Top Ten Central America Off-the-Beaten-Path Adventures

Morpho butterflies dart through the forest like fluorescent blue angels, the howl of monkeys chimes out from the treetops, and one eye is carefully peeled for the elusive jaguar. These are all part of the three-to-five-day climb through the pine forests of Sierra de Agalta National Park, up into thick cloud forest. The park is just west of the Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve and includes the highest peak in Eastern Honduras, 2,354-meter La Picucha peak in the Montaqas de Babilonia. Hikers can leave by bus from the small town of Gualaco, about two hours northwest of Juticalpa. The mountain range also includes numerous caves. At the summit there is a large expanse of accessible dwarf forest with stunted oak and pine trees only one or two meters high, covered with mosses and lichen. The varieties of forest are home to 500 bird species and more than 230 butterfly species as well as rare species like ocelots and two-toed sloths.