Valle de Zamorano

The highway from Tegucigalpa [1] east to Danlí [2] winds up into the mountains above the city, crossing a pass before continuing down to the Valle de Zamorano. The highest peak on the south side of this mountain pass, quite close to the highway, is the Reserva Biológica Cerro de Uyuca, a small patch of cloud forest. There’s some nice hiking in the reserve, but visits must be arranged through the school in Zamorano.

Past the turn to Tatumbla, the highway continues up and over the pass at La Montañita, where a side road turns north to Santa Lucía [3]. On the far side of the pass, the highway snakes down the mountains into the fertile Valle de Zamorano, one of the richest agricultural regions in central Honduras.

In the center of the valley, along the edge of the highway, is the Escuela Agrícola Panamericana (tel. 504/776-6150, www.zamorano.edu [4]), more commonly referred to simply as Zamorano, set up in the 1940s by the United Fruit Company under the directorship of William Popenoe.

The school trains farmers from across Latin America and is one of the best-respected schools in the region. Students receive hands-on experience in the fields and gardens around the attractive campus. Anyone interested in agricultural research may want to stop into the school’s library or bookstore, or stop in at the small plant nursery and grocery store selling local produce (vegetables, meats, cheeses), open 8 a.m.–5:30 p.m. daily.

Banco de Occidente also has an ATM here. There is an on-site hotel, the Kellogg center, which is especially suited for conferences. Arrangements must be made in advance if you want to tour the grounds or stay at the Kellogg Center.

A dirt road turning off the highway opposite the school leads to San Antonio de Oriente, a colonial village that was the subject of many paintings by its most famous son, Honduran artist José Antonio Velásquez.