Siguatepeque () is a city and municipality in the Honduran department of

Comayagua Comayagua () is a city, municipality and old capital of Honduras, located northwest of Tegucigalpa on the highway to San Pedro Sula and above sea level. The accelerated growth experienced by the city of Comayagua led the municipal authoriti ...

. The city has a population of 73,480 (2020 calculation).

History

Founded by the Spanish in 1689 as a religious centre for retreats and

monastic Monasticism (from Ancient Greek , , from , , 'alone'), also referred to as monachism, or monkhood, is a religion, religious way of life in which one renounces world (theology), worldly pursuits to devote oneself fully to spiritual work. Monastic ...

training, the population of the town grew through the intermarriage of colonists, the indigenous

Lencas The Lenca or Lepawiran "people of the jaguar" are from present day southwest Honduras and eastern El Salvador in Central America. They once spoke many Dialects such as Chilanga, Putun, Kotik etc. Although there were different dialects, they un ...

and the Mexican

Nahuatl Nahuatl (; ), Aztec, or Mexicano is a language or, by some definitions, a group of languages of the Uto-Aztecan language family. Varieties of Nahuatl are spoken by about Nahua peoples, most of whom live mainly in Central Mexico and have smaller ...

immigrants. The name Siguatepeque is made up of two words in

, ''Cihuatl'': Woman and ''Tepec'':Mount, ''the mount of women''. Siguatepeque is located approximately above the sea level. In 1861, the town became a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

in its own right, and a city in 1926.

Geography

Siguatepeque, is situated 1100 metres above sea level and located in the central mountains of

Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...

. It can be described as a garden town.

Economy

The rural region is primarily dedicated to farm and forest enterprises. Building on its natural attractions and beauty, the region has opened itself up to eco-tourism, with Siguatepeque functioning as a base for visitors making trips to destinations within central Honduras. The National School of Forestry Science (ESNACIFOR) provides training for students from all of Latin America.

Travel

Located almost exactly halfway between Honduras' two largest cities of

San Pedro Sula San Pedro Sula () is the capital of Cortés Department, Honduras. It is located in the northwest corner of the country in the Sula Valley, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Puerto Cortés on the Caribbean Sea. With a population of 671,460 ...

and

Tegucigalpa Tegucigalpa (, , ), formally Tegucigalpa, Municipality of the Central District ( es, Tegucigalpa, Municipio del Distrito Central or ''Tegucigalpa, M.D.C.''), and colloquially referred to as ''Tegus'' or ''Teguz'', is the capital and largest city ...

, Siguatepeque is easy to reach—the town is two hours travel from either city. It is a stopping point for rest and refreshment for Honduran and international inter-city traffic, which has spurred a proliferation of highway restaurants and gas stations. The easiest and cheapest way to travel to and from Siguatepeque is by bus, from Tegucigalpa regional bus services serving San Pedro Sula, Santa Barbara, El Progreso, Tela, Santa Rosa de Copan, La Esperanza, La Ceiba, or any other town beyond Siguatepeque to the north. Many travellers prefer to use the direct bus services between San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa, served by Empresa Saenz, Empresa El Rey, and Hedman Alas bus companies. The direct bus service connecting Tegucigalpa is Empresas Unidas. For travel to La Esperanza, buses travel to the turnoff about 4 km from town centre, where other buses from there will travel onwards to the

Lenca The Lenca or Lepawiran "people of the jaguar" are from present day southwest Honduras and eastern El Salvador in Central America. They once spoke many Dialects such as Chilanga, Putun, Kotik etc. Although there were different dialects, they under ...

highlands.

Climate

The climate is

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

''Cwa''). mild. There are three seasons. During the wet and fairly cool season between May and November, enough rain falls in the area to ensure luxurious vegetation, while it escapes the excessive humidity of the far hotter and wetter lowland areas. A cooler interlude (November to February) provides seasonal contrast, with temperatures occasionally down to 8° C (40° F) as cold fronts enter from the north. This is followed by a dry season (February to May), with temperatures achieving a pleasantly warm peak of 32° C (95° F). Cool winds flow down from the local Calanterique forest and from the immense Cordillera Montecillos, a Biological Reserve on the southern edge of the valley. Even in the hot season air conditioning is unnecessary, with a fan almost always being enough. In the winter heating is rarely needed.

Amenities

The town is at the centre of a regional vegetable and fruit production area, ensuring a year-round supply of produce. The town has good shopping facilities, and the stores are filled with local and Central American products, as well as imported items. Amenities in Siguatepeque include a large swimming pool, an acupuncture centre, a private hospital, two cinemas and numerous restaurants. The town offers several bilingual schools up to college level, as well as the new Catholic University.

Medical

The Evangelical Hospital attracts clients from throughout Honduras. Dozens of private general and specialist clinics operate here, in particular El Carmen Medical Center, Hospital Las Mercedes, as well as dental clinics. For alternative therapies, the Hospital de Acupuntura (located in Barrio Macaruya) offers acupuncture, dentistry, herbal medicines, sauna and massage.

References

External links

Municipality of Siguatepeque
{{DEFAULTSORT:Siguatepeque 1689 establishments in the Spanish Empire Municipalities of the Comayagua Department Populated places established in 1689