Omoa

Omoa is a town in the Cortés Department of Honduras, on the Caribbean Sea coast, to the west of Puerto Cortés. The town is on a small bay, also named "Omoa". In 1998 the population was some 1,700 people.

Omoa's most striking feature is the Fortaleza de San Fernando de Omoa, an 18th century Spanish fort. The fort was constructed from 1759 through 1778, and is the largest colonial fort in Central America.

Omoa was the last Spanish stronghold in Central America after Central America declared its independence. The Spanish fort was captured by the Central American Republicans under Colonel Juan Galindo.

From the time of the fort's construction until the mid 19th century, Omoa was Honduras's main sea port on the Atlantic coast. Omoa's decline started in the 1820s when the bay began to silt up, and nearby Puerto Cortés was developed. With the first railroad connecting Puerto Cortés with San Pedro Sula in the 1880s, Omoa became a backwater fishing village.

In the late 20th century the beach here began attracting day tripping residents of San Pedro Sula.