Tegucigalpa, Honduras Summary

Much of TEGUCIGALPA’s appeal is understated, with its main pleasure to be found in wandering the winding, narrow streets of the old centre, which meander haphazardly up the lower slopes of Cerro Picacho, the city’s dramatic, mountainous backdrop. Along these streets, crumbling colonial buildings give way to gently decaying nineteenth-century mansions and modern, airy homes, each a watermark of the city’s history. Even the constant cacophony, gridlock and pollution of the traffic-choked centre doesn’t detract entirely from the charm, and the comings and goings of hordes of vendors, beggars, idlers and passers-by provide entertainment for free. More concrete attractions include several well-preserved colonial churches, in particular the eighteenth-century cathedral on the Plaza Morazán, a handful of national museum and art collections, and several small, well-patronized parks.