are 11 zip lines, and they are all short and boring (criss-crossing the river) until you get to #9 (through a jungle area) and #10 (over the top of the falls). There is no braking involved in the canopy tour, because you are "zipping" slowly enough that the guide can catch you at the other end. This is a good entry-level canopy tour for people who have never done one before and may be leery about wearing a leather glove and braking by grabbing hold of the wire, as is the typical system for most zip lines.
The nice thing about this "kiddie canopy tour" is that it's offered at an entry-level price - only 500 lempira. This is worth it just for the photo op while zipping over the top of the falls.
There is indication on Pulhapanzak's website that it may be possible to do an inner-tubing tour on the river, but I didn't this activity being sold or practiced during our visit.
When we were ready to return to the city, we called for the taxi to come and get us at the park entrance (we had taken the man's phone number on the drive up). The taxi took us 5 minutes back to the little town where we could catch the Pulhapanzak Express bus to San Pedro Sula. Just for the record, the "express" portion of the name is only for show. The bus stopped approximately 600 times on the way to the city. Just relax and enjoy the ride!
Written 3 August 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi there. We're traveling to San Pedro Sula next month and looking for a tour guide to take us ziplining on the Pulhapanzak waterfall. Can you recommend someone?
Written 30 July 2024
deniser00
Charlotte, North Carolina
Interested in the ZIP line .. are there weight restrictions? Age restrictions etc?
Written 2 May 2017
Quiero información sobre el paseo detrás de la cascada y el canopy, con quien puedo ponerme en contacto. Gracias.
Written 9 October 2016
Vivo en choluteca quiero saber que cuanto mas o menos gasto para ir de vacaciones con mi esposo y mi hija
Written 16 May 2016
yenyavila611
La Ceiba, Honduras
Vivo en ceiba q trasporte público me lleba para alla y en cuanto tiempo
Written 9 January 2017
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