Honduras Towns & Villages: 
 Santa Rosa de Copan 
Gracias   Choluteca 

Santa Rosa de Copan Santa Rosa is the most important commercial and political city in western Honduras. It serves as the administrative center for the departments of Copan, Lempira and Ocotepeque.
The western highway, that leads from San Pedro Sula to the El Poy border with El Salvador and to the Agua Caliente border with Guatemala, goes through Santa Rosa. As such, it is a good place for a stopover on a trip from Honduras to El Salvador and for people headed for the city of Esquipulas in Guatemala. Its great restaurant facilities and good hotels are very affordable.
Santa Rosa de Copan is a good starting place for several day excursions. Only 45km away, there is the colonial city of Gracias, connected by a regular bus service. There is the indigenous city of Belen Gualcho, with its interesting church and great Sunday market. Those interested in wildlife can choose between Celaque National Park, near Gracia and the Reserva del Guisayote, a cloud forest 60km from Santa Rosa and home to many exotic birds and animals, such as the elusive quetzal.

 Gracias 

One of the best kept secrets in Honduras is the colonial city of Gracias, Capital of the department of Lempira, in western Honduras. Gracias is accessible from Copan via the Western Highway towards Santa Rosa de Copan. Just before getting to Santa Rosa a road turns south and that will take you directly to Gracias.

This City was founded in 1536, by Capt. Juan de Chavez and the original name was Gracias a Dios. Apparently the Spanish conquistador had spent several days in this very mountainous area looking for a place to establish a city, and when he finally found an area flat enough to build on, his first words where "gracias a Dios que hemos hallado tierra llana".

Gracias still retains much of its original atmosphere. It had some years of booming growth before being overshadowed by the cities of Antigua Guatemala and Comayagua. Three colonial churches stand within the center of the city, San Sebastian, Las Mercedes, and San Marcos, with a fourth, Santa Lucia close by in a neighboring village.

The landscape around Gracias is extremely mountainous, with heavily forested areas surrounding the city. Located at the foot of the Montaņa de Celaque, the highest peak in Honduras at 2,880m above sea level, and home to Celaque National Park, this area boasts one of the largest tracts of cloud forest left in Central America.

Celaque means 'box of water' in the Lenca dialect and the area is the source of 11 rivers and many creeks. Trails are clearly marked in the park which is divided into two distinct areas both featuring facilities for campers. The visitor's center, located at 1,400m above sea level has two small cabins, cooking facilities, water and latrines. The second campsite is at 2,000m above sea level, and is a good six hour hike further on.

In the neighborhood of Gracias there are several small communities of native Indians the largest indigenous group being the Lencas. They produce some excellent handicrafts, particularly ceramics. The town of La Campa, just 40 minutes from Gracia, is famous for them and visitors are able to watch the Lencas at work.

Two other places of interest are the pleasant hot springs just 5km south of Gracias and the Fort of San Cristobal, located on a small mountain overlooking the city.

The best places to obtain additional information about Gracias and the surrounding area, are the Guancascos Restaurant and the Lenca Cultural Center located at the main square in Gracia. Ask for Froni or Suyapa. Froni is Dutch turned Honduran and is fluent in several languages.

 Choluteca 

Originally founded as the Villa de Jerez de Choluteca, this city today is the capital of the Department of Choluteca. It is the fourth most important city in Honduras and one of the most historical.
Home to Honduran hero Jose Cecilio del Valle, this charming colonial town is easily accessible from Tegucigalpa. The Pan-American highway runs through the city connecting it to San Salvador in El Salvador to the west, and Nicaragua to the southeast.

Choluteca sees tourism as an important economic activity and their chief competition has been the northern region. The local businesses want to change this and are investing heavily in hotels and the tourism infrastructure of the area.

The Gulf, which Honduras shares with El Salvador and Nicaragua, is truly lovely with rich mangrove vegetation and several small islands. The most important is the extinct volcanic island of Amapala which very picturesque. In fact Amapala is so beautiful its image was selected to appear on two lempira bills.
Many of the wealthier Hondurans from the capital have weekend homes along the coast, with Coyolito and Punta Raton being the more exclusive areas. The beaches in the gulf are of volcanic origin and are therefore very black. Although unusual, they are very pretty and make for a definite change from the white sand of the north coast.

The usually tranquil waters of the gulf provide excellent water sport conditions.Sportfishing is attracting more and more people and beginning to generate a good portion of the local economy.

Excursions out of Choluteca

The Bahia de Chismuyo Wildlife Refuge is located very close to the border with El Salvador on the Gulf of Fonseca. It offers a unique window into the wildlife of the Pacific area. The only access is by boat. Launches can be hired in Coyolito. The round-trip with some sightseeing along the way takes a couple of hours.

El Corpus is another old colonial town that used to be an important mining center. It has an interesting church with an altar located at the entrance to an old mine! This charming little town is located 25 km east of Choluteca.

Shrimp farming is an important industry in the region. Visitors can get permits to visit them and learn about the farming process. The major hotels in Choluteca will help arrange a trip.

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