Trujillo is a small historic port town on Honduras's Caribbean coast, sitting on a bay sheltered by a long headland east of La Ceiba. It has one of the most significant histories of any town on the Central American Caribbean coast — Christopher Columbus landed here in 1502 on his fourth voyage, making it one of the first places on the American mainland reached by Europeans. A small fortress built by the Spanish, Fort Santa Bárbara, still stands above the bay.
The town has the relaxed, slightly faded atmosphere common to Caribbean ports that have seen better economic days. The beach runs for several kilometres, the bay is calm, and the surrounding area is lush with tropical vegetation. The Garifuna village of Santa Fé, about 10 km west, is worth a visit for its culture and beaches.
Trujillo is a long way from anywhere — around 300 km of difficult road from San Pedro Sula — which keeps visitor numbers low. There are a few small hotels and the town makes a reasonable base for exploring the undeveloped coastline and the Capiro-Calentura National Park, a cloud forest reserve on the hills above town.