Comayagua, Honduras

Once the capital of Honduras, faded COMAYAGUA lies just 85km north of Tegucigalpa, at the northeast end of the fertile Comayagua Valley. Santa María de Comayagua, as it was first known, was built in 1539, and quickly gained prominence thanks to the discovery of silver nearby, becoming the administrative centre for the whole of Honduras. Following independence, however, the city's fortunes began to decline, particularly after Tegucigalpa was designated alternate capital of the new republic in 1824, and especially when President Soto permanently transferred the capital to Tegucigalpa in 1880. Although Comayagua is today a relatively rich and important provincial centre, its rivalry with Tegucigalpa has hardly waned over the centuries. The main reason to visit is the architectural legacy of the colonial period, in particular the dramatic cathedral overlooking the Parque Central.