Choluteca, Honduras

Honduras's fourth-largest city, with a population of around one hundred thousand, CHOLUTECA's main attraction is its old colonial centre, one of the finest in the country. Most places of interest are grouped around the Parque Central, itself a pleasant place to enjoy the evening air. Dominating the square, the imposing seventeenth-century cathedral is worth a look for its elaborately constructed wooden ceiling. On the southwest corner of the square is the birthplace of José Cecilio del Valle, one of the authors of the Central American Act of Independence in 1821 and 1834 president-elect of the Federation, though he died in Guatemala before taking office. There are plans to turn this building into a municipal museum, though it has been closed to the public for some time. It is Valle's statue that stands in the middle of the square. Once you've seen the centre, there's not much reason to hang out in the heat, and most people move on fairly quickly.