Tegucigalpa

A city with a very pleasant climate, Tegucigalpa is a busy city nestled in a valley at 1000m (3280ft) above sea level making its climate ideal. It is also a gateway to the Pacific Coast and to numerous attractions that are located in central and southern Honduras. A chain of mountains that are covered with pine trees surrounds Tegucigalpa. The name Tegucigalpa means 'silver hill' in the local dialect, and it was bestowed when the Spanish founded the city as a mining center in 1578. Fortunately, the locals call the city "Tegus" for short, saving foreigners the embarrassment of mispronouncing the full name.

Getting around Tegucigalpa can be a confusing experience. Despite the colonial history of the city, it does not have the typical Spanish layout of square streets around the Central Park. This is mostly due to the fact that terrain around the city did not allow this. Originally two separate cities, Tegucigalpa and Comayaguela have grown into one big city. The Choluteca River is still the official boundary between the sister cities, and Tegucigalpa is by far the better of the two, the majority of colonial buildings and higher end neighborhoods being located within its boundaries. Today, both cities have been officially joined. It is cleaner, safer and more pleasant to stay in Tegucigalpa, although popular wisdom says it's cheaper in Comayagüela. If you do stay in Comayagüela, it's very dangerous to walk through the market area at night. The main area for budget accommodations in Tegucigalpa is a few blocks east of the Parque Central; in Comayagüela, the best cheap hotels are around the El Rey and Aurora bus stations, between 8th and 9th Calles. Most of the good restaurants are on the Tegucigalpa side of the river, but Comayagüela has plenty of cheap Chinese restaurants. In Tegucigalpa, Boulevard Morazán and Avenida Juan Pablo II are the main nightlife areas.