Tegucigalpa

The capital city of Honduras is Tegucigalpa.  It is located in the central mountain region of the country and is home to more than a million Hondurans (1 of every 6 of us).

Tegucigalpa is the seat of the Honduran Government.

History

Tegucigalpa was originally a small town that the natives settled at the foot of a mountain that was known to contain gold.  The name Tegucigalpa itself is a deformation of a native name "Teguzgalpa", which meant "Silver River".  Many people mistakently believe that the original name was "Taguzgalpa", which was actually the native word used for the eastern half of the Honduran territory.

Transportation in Tegucigalpa

Buses:  For tens of thousands of Hondurans, large and outdated buses are the only affordable means of daily transportation.  The bus routes connect nearly all areas of the city, but there are no timetables and service is unpredictable. The fare is the cheapest of any mode of transport in the city, but the bus operators are notorious for overcrowding the buses and giving them minimum maintenance.

Taxis: There are literally thousands of taxis catering to those who need a faster means of transport than one of the buses.  In Tegucigalpa all taxis are painted white, with a black serial number painted on yellow background (the color scheme changes slightly in other cities).  Unlike other parts of the world, no taxi in Honduras is equipped with a meter - the fare is arranged by the customer by bartering with the driver before getting in the vehicle.

Car rental: Renting a car is probably the safest and most reliable mode of transport.  A small 4x4 would be the vehicle of choice, as the robust suspension would be more suitable for the state of the roads in the city and would also allow greater freedom when exploring the rural areas.

Photo Gallery

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