Accommodation
As the capital, Tegucigalpa’s accommodation is generally pricier than elsewhere in Honduras.
Around Tegucigalpa
There are several places a short bus ride away from Tegucigalpa where you can while away an afternoon, or even a day or two. The famous Basílica de Suyapa takes only twenty minutes to reach, or for a really adventurous couple of days you could take yourself off to Valle de Ángeles for a morning before going on to the Parque Nacional La Tigra to hike.
Basílica de Suyapa
Some 6km east of Tegucigalpa’s centre, the monolithic white bulk of the Basílica de Suyapa rises from the flat plains. Built in the 1950s, it is home to the Virgen de Suyapa, patron saint of Honduras. The statue of the Virgin was discovered by two campesinos in 1743. The story goes that after bedding down for the night, one of them noticed he was lying on something, but without looking to see what the offending object was, threw it to one side. Within a few minutes, however, the object had returned. The next day, the two carried the little statue down to Suyapa where, placed on a simple table adorned with flowers, the Virgin began to attract worshippers.
Today you can see the tiny statue (just 6cm tall) behind the wooden altar in La Pequeña Iglesia, the original eighteenth-century chapel behind the Basílica. According to legend, each time she is placed in the larger Basílica, the Virgin mysteriously returns to the simple chapel, built by Captain José de Zelaya y Midence in thanks for the recovery of his health.
Parque Nacional La Tigra
The oldest reserve in Honduras, Parque Nacional La Tigra was designated a national park in 1980. Just 22km from Tegucigalpa, its accessibility and good system of trails make it a popular destination; however, much of the original cloudforest has been destroyed through heavy logging, so what you see is generally secondary growth. Parts of the park still shelter oak trees, bromeliads, ferns, orchids and other typical cloudforest flora, along with wildlife such as deer, white-faced monkeys and ocelots – though they tend to stick to parts of the park that are out of bounds to visitors. The trails are well laid out, and provide some easy hiking, either on a circular route from the visitors’ centre or across the park between the two entrances. Guides are also available, though they only speak Spanish. You can visit the park as a day-trip but it’s worth staying a couple of nights.
The park has two entrances. The western side is reached via the village of Jutiapa, 17km east of Tegucigalpa. Though slightly easier to reach from the capital, this entrance has few facilities. The second entrance is best reached via the village of San Juancito from where you can walk or get a pick-up the 5km to the park.
Valle de Ángeles
Continuing east from the Basílica de Suyapa, the road rises gently amid magnificent scenery, winding through forests of slender pine trees. Some 22km from the capital is VALLE DE ÁNGELES, a former mining town now reincarnated as a handicraft centre and scenic getaway for capitalanos. Surrounded by forested mountains, the small town slumbers during the week, then explodes with activity at weekends. The town is chiefly noted for its quality carved wooden goods, and it’s a nice place to while away a couple of hours.
Cerro El Picacho
To the north of Plaza Morazán, older suburbs – previously home to the wealthy middle classes and rich immigrants, now long gone – edge up the lower slopes of Cerro El Picacho. Grab a picnic and escape to the Parque Naciones Unidas El Picacho for fantastic views over the city. At the top stands the open-armed Cristo del Picacho, illuminated at night in a dazzle of coloured lights. Take a bus from in front of Hotel Granada 2 or a taxi; it’s a twenty-minute journey.
Colonia Palmira and around
The upscale Colonia Palmira neighbourhood is home to most of the capital’s foreign embassies, luxury hotels, top restaurants and swanky residences. A particular landmark, the modern Hotel Honduras Maya, is on the Avenida República de Chile, in Colonia Palmira, fifteen minutes’ walk east from the centre. A kilometre beyond the hotel, an overpass gives access to eastward-bound Boulevard Morazán, Tegucigalpa’s major commercial and entertainment artery. No city buses run along here, so you’ll have to walk or take a taxi. On Calle 1, the Centro Cultural de España Tegucigalpa (CCET), housed in an attractive modern building, puts on a stimulating programme of music, art exhibitions and talks.