Tours and Excursions in Tegucigalpa
Tegucigalpa offers several attractive options around its surroundings. There is something to suit any interest, for the nature lovers, the Tigra National Park offers a once in a lifetime experience, also different colonial towns once important for their mining activities, and what could be considered one of the most important handicraft centers in Honduras is very close to Tegucigalpa. To get the best of these areas, we recommend you look up one of the tour operators in the directory, these are professionals with a high degree of expertise in their field.

El Picacho Zoo and United Nations Park
A true oasis within Tegucigalpa. The park, which also houses the massive Cristo del Picacho concrete Statue that overlooks the city has a very pleasant park area and the only true zoo in the country. The zoo is open 10:00 a.m. till 3:00 p.m. on weekdays and till 4:00 p.m. on weekends, entrace fee is a mere Lps. 2.00 per person. A nice collection of Honduran birds, mammals and reptiles call the zoo their home. Also nice taxidermy specimens of monkeys and birds, including the rare king vulture are part of the displays. To get here, take the bus up to El Hatillo, which leaves from corner of Calle Finlay nad Calle Cristobal Colon, near Parque Finlay, across the street from the Hotel Granada. A 20-minute ride will put you at the entrance to the park. Within the park you will have great panoramic views of the City of Tegucigalpa.

La Tigra National Park.
La Tigra located only 11 km from Tegucigalpa is a cloud forest of over 238 square kilometers. The cloud forest is considered one of the richest habitats in the world, where there is the highest diversity of flora and fauna. There are not very many cloud forests left in Central America, but Honduras has a good variety of protected areas with cloud forest vegetation. La Tigra National Park is the one with easiest access from Tegucigalpa. Bromeliads, orchids, arborescent ferns and over 200 species of birds call La Tigra their home.
There are two entrances to the Tigra National Park. One is through El Hatillo, and the other is via the Reales Minas Route, through Santa Lucia, Valle de Angeles and San Juancito. The Hatillo route is closest to Tegucigalpa and is more popular with the locals. In the area of the Hatilo entrance to the park lies a small, cozy mountain lodge, La Estancia, that allows you to spend the night in the neighborhood of the park with all the comforts you could ask for. Bird watching from La Estancia is spectacular and the setting, amongst a pine tree forest is refreshing and relaxing at the same time.
The second alternative is an interesting route, as it allows you to visit these interesting towns. From San Juancito there is a dirt road, which when wet requires a 4X4 to drive up to the old Rosario Mining Co. Headquarters, today the visitors center to the park is located in one of these buildings. From here, you can launch your expedition into La Tigra National Park. There are several paths through the forest, the longest of which will take you across the park to the visitors center located at El Hatillo entrance. The old hospital of the mining company has been converted into sleeping quarters for visitors to the park. Although the accommodation is basic, it is clean, and there are toilets and showers available. In order to arrange to stay overnight at the parks visitors center, you must make arrangements with Amitigra, a non profit ecological foundation for the preservation of the La Tigra cloud forest park. Their offices are in Tegucigalpa and they can be reached at tel 232 6771 and 232 5503.
There is now a cozy wooden cabin for rent at the Mirador El Rosario, where you can get vegetarian food and homemade bread. Since only two rooms are available at this cabin, it is a good idea to make a reservation previously. Call 987 5835. Spanish, English and German are spoken at the previous phone number!
We were fortunate to have a 4X4 car for this stretch of the road, and therefore had no problem getting up into the park. (I have made it up to the Visitors Center in a regular two wheel drive car during the dry season, so a 4X4 is not indispensable) If you do not have a car, and wish to visit this part of the country, which is known as the Reales Minas circuit, I recommend starting at La Tigra and then working your way back towards Tegucigalpa, as there are few buses to San Juancito. Take the buses to San Juancito that leave from the Mercado San Pablo, barrio El Manchen, downtown , (there are three daily departures, schedule varies) get off at the end of the road and get yourself ready for a 5 km steep hike up the mountain. If you need to charge your batteries with some food or drink prior to the hike, you can catch a bite at comedor Celsa. There, Mrs. Celsa Guzman can provide you with information regarding the town and the park, provided of course that you can speak some Spanish. Another alternative for food and transportation up to the Visitors Center is to locate Sarah at the Pepsi “caseta” in the center of San Juancito. Here you can sample some good typical Honduran food. On your return back, you can get off at Valle de Angeles, from there, regular bus service into Tegucigalpa is readily available, although you can get off at Santa Lucia and then catch a bus back into the city. From Santa Lucia there is service ever 45 minutes into Tegucigalpa, with the first bus starting at 6:00 am. and the last at 6:00 p.m.

