Travel Guide Siguatepeque

Halfway between Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula, in a refreshing pine landscape, this large town (approximately 70 000 inhabitants) at 1 100 m above sea level enjoys one of the country's best climates and offers a pleasant contrast with the wet heats of the lowlands. The forest industry is clearly well developed (the Escuela de Ciencias Forestales is famous in Central America). The centre has not retained real colonial interest, despite a rich historical heritage (the city was founded as a religious centre by the Spanish in 1689), and the traveller will choose to stay for some time more for the many possibilities of hiking or mountain biking. Ecotourism could become an asset in the coming years, if operators were bothered to study the various possibilities.The location of Siguatepeque, two hours from the country's two largest cities, has favoured the emergence of numerous restaurants on the edge of the road, which are very popular among road drivers, traders, or Hondurans in transit.Many people in the city ensure that its name means «town of beautiful women» in nahuátl; The métissage between the lencas natives and Mexican immigrants coming to the pre-Columbian era is indeed a success.