La Tigra is a quick escape for
Tegucigalpa residents
By JUDITH C. SHAFFER
 La Tigra National Park is an
excellent option for
Tegucigalpa residents hungry
for a taste of Mother Nature.
Just 45 minutes from the
capital, the park is far enough
away for visitors to forget their
city woes, but not so far that
chronic urbanites get the
shakes for lack of civilization.
If you really need a break from
the ruckus of the real world,
you can lose yourself in La
Tigra for a week and not run
out of new things to see. If you
can't go more than 8 hours
without your cable television,
you can make it to the park
and back in a single afternoon.
Gallinazo in La Tigra National Park,
near Tegucigalpa.
La Tigra boasts everything a Honduran national park should, from
an abundance of exotic animal species to refreshing waterfalls to
kilometers of peaceful, well-maintained trails.
To get there you have two options. One way is to head toward
Valle de Angeles and continue on to the old mining village of San
Juancito. From there, it's a steep 1½-hour climb on foot to the old
El Rosario mining camp. If you have a 4x4, its a quick but bumpy
ride.
At El Rosario you'll find a visitor's center, a park ranger, great
spots for a picnic and the remains of a once vibrant mining camp.
Ask the ranger to show you around the old buildings and share
some of the camp's history. If you need a place to sleep, Lps.
5.00 or so will get you a bunk bed in one of the old dormitories
and access to running water.
The other way to get to the park is through El Hatillo. Follow the
gravel road past the El Hatillo church and keep your eyes open
for signs to the park. This entrance also has a visitor's center and
picnic tables.
At both entrances you'll find space to pitch a tent, or you can ask
the ranger to point out the trails that have campsites. Adventurous
hikers with a lot of time on their hands can enter the park at San
Juancito and cross the entire cloud forest, coming out at the El
Hatillo entrance. The trip, of course, works vice versa as well.
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