Jutiapa

Less visually dramatic than the mining complex at El Rosario [1], but easier to get to from Tegucigalpa [2], is the western entrance to the park, via the village of Jutiapa.

The very easy Sendero Las Granadillas starts here—good for small children or those who want to take it easy, walkable in 45 minutes at a slow place—as does the more challenging Sendero Bosque Nublado, which is still kid-friendly but has a few inclines and takes 2–3 hours depending on your pace.

There is a tiny pulpería selling lollipops, gum, and the like at the visitor’s center. For a more substantial meal, stop at Ecos de la Montaña, a few kilometers before reaching the park, for tasty anafres and tacos in a woodsy setting. There are ping-pong tables, pony rides, and children’s play equipment, as well as a few pleasant rooms should you decide to stay the night.

Getting to Jutiapa

To get to the Jutiapa visitors center without a car, catch one of four buses leaving daily from Avenida Colón in Barrio Guanacaste next to a DIPPSA gas station, near the Hotel Granada, the last at 2 p.m. (US$0.75). Sometimes you can catch more frequent buses to El Hatillo from near Teatro Bonilla downtown and hitch from there, but traffic is unreliable, so it’s better to try to catch the Jutiapa bus.

The bus schedule varies, so check the day before to find out the exact hours. At last report, one bus left at 7 a.m., allowing the entire day to hike through the park to San Juancito and catch a bus back to Tegucigalpa [2] the same day. It’s possible to hire a taxi up to Jutiapa from Tegucigalpa for around US$12, though you may have to look around for a taxi driver who knows the way.

If you’re driving, take the paved road leaving Tegucigalpa from Avenida Juan Gutemberg in Barrio Guanacaste uphill past Parque Naciones Unidas [3], then through the town of El Hatillo. Continue just under two kilometers on the now-dirt road to a junction marked with a sign pointing to the right to Jutiapa and La Tigra [4], 10 kilometers farther on.