Tegucigalpa
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1. Basílica de Suyapa
Religious Building/Site/ShrineOvershadowing the smaller church is the mammoth white-and-gray gothic Basílica de Suyapa. The beautiful sky-blue stained-glass windows are inspirational, but the basilica's haughty air makes it far less intimate than the church. It was built in 1954 to house the Virgen de Suyapa and to accommodate the crowds who pay homage, but she is not fond of it. On many occasions she has left it at night, found back at her original perch the following morning. She consents to be displayed here on her feast day, February 3, when pilgrims descend on the town to honor her.
Blvd. Suyapa, across from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras (UNAH), Suyapa, Francisco Morazán, Honduras -
2. Catedral San Miguel Arcángel
Barrio El Centro | Religious Building/Site/ShrineThe capital's gleaming cathedral presides over the eastern edge of Plaza Morazán and is named for the city's patron saint, the archangel Michael. The domed structure, flanked by towering palms, has stood on this site since 1765. Earth tremors and rain took their toll on the edifice through the centuries, but after a five-year, $500,000 restoration, completed in 2009, the cathedral is fabulous once again. For decades, the building's exterior was painstakingly whitewashed each year; the restoration project returned the cathedral to its original salmon color. Sunlight streams into the apse, where you'll find the glittering gold-and-silver altar sculpted by Guatemalan artist Vicente Galvéz. Mass is held regularly in the cathedral, as are occasional chamber-music concerts. The Plaza Morazán was recently renovated and rebuilt with attractive open-air seating.
Av. Miguel de Cervantes and C. Hipolito Matute, Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazán, HondurasSight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
3. Chiminike
Southern Teguchigalpa | Museum/GalleryThis might be the world's only museum that teaches you about the hows and whys of flatulence, complete with sound effects. Appropriately, it comes at the, um, tail end of your walk through a giant gastrointestinal tract. If that doesn't satisfy your appetite for the offbeat, you can learn about vomiting, sneezing, and body odor, too. It's all part of the immensely popular El Cuerpo Humano (Human Body) section of Tegucigalpa's fun, interactive new children's museum, which plenty of adults enjoy, too. Other exhibits acquaint kids with conservation of the environment and skills of commerce. Displays are all labeled in Spanish, but the friendly museum staff can help you if your abilities in that language are weak or nonexistent. As you'd expect, weekends are mobbed here. A visit during the week lets you take in the activities in relative peace and quiet. Just look for the blue-and-purple building on the hill down the road from Las Cascadas shopping mall. Chiminike, by the way, is the name of a frog in a popular Honduran children's story.
Blvd. de las Fuerzas Armadas de Honduras, next to Supreme Court, Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazán, Honduras-291–0339Sight Details
Rate Includes: L50 -
4. Cristo de Picacho
Standing guard over the city, this monumental statue of Christ has been a landmark since it was erected in 1997. On the same hill is an ancient Coca-Cola sign, constructed with individual white letters using the same idea as Southern California's famous "hollywood" sign. It is visible from many places throughout the city, and its proximity has led irreverent residents to dub the Cristo statue "the Coca-Cola Christ." From here there's a beautiful view of the valley. It all sits in the Parque de las Naciones Unidas, a great place to have a picnic, although it can be crowded with locals on weekends. A small zoo in the park has seen better days. A taxi is the easiest way to get up here. Expect to pay L100 from downtown.
Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazán, HondurasNo phoneSight Details
Rate Includes: Park entrance: L20, Weekdays 8–3, weekends 9–4:30 -
5. Galería Nacional de Arte
Barrio El Centro | Museum/GalleryHoused in the 1694 Convento de San Pedro Nolasco and adjoining the Iglesia de la Merced, the bright and airy National Gallery of Art displays some wonderful artifacts, including finely detailed pre-Columbian ceramics and intricate Mayan sculptures from Copán. The museum has a dozen exhibition halls holding lovely examples of religious and colonial art; these serious works contrast nicely with the more comic modern works on the patio. Upstairs you'll find paintings by Pablo Zelaya Sierra and other 20th-century Honduran artists. The building has had many uses through the centuries, including as an army barracks and a cockfighting arena. To our minds, the building's current incarnation is its best so far; though small, this is one of Latin America's top art museums. As a bonus, this is one of the few such facilities in the country to present information in both Spanish and English.
Av. La Merced, Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazán, Honduras-237–9884Sight Details
Rate Includes: L60 -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
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6. Iglesia de la Merced
Barrio El Centro | Religious Building/Site/ShrineTwo retablos, or small religious paintings, flank the attractive altarpiece housed inside this 17th-century church. It's adjacent to the Galería Nacional de Arte.
