Honduras Trip Report -- Tegucigalpa and Surrounding Area

First off, I'd like to mention that I'm new to these forums, and that this is also the first trip report I've started creating for sharing with others. I'd also like to mention that before traveling throughout Honduras, I had to live for five months in Tegucigalpa (in 2004), and that I hadn't really actually travelled throughout the country before. It was more for work than for interest. The first time I started actually "travelling" in Honduras was in 2006. I've also travelIed through Guatemala, Belize, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, and El Salvador as well. I will elaborate more later, but I want to get the basics of the first part of my trip report done first.
My interests when I go travelling: nature/ecotourism, exploring the history of the country, indigenous culture, diving, trekking, getting off the beaten path, etc. The only thing I don't really look for as much is nightlife.
Also, please give me suggestions on how to improve my trip reports.

BASIC INFORMATION

Time Spent in Country: 50 Days (Summer 2010)

Places I'll Cover in Future Trip Reports: Comayagua, Lake Yojoa, The Lenca Trail, Copan Valley, La Ceiba Area, Tela, Omoa, Trujillo, Olancho Department

Places I’ll Cover in this Entry: Tegucigalpa, Valle de Angeles, Santa Lucia, La Tigra National Park

Time Spent in This Area: 5 Days

Tegucigalpa

Opinions on this city are mixed. Some travelers call it a horrible and notiriously dangerous place. Others call it the average Central American capital city. Others find it to be a curious city. I personally am in between. I don't consider the city to be completely horrible or dangerous, but crime is still a significant problem in the city.

Anyways, I landed through the Toncotin Airport (obviously, as it's the only airport nearby). The landing, as usual, was a little scary, but after it passes, tensions go down. I stayed at Hotel Linda Vista for two nights, and for just under $50 per night, I found it to be a nice little B&B. The breakfast was very tasty, and the staff was actually quite friendly and willing to help put. If you were to be interested in eating outside the B&B, there are a few restaurants within 5-10 minutes away. However, I didn't try eating at any of them, so I can't report on them.

I decided to visit the Colonial Center first, which contains the Parque Central, the National Gallery of Art, a few museums and of course some colonial architecture. Parque Central+ itself is an interesting place to go people watching, and is also one of the more welcoming parts of the capital. I visited the +National Gallery of Art, and was surprisingly glad that I did. The Building shows the evolution of Honduran art, and is worth a visit if you ever have a slight interest in Tegucigalpa.
Next, I visited El Museo de la Identidad Nacional, a museum that goes over much of Honduras's history. Guides are available free of charge, and if you visit this museum, I recommend that you take one, as it may let you discover some of the most interesting details.

After that, I went to Parque La Leona, a spot where it is actually nice to take a stroll and to take in the view of the city. The view is one of the interesting parts of Tegucigalpa. The city is literally spread over hills, and then surrounded by even more.
Lastly, I visited the Parque Naciones Unidas, and it's honestly become my favorite part of the city. From here you can also get nice views of the capital, and the gardens are actually quite beautiful. There's even a Confucian Garden that was donated by Taiwan. The Cristo del Picacho -- a Christ statue that's part of the park, is also worth going to. The park also has a zoo, but I don't really recommend it.

Valle de Angeles

Valle de Angeles is a small town not too far from Tegucigalpa, and is easily my favorite reason to visit the Tegucigalpa area. The town is about 23-25 kilometers away from Tegucigalpa, and can be reached by a bus from Avenida La Paz in Tegucigalpa.

The first day I spent here was a Friday. I stayed at a small hotel called Villas del Valle. It's just outside of the town, and can be done with just $10 a night. During the week, as well demonstrated on Friday, Valle de Angeles is a very quiet town, and some of the restaurants might be closed. The atmosphere is very beautiful, as the town is set high up in the mountains.
On Saturday, the quiet town turned into a very energetic place. Several citizens from Tegucigalpa come to have fun at Valle de Angeles, and this is also a great time to buy the several Honduran handicrafts that the town is known for. Handicrafts include beautiful carved boxes, tapestries, furniture, ceramics, and other items, and most of them are authentic Honduran items. Only very few shops have items from other parts of the world, and this is what makes Valle de Angeles the best place to shop for Honduran handicrafts.
I was actually lucky and got to watch one of the artisans create his wooden-carved boxes, and it was a nice learning experience. Some of the wooden boxes are even painted, and it was just great to see Honduran art in the actual process.

Will I Return to Valle de Angeles?: Definitely.
Do I Recommend It to Other Travelers?: Yes. It's a town with a very charming atmosphere, and a great place to get insight on Honduran handicraft culture. The only downside is that it might be a little far from the other highlights of the country. However, it's a must-see, especially if you're going to be in the Tegucigalpa area.

Santa Lucia

Santa Lucia is another small town that's actually a little closer to Tegucigalpa than Valle de Angeles. The town itself has a very clean and charming atmosphere, and it's a beauiful place to take a stroll. It has a nice little church as well. Santa Lucia was a nice spot to spend an afternoon.

Will I Return?: Possibly. It's a nice town with a pleasant atmosphere.
Do I Recommend it to Others?: Depends. Santa Lucia is nice, but aside from the church, it doesn't really offer anything to tourists. It's more of a relaxation spot than a must-see.

La Tigra National Park

La Tigra was the first protected area of Honduras, and is composed of a cloud forest. In order to get to La Tigra, I had to take the bus from Tegucigalpa up to Jutiapa. The park is closed on Mondays.

Ten dollars is the entrance fee. The cloud forest is actually quite healthy, and there are several well-marked trails throughout the area. I was pleased to see a lot of bird life (blue and white mockingbird being one of them) and was a very relaxing atmosphere.

Will I Return?: If I revisit Tegucigalpa, yes.

Do I Recommend it to Others?: Yes, but only if you'll be in Tegucigalpa for a while. Later on in my trip throughout Honduras, I found Celaque, Cerro Azul Meambar, Cusuco, and Pico Bonito to be more extensive wildlife areas. If you visit any of these before La Tigra, I'd skip it. However, it's definitely a nice beautiful cloud forest.

CONCLUSION

I found the Tegucigalpa area to be a decent start to my adventure throughout Honduras. Although it doesn't really compare to how amazing the rest of Honduras is, I found Valle de Angeles to be very charming, and I'll certainly return.
Overall, I don't recommend the actual capital for tourists. It's not horrible nor beautiful, but it doesn't have much to offer other than a colonial center and a few nice areas.

Thanks for reading. If you have any questions, or if you have any ideas on how I could improve on my trip reports, please notify my.

I hope to get the rest of my trip reports up soon. :)

Edited by: rultikart

I wanted to visit Tegucigalpa and surroundings in August, but the weather was bad so I changed my plans and spent time on Roatan. I hope I will have opportunity next time.

Great report! Thanks for sharing!