Honduran Lempira (HNL) Calculator

Honduras's Lempira: Currency of the Bay Islands and Maya Ruins

The Honduran lempira is named after a 16th-century indigenous leader who resisted Spanish conquest. The Banco Central de Honduras manages the currency under a crawling band system, allowing gradual depreciation that reflects inflation differentials with the United States. One dollar buys roughly 24 to 25 HNL, and the rate has been remarkably stable compared to some Central American neighbors, moving slowly and predictably rather than in sudden jumps.

Honduras has the second largest economy in Central America (after Guatemala) and depends on agriculture, manufacturing in maquiladora free trade zones, remittances, and tourism. Coffee is the primary agricultural export, with Honduran beans increasingly recognized in specialty markets. Textile and apparel manufacturing in the maquiladoras near San Pedro Sula generates significant export revenue and employment. Remittances from the large Honduran diaspora in the United States, particularly in Houston, Miami, New York, and Los Angeles, account for over 20% of GDP.

The Bay Islands and Copan

Roatan, Utila, and Guanaja, the Bay Islands off the Caribbean coast, are Honduras's primary tourist draw. Roatan offers world-class reef diving and snorkeling along the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef at prices far below Caribbean competitors. A dive shop on Roatan charges 800 to 1,500 HNL for a two-tank dive, compared to double or triple that in Belize or the Cayman Islands. Utila has built a reputation as one of the cheapest places in the world to get PADI certified, with open-water courses running 6,000 to 8,000 HNL including accommodation.

On the mainland, the Maya ruins at Copan are a UNESCO World Heritage site with some of the most elaborate stone carvings in the ancient Maya world. Entry costs about 350 HNL for foreigners. The town of Copan Ruinas, adjacent to the ruins, has developed a pleasant tourist infrastructure with hotels for 600 to 1,500 HNL per night and restaurants serving both Honduran and international cuisine for 150 to 400 HNL per meal.

At 24.7 HNL per dollar, divide by 25 for quick conversion. A 1,200 HNL dive is about $48. A 1,000 HNL hotel is $40. A 250 HNL meal is $10. Honduras delivers outstanding value for Caribbean diving and Maya archaeology.

USD/HNL Conversion

USD/HNL = 24.70 means one US dollar buys 24.70 lempiras. Converting $500 gives you 12,350 HNL. Converting 50,000 HNL gives you roughly $2,024. ATMs from BAC, Ficohsa, and Banco Atlantida are common in cities and tourist areas. Card acceptance is good at hotels, dive shops, and larger restaurants. Cash is needed for local buses, markets, and smaller establishments. US dollars are accepted on Roatan at most tourist businesses but at rates that slightly favor paying in lempiras.

Coffee Culture and Emerging Destinations

Honduran coffee has risen dramatically in international reputation over the past decade. Beans from the Copan, Ocotepeque, and Comayagua regions regularly score 85+ points in specialty cupping evaluations, and direct trade relationships between Honduran cooperatives and US roasters have improved both quality and farmer incomes. Coffee plantation tours in the western highlands cost 500 to 1,000 HNL and include tastings and processing demonstrations. The La Mosquitia region in the eastern lowlands, one of Central Americas largest remaining wilderness areas, offers a frontier ecotourism experience with river trips, indigenous Miskito communities, and the archaeological site of Ciudad Blanca (the "White City" or "Lost City of the Monkey God"), discovered in 2015 using lidar technology. Access is challenging and expensive, requiring charter flights, but for adventurous travelers it represents one of the last genuinely unexplored destinations in the Americas. The combination of reef diving on the Bay Islands, Maya ruins at Copan, highland coffee culture, and jungle wilderness gives Honduras a tourism diversity that few Central American countries can match.

The Bay Islands operate on a slightly different economic model from the mainland. Roatan in particular has attracted a growing number of American retirees and remote workers who rent or buy property, drawn by affordable diving, English-speaking communities, and living costs that are a fraction of comparable Caribbean destinations. Monthly rent for a furnished apartment with ocean views on Roatan runs 12,000 to 25,000 HNL ($480 to $1,000), making it one of the most affordable places in the Caribbean to live long-term.

Security concerns, particularly in San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa, have affected Hondurass tourism reputation, but the Bay Islands and Copan operate in a different security environment and receive visitors without significant incident.

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