Montaña de Comayagua National Park is a protected natural area in the central highlands of Honduras.
Understand
[edit]The park, known locally as PANACOMA, covers an area of about 18,500 hectares.
History
[edit]The park was established as part of the Honduras national parks system in 1987.
Landscape
[edit]The park is densely forested mountainous terrain. It includes three peaks within its boundaries: Lo Choca, Rios Oscuro, and El Portillo. El Portillo is the tallest of these peaks with an elevation of 2,407 meters.
Flora and fauna
[edit]A wide variety of birds live in the mountain forests of this park. Some of the species that birdwatchers might find most interesting include the chachalaca, the toucan, and the quetzal.
Mammals include the jaguar, but far more common is the tigrillo. Some of the interesting mammals you might see are the spotted paca, the white-tail deer, and coatis.
Trees are mostly conifers (evergreen), including pine and mountain cypress. A number of wild flowers can be found in the park including various types of orchids.
Climate
[edit]Get in
[edit]The road into the park is a dirt road in poor condition (particularly during the rainy season). A motorcycle might make it but a 4WD truck is recommended.
By car
[edit]From Comayagua, drive north on Ruta Nacional 57 (RN-57) for about 30 km to the town of San Jerónimo. Look for signs to Rio Negro and PANACOMA. It will be a dirt road on your right. The road is just a single lane and there are a couple of bridges. It's 15 km from San Jeronimo to the park but it will take at least 30 minutes. There is a park information center in the village of Rio Negro. Guides can be hired at the park info center.
Fees and permits
[edit]Get around
[edit]Hiking is the only practical way to get into many parts of the park. A few park roads are single-lane dirt paths that require 4WD.
See
[edit]- Waterfalls: the park is criss-crossed by numerous rivers and streams, some with beautiful waterfalls, such as Cascada de los Ensueños on the Rio Negro. Tne falls are about a 5 km hike through secondary forest. A side trail near the Cascada de los Ensueños leads to another waterfall, called El Gavilán.