The Hotel Plaza Victoria (tel. 504/647-0222, US$21 s, US$29 d) is popular with missionary groups and medical brigades. It has parking, a swimming pool, and even English-speaking staff.

Another “upscale” hotel is Hotel Casa Blanca (tel. 504/647-1954, US$24.50 s, US$30.50 d), on the highway exit toward Tela, with 58 large and quiet rooms, each with air-conditioning, TV, hot water, and private bathroom. A swimming pool is on-site.

Culinary adventurers will be glad to hear that El Progreso is reputed to be home to the tastiest grilled bull nuts (huevos de toro) in the country; the famous no-name grill, or parrilla (which also, by the way, has excellent chicken and other non-genitalia menu items) is found by walking from the main park back toward the highway; look to your left right next to the DIPPSA gas station.

There are a number of good steak restaurants in town; look for Kactus, along the highway, or La Parrilla (tel. 504/647-2433), outside of downtown on the road to Santa Rita, next to a DIPPSA gasoline station.

About 10 minutes outside of town on the highway toward Tela is Centro Turístico La Cabana, a large open-air restaurant with two nice swimming pools (US$3 pp for use of pools).