Parque Nacional la Tigra Getting there & around

Getting there & away

The western entrance to the park, above Jutiapa, is the closest to Tegucigalpa, 22km away. To get there from Tegus, catch a bus (US$0.80, 1¼ hours, every 45 minutes, first bus between 6am and 7am) toward El Hatillo from the Dippsa gas station on Av Máximo Jérez at Av la Plazuela, across from a Banco Atlántida (or in front of Hotel Granada No 2). Tell the driver you are going to La Tigra; most likely you’ll be dropped at Los Planes, a soccer field about 2km short of the visitors center, but occasionally drivers take you all the way to the entrance. A little friendly pleading may improve your chances. On the return trip, a few buses leave from the visitors center, but most leave from Los Planes; the first is at 6am, the last around 3pm. It you miss the last one, it’s 4km to the next town (Los Limones) where buses run much later.

The eastern park entrance is at El Rosario, a small community perched on a steep hillside. It overlooks San Juancito, once a booming mining town, now a quiet mountain village. From Tegucigalpa, buses go only so far as San Juancito (US$0.75, 1½ hours); they leave from the Mercado San Pablo (3pm Monday to Friday; 8am, 12:40pm and 3pm Sat; 8am and 12:40pm Sun), Valle de Ángeles bus stop, opposite Hospital San Felipe (5pm Monday to Friday), and Supermercado Más x Menos (4:30pm Sat). Buses on their way back to Tegus from San Juancito leave from the kiosk on the main road (6am and 6:50am Monday to Friday; 6am, 6:40am, 12:30pm and 2:30pm Saturday; 6:20am Sunday).

From San Juancito, it is a very steep, winding 3km dirt road up to El Rosario – typically a 60 to 90 minute walk – it’s much harder and sweatier than anything you’ll encounter in the park itself. The guy at the Pepsi kiosk opposite Bus Fantasma takes travelers up the hill in his pickup for around US$10; Monika and Jeorg at Cabaña Mirador El Rosario will do the same for their guests.