TrippingHONDURAS,This is the realHonduras. Safecountryside withendless adventureswaiting to be had...

LAKE YOJOAis a popular fishingdestination and thesurrounding area

COMAYAGUA

The original capital ofHonduras and pre-Columbian center isnoted for its olderchurches.

JULIO 2013

LAKE YOJOALake Yojoa is a popularfishing destination and thesurrounding area has a richbiodiversity almost 400species of birds and 800plant species have beenidentified in the region.

The lake is situatedon the highway thatconnects the twolargest Hondurancities, Tegucigalpaand San Pedro Sula.For many peopletraveling between thecities, the lake servesas a rest area wherethey can appreciate

the view and enjoythe fresh fried fishand other foodsthat are offered bythe restaurantslocated on itsbanks.

There is plenty todo in thispeaceful region.Birders

delight in a lake tour, whichprovides a special vantagepoint for viewing many of theseveral hundred bird species.The climate is excellent forexcellent for growing coffee,and as such, there are a few“fincas” or coffee plantationsthat can be toured, as well as amicro brewery. There are hotsprings to dip in, caves toexplore, and the PulhapanzakWaterfalls to hike to duringyour time in Lake Yojoa.

Los Naranjos Eco-Archaeological Park isanother well-known place to visit during yourLake Yojoa stay. Ancient ruins of the Lenca areonly partially excavated at this park, providinga unique opportunity to imagine the ancientLenca village beneath the greenery.

On your next trip heading towardTegucigalpa, remember to make some extratime to include a stop at Lake Yojoa.

Is the largest lake in Honduras with a surface area of 285square kilometers (110 mi²) and an average depth of 15 meters(50 ft). At an altitude of 700 meters (2,300 ft), it lies in adepression formed by volcanoes.

Is the name for an archaeological region in western Honduras. It lies on the northborder of Lake Yojoa. It is significant to the region because of its implications ondetermining where the Mayan frontier existed, as well as which ancient peopleswere in contact and what relations between "tribes" may have been like.Whether or not the Maya influenced the people of the Lake Yojoa region isdisputed.

A clay vessel that is of particular interest was discovered at LosNaranjos. The vessel, in comparison with other pottery found at thesite, is large and extraordinarily decorated. The remaining fragmentis 24.4 cm high and the rim appeared to have a diameter of about 23cm.The designs depict "dancing figures" which is a common themeof art from the time period. The figures are seen in a cave.

LOS NARANJOSInterestingly, the site contained two largeditches, one that stretched from LakeYojoa to a pool just north of anencampment, made during the Jaralphase. The second ditch was probablyconstructed during the Eden phase.

Los Naranjos is located at 14° 54' 0" N/88° 3' 0" W.

The popularity of Joya Grandezoo has reached new peaks inthe last few years. Their recipefor success? The largestcollection of exotic animalsaround. There are over 58species that reside in thecompound. Some of thesecritters come from habitats asfar as Africa or from theunexplored jungles ofHonduras.

Although Joya Grande isrenowned for its animalcollection, it also has otheraspects that are worthexploring, especially if youenjoy sports. Thetopography of thesurrounding mountainsand forests are perfect forexciting tours. The ninecanopy lines zigzagthrough the forests andsummits on a journey thatbegins aboard an SUV

After a few minutes youwill reach the top of a hillwhere, after receivingexpert instruction, you willtake on the first zip line.As you glide up high youwill enjoy the view of theentire forest reserve of thezoo that extends fordozens of hectares. JoyaGrande is also a goodplace for hiking; there is abrief but spectacular paththat will lead you to somecaves to explore.

If your sport of choiceinvolves cars, you’re in theright place. You can drive a“Go-Kart”, a motor vehiclewithout a roof and body,which guarantee a great timebehind the wheel. Once youfinish the course, and are stillthirsty for new experiences,get ready to shoot a fewballs of paint at the“paintball” arena. Among thesports available, the king ofthem all is undoubtedly the“amphibious tour.”

ZOO JOYA GRANDE

In any direction there’s something to see: monkeys, peacocks, owls,

ostriches, lions, pumas, hippos, jaguars and the list goes on.

A unique natural wonder, thewaterfall at Pulhapanzak is anamazing experience. Thereare a number of amazingwaterfalls throughoutHonduras, Pulhapanzak is thelargest, dropping about 140feet (only 30 feet less ofNiagara Falls). One of thereasons it is so popular isbecause you can actuallyclimb into a cave behind thewaterfall and also swimaround near the base.

You can walk down to thebottom of the falls by yourself,but to get closer tour guides areneeded to be able to fullyexplore Pulhapanzak Waterfall.Thankfully they are veryreasonably priced, ranging fromaround 100-300 Lempira(approx. $5-$15) for the tour.The tour guides will take you allaround the waterfall includingthe hidden cave behind the fallsas well as the many poolsaround the base.

To explore behind thefalls, you will have to walkalong a trail that starts at awooden platform. Finally,you’ll have to jump intosome pools in the riverunder the falls and climbover boulders while beingpelted by the water fromabove.

PULHAPANZAK

There are 2 spots that you canjump from. The first is a little rockon the way behind the waterfallthat is about 10-15 feet high. Ithas a deep landing, located rightbelow the falls. The second jumpis about 200 feet from the base ofthe waterfall. The guides canshow you where to jump. Theheight ranges from 25-30 feet andthe landing area is clear.

