Choluteca
Honduras’s fourth-largest city, with a population of around 160,000, CHOLUTECA has a fine old colonial centre, which is its main attraction. Most places of interest are grouped around the Parque Central, itself a pleasant place to enjoy the evening air. Dominating the square, the imposing seventeenth-century cathedral is worth a look for its elaborately constructed wooden ceiling. On the southwest corner of the square is the birthplace of José Cecilio del Valle, one of the authors of the Central American Act of Independence in 1821; the town’s authorities have started to turn the building into a municipal museum. It is Valle’s statue that stands in the middle of the square. Once you’ve seen the centre, there’s not much reason to hang out in the heat, and most people move on fairly quickly.
Isla El Tigre
Boats depart the fishing village of Coyolito, on the coast of the Golfo de Fonseca, southwest of Jícaro Galán, for the volcanic ISLA EL TIGRE, whose conical peak rises sharply against the sky across the sparkling water. With good beaches, calm waters and constant sunshine, it’s an ideal spot to hide away for a couple of days.
The island’s only town is AMAPALA, once the country’s major Pacific port and now a decaying relic of the nineteenth century. Looking up from the dock, you’ll see ageing wooden houses clustered along the hillside, while the restored church in the Parque Central shows signs of the island’s desire to get on the tourist map. Nonetheless, during the week there’s every chance you’ll be the only visitor on the island.
From the southern side of the island there are stunning views across the gulf to Volcán Cosiguina in Nicaragua, and in some places to Isla Meanguera and mainland El Salvador. The island’s peak can be climbed in a steep and very hot two- to three-hour walk; ask for directions to the start of the trail, opposite the naval base, about 15 minutes’ walk southwest of Amapala.
Beaches
An 18km road runs all the way around the island, giving access to some glorious deserted beaches; it takes four or more hours to walk the whole thing, or you can take one of the moto-taxis that hang around the end of the dock in Amapala.
A 45-minute walk or L10–20 moto-taxi ride (avoid the car taxis that may be waiting at the end of the pier – find a red moto-taxi near the square) east from the Parque Central takes you to Playa El Burro, where you can while away the afternoon people-watching – children and taxi drivers play football on the beach before cooling off in the sea. Popular Playa Grande, west of the plaza, is backed by rows of comedores serving freshly barbecued fish at the weekend. A further ten minutes west is Playa Negra, a pretty volcanic sand beach.
