Copán ruins — The great Mayan city of Copán reached its peak around 700 AD and is now among the best-preserved Mayan sites in the world. It's not the largest, but the sculptural work here — stelae, altars, hieroglyphic stairways — is unsurpassed. The Rosalila Temple, found intact inside a larger pyramid, is extraordinary. The adjacent town of Copán Ruinas is pleasant and well-set-up for travelers.
Diving and snorkeling in the Bay Islands — Roatán and Utila sit on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, and the diving is excellent: clear water, abundant marine life, and reasonable prices. Utila in particular has a well-earned reputation as one of the cheapest places in the world to get PADI-certified, and whale sharks pass through the area regularly between March and May.
La Mosquitia — The far northeast is one of the last great wilderness areas in Central America: a vast stretch of rainforest, rivers, and coastal lagoons with indigenous Miskito and Pech communities. Getting here requires planning — usually a small plane to Palacios or Brus Laguna, then dugout canoes — but it rewards the effort. Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Pico Bonito National Park — Near La Ceiba, this park protects cloud forest, lowland jungle, and a dramatic landscape of peaks and rivers. Rafting on the Cangrejal River is one of the best whitewater experiences in Central America.
The north coast and Garifuna villages — The Caribbean coast between Tela and La Ceiba has a character unlike the rest of Honduras: beaches, coconut palms, and Garifuna communities whose food, music, and culture reflect their unique Afro-Caribbean heritage. The beach at Punta Sal is among the most beautiful in the country.
Comayagua — Often overlooked, the old colonial capital has a handsome central square, an 18th-century cathedral, and a much lower tourist footprint than Copán. Worth a stop on the road between San Pedro and Tegucigalpa.