Introduction to Choluteca, Honduras

Honduras's fourth-largest city, with a population of slightly over 100,000, CHOLUTECA's main attraction is its old colonial centre, one of the finest in the country. The municipal authorities spent years restoring the city's historic streets, and despite the ravages of Hurricane Mitch, the graceful buildings survived the mud and floods without too much damage. Most places of interest are grouped around the Parque Central, itself a pleasant place to enjoy the cooler 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 parque, the building now housing the Biblioteca Municipal was the birthplace of José Cecilio del Valle, one of the authors of the Central American Act of Independence in 1821 and elected President of the Federation in 1834, though he died before taking office. There are plans to turn the biblioteca into a municipal museum.

Choluteca makes a convenient stopover en route to or from the Nicaraguan border, but once you've seen the centre, there's not much reason to hang about in the stifling heat. The main bus terminal is about ten blocks northeast of the Parque Central, a twenty-minute walk or US$1 taxi ride. Buses run regularly along the Carretera Interamericana in both directions: west to El Amatillo and east to San Marcos de Colón for El Espino and the Nicaraguan border. There are also direct buses to Tegucigalpa from the Mi Esperanza terminal.

Should you need to stay, the Hotel Pierre (tel 882 0676; US$10–25) on Av Valle, two blocks east of the Parque Central, is comfortable if not overwhelmingly friendly; rooms all have bath and TV, and some have a/c. Further down Av Valle, Hotel Bonsai (tel 882 2648; up to US$5) is one of the better cheap hotels, basic but very clean. There isn't much in the way of places to eat, though the Café Colonial on 4 C SO, a couple of blocks from the parque, and the Comedor Central on the Parque itself, both serve good-value meals.

Information by Rough Guides

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