Celaque National Park

Celaque National Park is a mountainous jungle region in the western highlands of Honduras. The park is a popular destination for naturalists and extreme sports due to its spectacular landscapes that include dense jungles, towering mountain peaks, and roaring waterfalls. Birdwatchers can find more than 300 species of migrant and native birds.

History
Celaque, officially Parque Nacional Montaña de Celaque, was established as a national park in 1987. In 2015, the park and thousands of hectares of nearby wilderness were declared part of a new UNESCO Biosphere Reserve called Cacique Lempira, Senor de las Montanas.

Landscape
The park covers an area of more than 260 square kilometers, most of it steep mountainous terrain that includes the highest mountain in Honduras, Cerro las Minas (with an elevation of 2870 meters). The park is a rainforest with wet conditions, particularly at the higher elevations, which receive 2,400 mm of precipitation in a typical year. Nine rivers run through the park, several with areas of rushing white water, and some with spectacular waterfalls. Celaque Falls (Cascada de Celaque) is located close to the park entrance, but other waterfalls that reward the avid hiker are San Juan Waterfall, El Estado Waterfall, and El Cielo Waterfall.

Flora and fauna
A number of colorful tropical birds can be seen in the park, and Birdwatching is an excellent way to explore the park's varied landscapes and spot various flora and fauna. The park is home to more than 300 bird species. Birdwatchers might spot Red-lored Parrots, White-collared Manakins, and Black-headed Saltators, among many others.

Celaque is home to numerous mammals, reptiles, and amphibians including pumas, monkeys, and ocelots. The park is home to a lungless salamander, Bolitoglossa celaque, an endangered salamander that is endemic to the park, found only in the mountains of Celaque.

By moto-taxi
From the town of Gracias, take a tuk-tuk (moto-taxi) to the park visitor center. The 9 km trip will cost about 100 Lempira.

By bus
There is not a single, direct bus to Celaque, but it's still pretty easy to get to the park without driving a car.

From Tegucigalpa, take the Transportes Congolón bus from the main bus station to Santa Rosa de Copán. The 3-1/2 hour trip will cost about 420 Lempira. Once you arrive in Santa Rosa de Copan, there are combis from the bus station to the park that leave whenever enough passengers are ready to go to make it worth the driver's time and expense. (You could also take a taxi to the park: it's about a 30-minute ride).

Fees and permits
Park entry costs 120 Lempira for foreign visitors or 40 Lempira for Honduras citizens. Fees are paid at the park entrance.

Get around
Hike.

Mountains

 * Cerro las Minas

Waterfalls

 * Cascada de Celaque
 * Cascada San Juan
 * Cascada El Estado Waterfall
 * Cascada El Cielo

Caves

 * Cueva de los Murcielagos
 * Cueva de los Indios
 * Cueva del Tigres

Do

 * Hiking: the park has marked, well cleared trails for hikers of all skill levels, from easy, flat, short trails to long trails through challengine terrain. Hiking is the best way to get into the park's backcountry and see its many types of terrain.


 * Birdwatching: Bring the binoculars because you'll find birds everywhere, including colorful tropical birds like parrots, toucans, and maybe even a quetzal.


 * Caving: several caves are scattered throughout the park, some quite deep and risky to explore without a knowledgable local guide. The Cueva de los Murcielagos has a large bat population and you can sit near the cave entrance at sunset and watch the bat population fly out in their nightly ritual to eat as many flying insects as they can consume. Other caves in the park are Cueva de los Indios (which has some cool petroglyphs) and Cueva del Tigres (which has an underground river).


 * Thermal springs: Honduras lies within a geologically active area that includes volcanoes. There's no active volcano in the park but there are several springs where hot mineral water flows to the surface, creating pools that can be soothing places to rest, soak, and enjoy the health benefits of a natural mineral bath. El Estado is a hot spring near the park entrance, while other hot springs include San Juan and El Cielo.


 * White water rafting: Tour operators in towns near the park sometimes offer whitewater rafting trips on some of the larger rivers in the park.

Buy
There are no stores in the park. Buy what you need ahead of time and remember to pack out anything that you bring in.

Eat
There are no restaurants in the park. Bring anything you plan to eat, but take your trash out with you (leave no trace).

Drink
Water is available at the park entrance and at the 3 campgrounds, but most foreign travelers do not trust local tap water. Bottled water is safer and can help you avoid an incident of uncomfortable diarrhea. Experienced outdoors enthusiasts often have other solutions such as micro-fine filtration, chemical sanitizers, or boiling the water to kill microorganisms.

Lodging
The closest town with hotel rooms available is Gracias (about 9 km from the park). There are also a couple of small, independent lodges within the park. Villa de Ada has rooms in the main lodge and also rents cabanas (which might be better for a family traveling together).

Camping
The park has 3 designated camping areas, each with water, shelters, and toilets.

Stay safe
Jungle wilderness areas like Celaque present a wide range of risks that are largely known to adventurous explorers and naturalists, people familiar with traveling in these regions. Risks can include:


 * Dangerous animals, which might include apex predators like jaguars, but are more likely to involve snake bites or insect stings and bites. Watch where you step and place your hands and wear appropriate clothing, including protective boots, long pants and long-sleeve shirts. Use mosquito repellant with DEET as mosquitos in this region carry a range of tropical diseases, including malaria.


 * Be prepared for wet weather. The park is a rainforest and even if you luck out and get there when it's not raining, there will still be slick surfaces on upper mountain slopes with muddy areas and standing water on hiking trails. Wear goot boots, bring a hat and a rain poncho.


 * Secure your belongings. Human thieves aren't usually a problem in the park, but monkeys and other animals will take just about anything that isn't nailed down (and a few things that are)

Go next

 * Copán Ruinas
 * Gracias
 * Corquin