Metropolitan Zoo
The Tegucigalpa metropolitan zoo is located at El Picacho, with a stunning view of the city. Amongst the many animals that can be seen there you will enjoy seeing the jaguar, the largest native American feline, as well as a variety of white tailed deer and spider monkeys. There are a total of 310 animals, of which 20 different species are mammals, 23 birds and 7 reptiles. The zoo is open 7 days a week from 8:00 a.m. till 3:00 p.m. and the entrance fee is a mere Lps 3.00 per adult and Lps 1.00 per child.

Valle de Angeles.
A picturesque mining town, located less than 30 km from Tegucigalpa, Valle de Angeles retains its Spanish colonial atmosphere. Continuing our route, we came to Valle de Angeles (Valley of Angels), a name that fits the beauty of the place. Here you can visit the halls of exhibits of varied handicrafts from around Honduras. Many of them are produced right here. There are several different restaurants, amongst which I recommend, Rudy’s Snack Bar, El Anafre, Los Gauchos, Epocas and Papagallo, all located near the main park. There are also many souvenirs and art gallery's. Perhaps one of the best places for bargains is Lesanddra Leather, a local manufacturer of fine leather products, located just across the street from the handicraft exposition center. The church in Valle de Angeles has been very modernized, and therefore lost its original colonial charm, so don't expect anything as unique as the one in Santa Lucia. There is one good little hotel, La Posada del Angel, where you can plan on spending a night if you really want to get a feel for the town.

Santa Lucia
Santa Lucia is located approximately 5,000 ft above sea level, and is still surrounded by pine forests. During Colonial times, the mountains around this town were mined for quite a time, and the town became important to the Spanish crown because of this. During the late XVI century, the king of Spain ordered a crucifix of Christ built for the local church. Today, although the church suffered many modifications and expansions until its present building, which was finished just prior to the independence of Honduras, the figure of Christ donated by the Spanish crown in 1574 still remains. When visiting the town, try to get a look at the inside of the church. If the doors are closed, you can go to the back into the office and ask that it be opened for you. The town is still very small, although it has grown as a plush suburb of Tegucigalpa. Perhaps it's most distinguishing fact is that people have always cultivated flowers to be sold in capitals markets. As such, you will find many colorful gardens with different varieties of tropical flowers. Santa Lucia has also been selected by the US Peace Corps as there training base for the volunteers that are on programs in Honduras. Just on the outskirts of town you will find the Santa Lucia Serpentarium, a local, private collection of snakes native to Honduras. Here you will find some of the most venomous snakes in the country, as well as non-poisonous specimens. The serpentarium is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and there is no entrance fee, however there is a donation box, which helps provide the funds for the maintenance of the site.
El Zamorano, Yuscaran and Danli East of Tegucigalpa, just under 35 km. on the road that leads to the border with Nicaragua lies one of the most beautiful valleys in Honduras, The Zamorano Valley. It is here where the world famous agricultural El Zamorano School is located. As a matter of fact, most of the valley is cultivated under the auspices of the school as different projects, that include both agriculture and livestock programs. The school, almost 100 years old is considered one of the best of its kind in Latin America. The Kellogg’s center offers good accommodation for anyone needing to spend the night in the area. Although the center is basically dedicated to housing students, as well as faculty, they usually have rooms, at very reasonable rates that can be had if necessary. A little further down the road you will find the detour to Yuscaran, without doubt one of the nicest, best preserved colonial towns in the country. Nestled high in the mountains, this town grew around an important gold and silver mine. Although mining is not a major activity in modern days, it certainly gave this town a lot of personality that it still retains. You will enjoy the small central park, a very pretty colonial church and the narrow alleyways and stairways that lead up to the mountains. Perhaps Yuscarans biggest claim to fame in these modern days is the nation wide famous booze, “guaro” that is manufactured here and that bears the town’s name. If you visit the town during the week you can visit the distillery that is located right in the heart of downtown. Although there are no first class hotels in Yuscaran, there are a couple of hotels under construction that will soon offer a good alternative to those who wish to spend the night in this charming hotel. Yuscaran is also the capital of the department of El Paraiso. Finally, but not least, Danli, is a lovely agricultural town that you will surely enjoy. Located 100 km from Tegucigalpa, this charming town is home to an important tobacco industry. Many of the fine Honduran tobaccos that are consumed around the world are produced right here, in Danli. Of special interest is the old colonial church of massive proportions. Although in need of repair, this beautiful church is worth a visit and certainly a reminder of the Spanish heritage of Honduras.

