Where to stay in La Paz

The department capital: cheapest beds near Palmerola airport, every bus to Marcala, and a park that empties by nine.

Honduras' coffee capital at 1,300 metres: cupping labs, the Estanzuela waterfall, cave archaeology and cold nights.

A working coffee municipality half an hour from Marcala: farm rooms, red-earth tracks, and absolutely no nightlife.

One of the coldest towns in the department: pine ridges, strong Lenca tradition, tiny hospedajes, nothing open after seven.

The department's most remote high town: two beds, one comedor, endless footpaths, and no reason to hurry.

Small farming municipality west of Marcala on the frontier side: pine, coffee, cheap family rooms, early nights.

Gateway to the Opatoro-Guajiquiro cloud forest: two simple beds, cold mornings, and the best birding in the department.

Cold Lenca highland town above 1,900 m, pine forest, communal land councils and the plainest, cheapest beds in the department.

Working coffee town on the road to Marcala, cheap clean rooms, drying patios in the street and buses all morning.

Junction town on the Marcala highway with the department's most frequent buses, cheap rooms and food until late.

Small western La Paz town near the Marcala coffee zone, three simple hospedajes, cold mornings and no tourism at all.

Tiny western La Paz town in high coffee country, one or two hospedajes, superb walking and almost no infrastructure.

Warm farming village in the southern valleys of La Paz, two very basic rooms, river swimming and serious quiet.

Hot southern La Paz town of dry hills and cattle ranches, old church, cheap plain rooms and hard afternoon light.

Tiny hill municipality south of La Paz town where nights are cold, roosters start at 4am and rooms run under $25.

Small colonial-era mining village with cobbles, a fine old church and cold nights; a handful of rooms under $30.

Small southern hill seat with a plaza church, dusty gravel approaches and two or three hospedajes under $25 a night.

Small rural settlement in the La Paz valley country: farm lanes, cheap rooms nearby, and almost no visitors at all.

Cool northern coffee town in pine and cloud country, with cheap rooms, real farms and no tourist scene at all.

Flat valley town on the paved road south of La Paz: cheap rooms, easy parking and the best base for the southern hills.