Av. La Merced, Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazán, HondurasSight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
7. Iglesia de San Francisco
Barrio El Centro | Religious Building/Site/ShrineThree blocks east of Plaza Morazán lies the first church built in Tegucigalpa. Construction on the building, which sits on a leafy little square called Parque Valle, began in 1592. Inside this Franciscan church are a guilded altar and colonial religious paintings.
Av. Cristobal Colón and C. Salvador Corieto, Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazán, HondurasSight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
8. Iglesia de Santa Lucía
Religious Building/Site/ShrineThe pretty whitewashed Iglesia de Santa Lucía dates from the town's founding in the mid-16th century. It is most notable for the wooden crucifix called Christ of Las Mercedes, a gift from King Felipe of Spain and brought here by the Spanish in 1574. Church doors are always open on Sunday; other days of the week, you may need to ask at the parish offices next door if someone can let you inside.
Parque Central, ,, Santa Lucía, Choluteca, Honduras -
9. Iglesia de Suyapa
Religious Building/Site/ShrineThe statue of the Virgen de Suyapa can be found in the 16th-century Iglesia de Suyapa, an intimate church where the flickering of candles lit by the faithful can be quite humbling. The figure, so tiny you'll need to squint to see it, is housed above the altar. Religious items, such as decorative prayer cards featuring the image of the Virgin, are for sale in the stalls down the steps from the church. Each February there is a pilgrimage to celebrate the day of the Virgin of Suyapa, and many vendors and food stalls are set up.
Blvd. Suyapa, Suyapa, Francisco Morazán, Honduras -
10. Iglesia Los Dolores
Barrio El Centro | Religious Building/Site/ShrineThis towered church dating from 1732 is dedicated to human sorrow, earning it a special place in the hearts of poverty-stricken Hondureños. On the facade—it's the most ornate of any church in the city—you'll see carvings representing the last days of Christ, including the cock that crowed three times to signal that Christ had been betrayed. Although the building keeps official opening hours, unofficially it is frequently closed during the week. If you can get inside, the interior, dominated by a colorful dome, features paintings of the Crucifixion. The church is known to be the nexus of a system of colonial-era tunnels, none of which are open to the public any longer. One leads to the cathedral, six blocks away; others were secret routes to private homes. Local lore holds that the tunnels: a) contain colonial gold worth millions of lempiras; b) served as secret escape routes used by scallywag government officials; c) are haunted; or d) are any combination of the above. The church faces a lively square filled with stalls selling inexpensive goods.
C. Los Dolores at Av. Máximo Jérez, Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazán, HondurasSight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
11. Museo Nacional de Historia y Antropología Villa Roy
Barrio El Centro | Museum/GalleryThis hillside mansion near Plaza La Concordia, once home to President Julio Lozano who was ousted in a 1956 military coup, houses the National Museum of History and Anthropology. (Despite the name, the focus is entirely on history here.) For those who read Spanish, there is some quirky information on the republic's struggles after it gained its independence, but the information gets extremely detailed—likely more than you need unless you are a student of Honduran history.
Plaza de la Concordia, Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazán, Honduras-222–1468Sight Details
Rate Includes: L60 -
12. Museo para la Identidad Nacional
Barrio El Centro | Museum/GalleryThe Museum of National Identity is a recent addition to the pantheon of downtown galleries and museums, and has established itself as one of Tegucigalpa's most rewarding attractions. A 19th-century building that served first as a hospital and then as the government's Palace of Ministries has been converted into the country's foremost museum of history—and the results are impressive. The second-floor installations take you through everything that has happened in Honduras from its geological formation up to the present day. (That includes not shying away from the 2009 political crisis.) A film entitled Copán Virtual is presented several times a day and guides you through the Mayan city's construction. It's a good introduction to Copán if you're headed that way, and is included in your admission price. The first floor contains temporary exhibits. Everything is labeled in Spanish here, but for an extra L50 you can rent a portable audio unit that gives you commentary in English about what you're seeing. Although the concept of the museum gift shop hasn't really caught on in Honduras, this facility is an exception. Stop by the small shop on your way out and browse the selection of candles and leather goods made by an area women's cooperative. Admission is free on Thursday to school groups, and they come en masse; if your schedule permits, another day of the week is more peaceful.
C. El Telégrafo and Av. Miguel Paz Barahona, Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazán, Honduras-238–5412Sight Details
Rate Includes: L60 -
13. Museo Santa María
Museum/GalleryLittle Valle de Ángeles has a surprisingly decent museum, the Museo Santa María, with a flashy, musical Web site. The museum houses several displays about the history and culture of Valle and surrounding area, and is especially strong on the region's mining heritage.
