Tela is a municipality of Honduras in the Department of Atlantida. Its territory comprises a surface of 1,163 square kilometers and abuts the Caribbean Sea up in the north. The territory is divided in 81 villages like Agua Blanca, Agua Chiquita, Barra Ulua, Brisas del Lean and Buena Vista. Port of Tela is the municipality’s major city, a coastal burg some 92 kilometers from San Pedro Sula and with a population of 92,816 inhabitants (year 2000).
Founded on May 3, 1524 by Spanish captain Cristobal de Olid and under the name of Triunfo de la Cruz, this was the first village founded by the Spaniards in Honduras.
Since its foundation, Tela was the Honduras’ trade and industry capital. Today, it’s shaping itself as a gorgeous tourist destination brimming with natural and cultural resources.
The municipality was put on the map as a result of a U.S. company that set up a railroad system for the transportation of bananas in the region. That company was called the Tela Railroad Company.
The municipality’s major economic activity has to do with tropical crops like coffee, sugar cane and cocoa, as well as bananas. Its port area is always busy with trade activities, especially in the field of foodstuffs. Several roads guarantee communication with the rest of the country and other Honduran coastal cities like Puerto Cortes and La Ceiba.
In recent years, tourism has taken off dramatically in this region. As a matter of fact, Port of Tela is a typical tropical destination in Honduras, outfitted with the necessary infrastructure to foster tourism in the area. The city’s saint patron celebrations –Santa Cruz- are held on May 3.
