Tegucigalpa

The capital of Honduras is an ancient mining town that owes this distinction of being the capital, to a love affair of one of the country's leaders.

For years, the capital of Honduras was located in Comayagua, colonial city built on a fertile valley at an equivalent distance between both oceans that bathe the coasts of Honduras . History tells that Dr. Marco Aurelio Soto, President of Honduras was married to a woman from Tegucigalpa; she was despised by the high society of Comayagua, and before facing such insult, Dr. Soto made the decision to transfer the capital to Tegucigalpa.

Thus, Tegucigalpa , or "Tegus" as it's affectionately referred to by city-dwellers, became the capital of the Republic, formerly being a mining town. The name Tegucigalpa , by the way has its origin in the Nahuatl language and means silver mountain.

Today the capital of Honduras has stopped being a small town. It has a population of approximately one million inhabitants, the most important city of the country. Located in a valley surrounded by pine covered mountains, in contrast the ancient colonial buildings and the modern ones.

Tegus is, undoubtedly, one of the cities where it's easy to get lost. Despite the Spanish cultural heritage, the city is not traced in square form radiating from the central plaza. To confuse the situation even more, Comayagüela, the beautiful twin city of Tegucigalpa , has fused with it becoming a single large one.

The more interesting sectors of Tegucigalpa from the tourist point of view are the historic center, where the oldest buildings as most museums are, a spot that's alive, with most restaurants, bars and offices and the most prestigious firms of Honduras. The parks " La Leona " and "United Nations" offer panoramic views of the city, its green lung. The latter are the favorite sites of city dwellers to spend their time leisure.

Tegucigalpa has much to offer visitors. The main cultural activities take place in it. Honduras ' symphony orchestra has recitals regularly. Likewise the Manuel Bonilla theater, an architectural jewel offers plays regularly. Its interior design was based on the Ateneé Theatre in Paris . The National Villa Roy museum, located in the former Don Julio Lozano Díaz house, ex President of Honduras, owns an interesting collection of artifacts dating back to the Pre-Colombian era to the contemporary. The ancient Presidential House has a museum with articles related to the history of the different heads of state in Honduras . In the central plaza central is the Cathedral, dedicated to the city's patron, the Archangel Michael, and the ensemble of Plaza de la Merced where the Church La Merced , and the ancient convent of la Merced are. Formerly it was the headquarters of the National University of Honduras. Finally, Tegucigalpa offers alternatives in the surrounding area: the route of the royal mines, a circuit of approximately 30 Km ., with several populations of great colonial value, that conserve their style. Examples of these populations are San Juancito, Valley of the Angels, Ojojona, etc. In addition, the National Park of La Tigra with a spectacular cloud forest, of relatively easy access for tourists.