Barrio Abajo, Valle de Ángeles, Francisco Morazán, Honduras-767-2090Sight Details
Rate Includes: L20 -
14. Pabellones Artesanales
Market/BazaarThe center of Valle de Ángeles can seem like one big artisan market, especially on weekends when visitors come out here from Tegucigalpa. You'll never see so many T-shirts, but there is much more for sale here. Wander inside the Pabellones Artesanales. The name means "artisan pavilions" in Spanish; you'll find Lenca pottery, handcrafted leather, dolls, and straw mats, all at prices lower than you'll find anywhere back in the capital.
one block east of Parque Central, Valle de Ángeles, Francisco Morazán, Honduras -
15. Parque La Leona
Barrio El Centro | City ParkA 20-minute walk north of Plaza Morazán, up some steep and twisting cobbled streets, will bring you to this charming park that is well worth the effort to get here. Lovely views of Tegucigalpa are even nicer at night, and locals say the winking lights look like a nativity display. Many of the older houses in this beautiful, but somewhat dishevelled, neighborhood once belonged to European settlers.
C. Hipolito Matute, Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazán, HondurasSight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
16. Parque La Merced
Barrio El Centro | City ParkA few blocks south of Plaza Morazán, this small park provides weary travelers with some shady places to sit. Older men in wide-brimmed hats tend to perch here, making the most of the relative calm to read their newspapers and gossip. The park is the site of a 19th-century university; today its auditorium houses art exhibits and is a music-performance venue.
C. Bolívar, Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazán, HondurasSight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
17. Parque Nacional La Tigra
Park (National/State/Provincial)One of the most accessible national parks in Honduras, Parque Nacional La Tigra protects a cloud forest considered one of the most beautiful in the world. Just 20 km (12 mi) north of Tegucigalpa, the park feels worlds away. You'll forget the crowds in the capital as you wander among the orchids, bromeliads, and treelike ferns that tower above you. If you start early in the morning, you can see much of the park in a day, but you'll gain even more by spending the night. With patience and a bit of luck you might spot ocelots, peccaries, armadillos, and white-faced monkeys, but don't consider your visit a wash if you don't see them; they are extremely reclusive. You will be able to spot many of the more than 350 species of birds here. La Tigra is second only to Lago de Yojoa as Honduras's top birding destination (seeLago de Yojoa in Western Honduras)The bird-watcher's Holy Grail, the magnificent resplendent quetzal with its showy plumage, is here, too, but difficult to locate.Logging and mining had almost entirely stripped the area of its trees until the Honduran government set aside the land for conservation in 1982. (This was the headquarters of the El Rosario Mining Company.) Most of the trees you see are secondary growth, but the park is a reassuring example of what can be accomplished by environmentally-minded officials.
Valle de Ángeles, Francisco Morazán, Honduras -
18. Paseo Liquidámbar
Barrio El Centro | Plaza/SquareYou might not realize it as a bus chugs by belching a cloud of smoke, but Tegucigalpa really is putting forth an effort toward making itself a more pleasant place to live and visit. One of its little gems—it's a work in progress at this writing—is the five-block-long downtown pedestrian mall between the Teatro Nacional Manuel Bonilla and Plaza Morazán. The unusual moniker "Liquidámbar" comes from the genus name for the American sweetgum tree, grown throughout Honduras; locals, however, simply refer to the promenade as the Calle Peatonal (pedestrian street). Bricked pavement, modern iron street lamps, new benches, and tiled colonial-style street signs make Liquidámbar a pleasant place for a stroll. You'll find a few U.S. fast-food places here as well as the ubiquitous Espresso Americano, Honduras's answer to Starbucks. Stores are geared toward local shopping needs rather than much tourist interest. The Champs-Elysées it is not, but we credit the city for creating a pleasant public space for residents and visitors alike.
Paseo Liquidámbar, Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazán, Honduras -
19. Plaza Morazán
Barrio El Centro | Plaza/SquareCrowded night and day, the city's central park—folks here frequently refer to the public space as the Parque Central—is where everyone comes to chat with friends, purchase lottery tickets, have their shoes polished, and listen to free afternoon concerts. As it was recently refurbished with new benches and outdoor seating, you'll want to sit here for a while to admire the cathedral's facade and watch the pigeons playing peekaboo near the equestrian statue of Francisco Morazán, born in Tegucigalpa and president of the Central American Federation in the 1830s, which included Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. On the topic of those pigeons, they seem to have amazingly accurate aim. Watch where you sit.
C. Bolívar and Av. Miguel de Cervantes, Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazán, Honduras -
20. Serpentario Santa Lucía
Zoo/AquariumCheck out all that is creepy and crawly at the small but informative Serpentario Santa Lucía, with a small collection of snakes, both venomous and nonvenomous. They represent a variety of the snakes found around the country, although most are native to the nearby Parque Nacional La Tigra.
Parque Central, ,, Santa Lucía, Choluteca, HondurasSight Details
Rate Includes: Free, donation requested
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