The capital of Honduras, Tegucigalpa lies in a valley surrounded by mountains. Founded in 1578 by Spanish settlers, Tegucigalpa has colonial architecture still evident in its churches, notably Baroque-style Iglesia de Santa Maria de Los Dolores and Gothic Basilica de Suyapa. While typically just a passing through point for visitors on their way to the beaches of Roatan or the Mayan Ruins in Copan, Tegucigalpa has its own beauty and chaos as the center of a developing nation struggling to maintain peace in bouts of political turmoil and violence.
El Centro, Tegucigalpa
The colonial heart of the city centers around Parque Morazan where the main Cathedral is located. Close by are several churches, such as Iglesia de Santa Maria de Los Dolores, built in 1732 and 1815, and museums, including Galeria Nacional de Arte and Museo de Identidad Nacional.
La Tigra National Park (Parque Nacional La Tigra)
Only 45 minutes away from Tegucigalpa lies a 92-square-mile cloud forest national park, Parque Nacional La Tigra. Birds are abundant, but hard to spot during most of the day. Pine trees, leafy bromeliads, ferns, lichens, mushrooms, and orchids shade the well-kept trail. Remnants of the original mining by the El Rosario Mining Company can be still found, including mine shafts and buildings abandoned since the 1950s. There are two entrances: the main one is at Jutiapa with a visitor’s center and a few cabins and the second one is Rosario, located above the original headquarters for El Rosario Mining Company. The highlight is Sendero la Cascada, a trail that reaches a small waterfall.
Nearby Tegucigalpa
My friends Irma & Manuel took me to several pueblos nearby Tegucigalpa, including colonial Yuscaran, known for its distilling of aguardiente, or guaro, Ojojona and its pottery, peaceful San Buenaventura, and Zamorano, the agricultural center of Honduras with a well-known university.
Yuscaran
Yuscaran is a small, quaint town with cobblestone streets, a main plaza, and a museum about the original distillery.
Ojojona
After browsing the colorful pottery, take a moto-taxi around the town of Ojojona to get a glimpse of the simple lives led by locals making cheese, washing clothes by hand, and watching soccer. On your way out back to Tegucigalpa, you’ll pass by Parque Eolico, a Wind Farm with giant wind turbines quietly spinning and producing electric power.
Zamorano
One of the most well-known universities in Honduras is Zamorano for its agriculture and learning-based education. Students live in residence and wear uniforms of blue button-down shirts, hats, and jeans. Here students buy meats and produce from the market across from campus and open to the public.
San Buenaventura
Restored inherited homes provide peaceful retirements. Hammocks sway to the breeze.