Just one and a half hoursdrive from San PedroSula, on the easternbanks of the Yojoa Lake,you will find the CerroAzul Meambar NationalPark. The region aroundLake Yojoa is rich indifferent habitat types, itis home or temporal hostto a huge amount ofmigratory birds. CerroAzul Meambar works as aretreating area for a lot offauna species due to theincreased human activityaround the lake. The areaof the park contains agreat biodiversity ofspecies and ecosystemsdue to it’s range ofelevation

The area of the park contains a greatbiodiversity of species and ecosystems due toit’s range of elevation. Humid tropical forest,pine forest and cloud-forest are all found in thepark. From different points of the upper regionsyou can enjoy a magnificent view over YojoaLake and far down into the Sula valley. Humidtropical rainforests have the highestbiodiversity of all habitats on earth, being hometo millions of different and many stillundiscovered species. The genetic pool is oneof the most important natural resourcespresent on earth,

winning more value every day due to theadvancing biotechnology. Scientists havefound on one hectare of rainforest some200 different tree and shrub species. Onone big rainforest tree biologists counted54 species of ants, more than in thewhole of England.

Cerro Azul MeambarNational Park

HOTEL TO STAY ANDENJOY YOJOA LAKE

HONDUYATE MARINA

The Honduyate Marina is awater sports orientedrecreational center on theEast shore of beautiful LakeYojoa. Situated on the mainhighway betweenTegucigalpa, the capital, andSan Pedro Sula, which is themain industrial center. Themarina complex offers notonly a variety of water sports,but also includes a first classrestaurant.

The Marina hasgrown over thepast ten years tobecome a placewhere boating andwater sportsenthusiasts gettogether withtravelers for arelaxing meal witha fabulous view ofthe lake. Whetheryou have a boat ornot, there is alwayssome activity or aboat ride for you toenjoy.MORE INFORMATIONhttp://www.honduyatemarina.com

The colonial city of Comayagua has become a national andinternational draw for tourism, and is on the list of The 30Wonders of Honduras. Each week Comayagua receives almost 200travelers interested in its colonial heritage. It’s a fairly large cityright along the main highway between San Pedro Sula andTegucigalpa.

COMAYAGUA

The Comayagua Traverl Guide can showyou options for eating, resting, andenjoying the sights. We recommend youvisit Comayagua to see its many beautifulchurches. The Cathedral of Saint Mary inthe heart of town, and the Church ofMercy (Iglesia de La Merced), are quitepopular destinations and home of theOldest Clock In America. This Comayaguatravel guide provides an in depth look atComayagua

The original capital of Hondurasand pre-Columbian center isnoted for its older churches.The Cathedral of Comayagua,built in the 18th century, SanSebastian Church, from the16th century, and Church ofSan Francisco, which proudlydisplays the oldest church bellsin all of America, built in 1820.

Honduras Taulabé Caves are part ofthe 24 natural caves that exist in themunicipality of Taulabé, a wealthytown located on kilometer 140 of thehighway between San Pedro Sula andTegucigalpa. Despite having beendiscovered since 1969, until recentyears they have been conditioned toreceive visitors in a safe manner

Like many caves inside Taulabé ismoist and warm. Thanks to the play oflights, the visitors can enjoy a nearlymagical setting, where the admirationof nature merges with a quiet respect.Although the depth of the caves areunknown, many people havespeculated a depth about 11 km.

TAULABE CAVES

Taulabé Caves are a National Monument, that´s worth avisiting, where the view of a world rarely seen is justpriceless.

“The dance of the Diablitos”or “The Martyrdom of SanSebastián” are plays thatthat have been performedfor over three centuries inthe atrium of the Cathedralof Comayagua, every yearin February. The playnarrates the story of SanSebastián, a captain in theRoman Praetorian Guardwho converts to Christianityand therefore is tortured andtormented until his death.The role of burlesque“diablitos” in the play couldbe interpreted as thetemptations and demons thattormented San Sebastián.

“Los diablos” are visually very sympathetic characters and their stunningmasks give life to the play. Their masks are humanoid, perhaps somewhatexaggerated and caricatured. It is really very curious to see Europeanfeatures in the masks, such as the fine mouth and elongated nose. But inturn, the native appearance is also present with high cheekbones and fulllips. We invite you to take a tour of the Museum of Anthropology andHistory in the colonial city of Comayagua, to get to know the story “behindthe scenes” of the masks of the “diablitos”.

THE CITY OFMASKS

This exhibition showcases pottery vessels, arrowheads andjade ornaments made by the prehispanic Lenca.

One of these amazingplaces is the Museum ofComayagua, an icon of theLenca culture in theComayagua Valley whichexhibits pieces extractedfrom archaeological sitessuch as El Chical, a Lencavillage that was inhabited in2000 BC; Tenampúa, afortress from the classicalperiod 900 years AD andcultural treasures that werefound in Las Vegas,Salitrón Viejo, Lo de Baca,La Ciénega andMontenegro, among others.The archaeological pieces on display

are divided by rooms; room onefocuses on paleontology of theComayagua Valley and room twofeatures items from the Archaicperiod; room three houses piecesfrom the Yarumela Formative period;while room four showcases thestratigraphic cut of the ComayaguaValley. In the subsequent rooms, thedisplays highlight areas of trade, theRepublican period and thecontemporary period of Comayaguaand its traditions.

Another room is decorated with rock art ofthe Archaic period, where Indians engagedin rock decoration by creating beautifulstelae with carvings of their religiouscustoms and beliefs.

Archaeological Museum ofComayagua

Dedication and patiencehave given us theopportunity to bring to youa new way to defineconvenience and comfort,to open the doors HotelAntigua Comayagua, ahotel whose sole purposeis to provide the best inhospitality refers toComayagua, becoming aunique experience that willtransport you to theColonial era of ourbeautiful city ofComayagua.

Hotel AntiguaComayagua

reservaciones@hotelantiguacomayagua.com

http://www.hotelantiguacomayagua.com