Sightseeing in Tegucigalpa

A good place to begin an exploration of Tegucigalpa is its downtown, an area largely centered around Parque Central, or Central Plaza. The newly redone parque is also a great place to people-watch and get your bearings in the city center. Just be careful not to sit under a tree in the late afternoon. Thousands of birds roost in this and other city parks at night and there are plenty of droppings! The cacophony of their arrival between 5 and 6 in the evening can be heard for blocks.

Bordering one side of the park is the Saint Michael Archangel Parish Church, known simply as the Cathedral or La Catédral. This handsome church was built between 1765 and 1782. It has a magnificent vaulted ceiling, and a domed altar that was sculpted by Guatemalan artist Vicente Gálvez. The church is currently being renovated. From the park you can see the Christ of the Picacho, a massive statue of Christ that was built in 1997 to guard over us capitalinos (capital residents). The statue is perched on the hill (El Picacho) overlooking the city.

A pedestrian walk shoots off the park and is lined with street sellers and stores, coffee shops, and the post office at the end. There is a plan to relocate the street vendors in a new building that is currently being constructed, so they might not be here by the time you arrive. Awinding street leads up from the center to La Leona Park or Parque La Leona, perched on the hill above the city. Several apartment properties form garden neighborhoods in this area and, together with the park, they offer city dwellers a pocket of green.

The city’s commercial district is around the Boulevard Morazán, where dozens of hotels, restaurants, stores and night spots can be found amid wealthy neighborhoods. Just a short taxi ride away (about $3) is the Multiplaza Mall, which is a huge and modern complex with dozens of stores, a food court, a few restaurants, and several movie theaters.

Areas near the city also offer plenty of opportunities for a day-trip. On the hill north of the city is the United Nations Park (Parque de las Naciones Unidas), where you can visit the Christ statue, enjoy panoramic views of the city, and observe Honduran wildlife in the small zoo, including two very large and beautiful jaguars. Farther into the mountains, La Tigra National Park, a beautiful cloud forest that is open to the public, supplies nearly 40% of the city’s water.

Several charming Colonial villages are also just a short drive away. Ojojona, which is a 30-minute drive on the highway to the south, has some interesting Colonial structures such as the church and several old and ornate bridges over brooks running through town. Another half-hour down the same highway is Pespire, a mountain village dominated by a Colonial church. A short distance off the highway to the eastern department of El Paraíso is the department capital, Yuscarán. This picturesque former mining town is probably the best-preserved Colonial town in Honduras, and it was declared a national monument in 1979.

Just a 20-minute drive on another road running northeast out of Tegucigalpa will bring you to the very pretty Colonial town of Santa Lucia. Another 20 minutes on the same road takes you to the slightly larger town of Valle de Angeles. Both are well preserved and geared up to greet the traveler.