Guajiquíro

High in the mountains above Tutule [1], about two hours by rough dirt road, is Guajiquíro. The quiet Lenca village with a simple parish church is perched on the hillside, with an impressive view across the valley below.

From here, you can hike up into the Reserva Biológica Guajiquíro, covering 67 square kilometers of pine and cloud forest, interspersed with patches of farmland and small ranches. The highest part of the reserve rests on a high mesa, with several small peaks of more than 2,200 meters.

While hardly in a pristine state, the park is nonetheless a scenic and relaxed mountain area for a couple of days of hiking, camping, and bird-watching. Plenty of small mammals, including foxes, wild pigs, deer, and even a few cats live in the thickest patches of forest. The forests of Guajiquíro are famed for having all the different pine species found in the Honduran highlands, sometimes even visible all on a single hillside.

On clear days, from the more southerly peaks around Guajiquíro are dramatic views of the volcanoes across the border in El Salvador. A region near here called Opatoro is also reported (by Robert Gallardo) to have fine cloud forest and bird-watching territory, as well as a decent dirt road driving as high as 1,800 meters.

Topographical maps covering the reserve are 1:50,000 Opatoro 2658 III and San Pedro Tutule 2658 IV.