Happy TravellerWelcome to Comayagua, the old capital of Honduras and a city rich in history and Spanish Colonial architecture. Located 80 km northwest of Tegucigalpa on the highway to San Pedro Sula, Comayagua is a charming destination that should be on every traveler’s bucket list. With a population of 111,700, Comayagua is the capital of the Comayagua department of Honduras and is noted for its wealth of Spanish Colonial architecture. The city’s historic center is the most restored and preserved nationwide, and the cathedral at the central square has the oldest clock in the Americas.
Comayagua’s name is derived from the Lenca language, with ‘koma’ meaning ‘huge amount of land’ and ‘jawa’ meaning ‘water’. During the Pre-Columbian era, the valley in which the city is located was populated by Lenca people, a Mesomaerican native culture that still prevails in Honduras. Archaeological remains such as Yarumela show that these natives have populated the valley since approximately 1,000 B.C. The flat topography and subtropical climate helped these natives to prosper and built their own societies and towns, most of its economic activities were the control of trade routes that connected the Caribbean sea to the Pacific Ocean.
Comayagua was founded in 1537 by the Spaniard Captain Alonso de Cáceres in compliance with instructions to find an apparent situation to form a city in the middle of the two oceans by order of the advance Francisco de Montejo, first governor of Hibueras (modern day Honduras) as it was first known to Honduras. The city was originally called Santa María de la Concepción de Comayagua. Comayagua remained the capital of Honduras throughout all the colonial period. By the time the Spanish authorities gifted the city with different architectural works, such as churches, colleges, convents, houses, and fountains. Comayaguas system of cisterns and fountains dates from colonial times making it the first city in Honduras with a system of aqueducts.
Comayagua is known today as La Antañona by Hondurans. They call it that because in addition to being one of the oldest cities in Honduras, it still maintains a large part of its buildings with architectural value from the colonial era. Its historic center is the most restored and preserved nationwide. The complementary names Valladolid or Country of the Higueras were those that the Spaniards gave it, but it kept the original name of the place, which is purely indigenous.
A mountainous system surrounds the valley in which the city of Comayagua is located; where the main mountains are: Candelaria, El Higuerón, El Pinal, El Portillo, El Tigre, La Cumbre, La Peña, Las Nubes, Las Tapias, Los Naranjos, Montecillos, and San José. Comayagua is a great destination for those who love history, architecture, and nature. Come and explore this hidden gem in Honduras and discover why it should be on your travel list!
