A scruffy border town, Nueva Ocotepeque is blessed with a fine setting amid the beautiful mountains at the junction of Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador. The town’s name derives from the words ocote, a local pine tree, and tepec, meaning hill.

Most travelers who enter here get on the first bus heading in whatever direction they’re going, but the hiking aficionado may want to dawdle for a couple of days to see the nearby Reserva Biológica El Güisayote, on the crest of the mountains rising right behind town, or Parque Nacional Trifinio–Montecristo, which forms the border of the three countries. It’s also possible and safe to meander up any of the trails winding into the surrounding hills for a short hike (although it’s best not to go alone).

Nueva Ocotepeque and Antigua Ocotepeque are divided by a river. There’s not much in Antigua beyond the church and a few duty-free stores.

Getting to Nueva Ocotepeque

From Nueva Ocotepeque, you can catch any of the frequent Toritos y Copánecos, Tranporte San José, or Congolón buses coming from the Guatemalan border at Aguas Calientes onward to San Pedro Sula for US$6. There are also three direct buses daily (at varying times) to San Pedro Sula from Nueva Ocotepeque.

Buses depart every hour or two between Nueva Ocotepeque and Santa Rosa, charging US$4 for the 2.5-hour ride, until 3 p.m. Sultana tends to stop the least, getting to Santa Rosa in a fairly reliable two hours instead of three.

Buses to the border at Agua Caliente cost US$1.50 and run about every half hour until 6 p.m. You can also get to either of the borders, Agua Caliente for Guatemala or El Poy for El Salvador, by taxi. To El Poy by colectivo taxi is just US$0.85 or US$5–6 for a private taxi. On the way you will pass El Soldado, a statue on the left side if heading towards the border, commemorating the 1969 war with El Salvador.

There are also minibuses, rapiditos, that leave for El Poy every 20 minutes from Transportes San Jose, for US$0.65. Although the border at El Poy is safer than Agua Caliente, it’s still much better to pass through both during the day.