Comayagua
The colonial capital of Honduras is only 90 km ( about 57 miles ) south of Tegucigalpa on the main road to San Pedro Sula. The city has a series of colonial monuments, basically churches that are worthwhile for lovers of colonial arquitecture. In addition, an outstanding museum, and a totally renovated central plaza create an air of days past, when Comayagua was still the Capital of Honduras, back in the late 18 hundreds. Pleasant restaurants and a couple of good hotels make Comayagua an option for overnight trips, however it can easily be enjoyed during a one-day tour. If you are visiting Comayagua for the day, we wholeheartedly recommend having lunch at Villa Real, a renovated colonial house that has been turned into the nicest restaurant in the city.

Zambrano
Located 35 km from Tegucigalpa on the highway towards San Pedro Sula, Zambano is a small little village located high in the mountains and surrounded by pine forests. There is a very pleasant and unique mountain hotel in the area that offers a unique opportunity to enjoy a rural atmosphere and take hiking and horseback riding tours in the area. A 45 minute hike will take you to a lovely waterfall, and horseback riding tours can offer you outstanding views from the mountaintops. Caserio Valuz, as the hotel is named offers 15 rooms with private bath, hot water, in a museum like environment offers a full service restaurant that is open to guests and visitors alike. The property is owned and managed by Jorge Valle Aguluz, an outstanding host who will help arrange tours in the area as well as the rest of the country. To get to the hotel, take a left at km 35 on the Tegucigalpa to San Pedro Sula highway. There is a large sign next to the road indicating the entrance to a military facility. Behind it you will find a very small sign on a post for the hotel. Folow the road strait down for about 1 ½ km and you will see the nice white country house that houses the hotel. Phone numbers for the property are 898 6755 and 996 4294. Reservations are strongly recommended.

Ojojona.
A small picturesque community located only 20 miles from Tegucigalpa, Ojojona is the prototype of rural communities in Honduras. Nestled in a valley surrounded by pine clad mountains, whitewashed adobe homes with red tile roofs and cobblestone streets, friendly hospitable people…
Famous for its handicrafts, Ojojona has produced ceramic and wood souvenirs for many years, and recently, thanks to a continued effort to upgrade their hand produced artifacts, have greatly improved their products. Its strange name comes from its original Lenca name which means green water. The town was established at the beginning of the XVII century and retains a strong Spanish Colonial architecture with 3 churches that date from that period in Honduran history. The town was proclaimed a National Heritage Site in 1996. To get to Ojojona, you must take the road leading south towards Choluteca, after a few miles you will find the detour on the right side of the road. Follow this paved road and at the end of it you will be in Ojojona. It should take you no more than 40 minutes from Tegucigalpa measuring time from the airport.

Golf
Golf lovers are always desperate looking for golfing alternatives when away from home. Tegucigalpa offers two different 9-hole golf courses. The Tegucigalpa Country Club, the older of the two is located just outside the city. The new Villa Elena Country Club, located off the road towards San Pedro Sula is within a private ecological reserve and residential area that offers beautiful views of pine and oak clad mountains. Without doubt, this is the most exclusive residential site in the capital. A fine Mexican food restaurant, a bar and tennis courts enhance the facilities. Travellers are welcome to drop by and play a round of golf at the Villa Elena Country Club. Upon arriving at the gates, let them know that you have read about the club in Honduras tips and wish to come in to play, guards are instructed to let you in!