July 17, 2015

Best of Honduras, National Parks, tourism in Honduras, World Heritage sites in Honduras Biosphere Reserve in Honduras, Cacique Lempira, Celaque National Park, Gracias, Lempira

Did you know that there is a new Natural World Heritage Site in Honduras?

As of June 10, 2015, Honduras has a new Natural World Heritage Site registered in the UNESCO. The site, named Reserva de la Biosfera del Cacique Lempira, Senor de las Montañas, which translated into English would read Cacique Lempira, Lord of the Mountains Biosphere Reserve is located in Western Honduras. The anchor for this new biosphere reserve is none less than Celaque National Park, home of Honduras’s highest peak, Cerro de Las Minas which reaches an altitude of 2849 meters above sea level. Also known as Celaque, this park, as well as the Cordillera de Celaque mountain range are part of the most rugged territories in Honduras and Central America.

Named after the almost mythical native leader, Lempira, who valiantly fought against the Spanish Conquistadors, and became the first national hero of Honduras when he was murdered in cold blood during a truce that the Spaniards declared to negotiate with Lempira and his army, the new Natural World Heritage Site in Honduras promises to help attract more tourists while at the same time preserve this unique natural heritage of humanity. The new biosphere reserve has a total area of 168,634 hectares and includes several municipalities within the departments of Lempira and Ocotepeque.

With this newly declared Natural World Heritage Site, Honduras now has three in total: The Archaeological Park of Copan, which was designated Cultural World Heritage; The Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve and now the Cacique Lempira, Senor de las Montañas Biosphere Reserve, these last two under the category of Natural World Heritage Site.

The Honduran Forestry Conservation Institute was in charge of putting the file together to support the request for the Natural World Heritage Site Status, and is proof of the commitment that the government of Honduras has to preserve its natural heritage. At the time, efforts are under way to propose other Natural Heritage Site in Honduras: one in the Gulf of Fonseca, on the Pacific Coast of Honduras and the other in Atlantida in the North Coast of Honduras. Work has commenced in order to have all the proper documentation by the September 2016 deadline!

Visiting the new Natural World Heritage Site in Honduras is easy! The gateway is through the beautiful colonial city of Gracias, capital of the department of Lempira. There are many different hotels where you can stay while in Gracias. Birding in the area around Celaque is outstanding, and there are many lovely rural colonial villages within the territory!

November 29, 2014

Best of Atlantida, cultural activities Copan Prize, Gracias, La Moskitia Ecoaventuras, Lempira, O Big Mama, Premio Copan, Premio Copan 2014

Copan Prize 2014

Tonight is the big night for the different candidates that were nominated for the Copan Prize 2014. The Copan Prize 2014 is taking event in the lovely colonial city of Gracias, in Western Honduras. The town, which was founded in 1537 is the home town of President Juan Orlando Hernandez, Constitutional President of Honduras for the 2014 to 2018 presidential term.

The Copan Prize is meant to be recognition for personal efforts and investment in the tourism industry of Honduras has been issued every year since 2002, and today is the twelfth edition, is usually a big celebration for all those related with the tourism industry in Honduras. President Juan Orlando Hernandez is scheduled to be at the event, which is taking place at the Fortress of San Cristobal, an important landmark in the city of Gracias. The winners of the Copan Prize 2014 will receive the recognition from the hands of President Hernandez himself!

Today there are two candidates from Atlantida that have been nominated for the Copan Prize 2014: Chef Zenia Paz in the Individual Category and the Palma Real Resort of La Ceiba for the Institutional Category. Since the Atlantida destination brand was just presented to the media this week, an effort is being made to use this event to promote the destination brand.

As part of that effort, some of the previous winners of the Copan Prize from the Atlantida region are converging here to promote the fact that the recognition has been awarded to many entrepreneurs and businesses from Atlantida. Mr. Jorge Salaverry from La Moskitia Ecoaventuras, Ms. Lina Martinez from O Big Mama Casabe, and John Dupuis, founder of Honduras tips travel guide, and owner of La Villa de Soledad B&B, are all past winners of the prize and will all be present at the event. Others may still show up in time to be at the ceremony.

Our best wishes go out to the Copan Prize 2014 from Atlantida. We certainly hope that yet another Copan Prize will find its home in Atlantida! For a list of Copan Prize winners, visit www.canaturh.org