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In a country known for its simple cuisine, the fare in La Mosquitía is inescapably traditional. Complicated transportation in and out of the region essentially guarantees that most of the food is grown right at home, although a few basic staples such as coffee, sugar, and cured meats are regularly brought in on water taxis.
Indigenous villagers subsist principally on rice, beans, and the daily catch of fish, with handmade cheeses and homegrown eggs adding some bulk to the plate. Stopover towns like Puerto Lempira, Batalla, and Palacios have a few minimalist sit-down restaurants that serve chicken, beef, conch, and lobster with tajadas (fried plantain chips). Puerto Lempira's general store is a good place to stock up on snacks and fruit to appease grumbling stomachs during a hike.
Further into the rain forest, the only restaurants in Raista/Belén and Las Marías are the tiny dining areas, or comedores, found at the locally run ecolodges. Families prepare home-cooked meals for a flat fee of L70 each. Cold soft drinks and beer are usually on hand. Grub at the Bodden family cabins in Raista is exceptionally delicious, with scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast and a rotating lineup of spaghetti and beans or chicken and rice for dinner.
Travelers are largely expected to haul their own lunches along on excursions or treks. If you're on a package tour, most guides will be in charge of handling the middle meal. For adventurers exploring at their own pace, it's a good idea to buy nonperishable foods like canned tuna and granola to stow in a backpack.
Puerto Lempirans call this quaint seafood restaurant the best around the lagoon. At times it's also the busiest, particularly in the evenings, so be ready for the possibility of a slight wait for the delicious food.
The Lakou Payaska restaurant opposite Hotel Yu Baiwan has been a culinary staple in Puerto Lempira for years. The kitchen offers standard fried chicken dishes as well as lobster, conch, and shrimp served with the ubiquitous rice and beans.
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