The Museo Garifuna is a small but well-presented museum in Tela's centre devoted to the history, language, music, and beliefs of the Garifuna people — descendants of shipwrecked enslaved Africans and Carib Indians from the island of Saint Vincent.
Exhibits cover the 1797 deportation to Roatán, the spread of villages along the coast, and the ongoing struggle over Garifuna land rights. UNESCO recognised Garifuna language, music, and dance as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2001. A good half-hour stop before heading out to the villages.