San Lorenzo : Profile

Location

San Lorenzo lies at the north-east corner of the Gulf of Fonseca, the large bay that is shared by El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua. It is a small, friendly town, bound on one side by a mangrove lined channel and on the other side by the main PanAmerican highway. Boat access is via a very well buoyed shipping channel to the port of Henecan and then a further 2 miles along an unbuoyed mangrove estuary to the town.

Clearance

Officials here are reported to be very helpful.

Clearance into Honduras involves a short walk to the Immigration office in the town where a 30 day extendable visa is provided for US$3 per person, then a US$2 taxi ride to the Port Captain’s office at Puerto Henecan where he will provide a Honduran cruising permit for which there is no charge.

Checkout cost $3 per person for Immigration and about $1.75 per boat at Customs/Port Captain for an International Zarpe. It is advisable to contact the Immigration Office several days before departure, as the office is not manned every day. If necessary, they will process the paperwork several days in advance.

Last checked November 2008.

Docking

Anchorage can be taken anywhere in the channel in front of the town and is completely safe and flat in winds from all directions. Do not anchor immediately opposite the Miramar Hotel as there is foul ground roughly mid-channel.

The "Portal del Golfo", a restaurant and bar on the waterfront, has a secure dock where visiting boats are invited to tie up their dinghies. It also has a list of recommended watchmen who are available to look after your boat while you are away and they will even store frozen items in their freezers if you want to shut your fridge down while you go travelling.

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