GRACIAS, LEMPIRA HN
The Christmas season is coming!←
Haven´t you thought of what to do on vacations?
I guarantee you Gracias is an option you won´t regret.
Gracias is the name of an old colonial town in the Lempira department of Western Honduras. Architectural attractions include the San Cristobal Fort, La Merced Church, and San Marcos Cathedral. Important events take place in Lempira Park or Lempira Plaza. In fact, many things in Gracias are named after this Honduran national hero, the Lenca Indian Chief Lempira. The city of Gracias dedicates the entire month of July each year to Mes de la Identidad Nacional (Month of the National Identity), which is the month the warrior Chief Lempira was slain fighting invaders of the national territory. Gracias, in fact, could be considered the heart of the indigenous Lenca people and culture in Honduras.
Gracias is off the beaten path, and perfect if you have adventure in mind. It is home to the largest concentration of indigenous Indians in Honduras. To get to Gracias, you head west from Siguatepeque or Comayagua; from Santa Rosa de Copan you head East.
A walk back into the Colonial times, this wonderful town offers colonial churches and an old Spanish fort from which you can enjoy spectacular views of the valley. Also, as legend has it, the view alone will lead you to understand why the area was given its name (In Spanish, Gracias means “Thank you”). [See the photo below.]
The San Cristobal Fort was built to honor former President Juan Lindo, who was buried at the fort. The city also served as the capital of Honduras in 1863, under President Jose Maria Medina. Nestled in mountains near the Celaque National Park, it hosts the highest peak in Honduras, and an excellent camping area after a six hour hike from the base of the mountain. Three miles south of Gracias there are some wonderful hot springs to enjoy after that long hike.
