La Esperanza, Honduras
Encyclopedia
La Esperanza is the capital city and a municipality
of the same name of the department of Intibucá, Honduras. The city of La Esperanza is merged indistinguishably with the city of Intibucá, the head of the neighboring municipality of Intibucá. Intibucá is the older of the two cities and was originally a Lenca community, while La Esperanza is the newer ladino community. The two cities, often called the twin cities, while distinct with separate municipal governments, are generally referred to jointly as La Esperanza and are separated only by a street that crosses town. La Esperanza is famous for having the coolest climate in Honduras and also for being the heart of the Ruta Lenca, a region of Lenca ethnic influence that spans Honduras from Santa Rosa de Copan
to Choluteca
.
In 2002, permits were obtained by the Consorcio de Inversiones SA de CV (CISA) to build a hydro electric dam on the Rio Intibucá over an abandoned hydro project. Called the La Esperanza Hydro Project after the city, the dam began producing electricity for the surrounding communities in 2003, but its phase two expansion was not completed until 2006. The project was the first in the world to generate Certified Emission Reduction
s (CERs) under the Clean Development Mechanism
(CDM).
La Esperanza experiences two distinct seasons: the rainy season/winter from May to October and the dry season/summer from November to April. The rainiest months are June and September, and the driest months February and March. During the winter, it rains primarily in the afternoon and the intense showers often make small dirt roads into the surrounding mountain communities impassable. La Esperanza receives average annual precipitation of 1400 mm. Due to its high altitude, La Esperanza has a cooler climate than most of Honduras, with an average annual temperature of 18.6ºC (65.5ºF). Temperatures in December and January often fall into the 40’s at night. Hail has been reported on occasion, but it has never snowed. In the summer, high temperatures reach the 80’s, but with low average humidity around 76%.
Life in La Esperanza and Intibucá is centered primarily on agriculture, which is the mainstay of most residents, especially the Lenca people. Due to its uniquely cool climate, the department is able to produce products that other departments cannot including potatoes, strawberries and apples. La Esperanza is famous for its daily farmers market which draws vendors and shoppers from around the department. Lenca farmers arrive from the surrounding communities and sell their fruits and vegetables in the street while some La Esperanza residents manage permanent wooden stalls. Produce available includes lettuce, spinach, carrots, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, yuca, onions, cilantro, apples, blackberries, mangoes, pineapple, bananas, platanos, avocadoes, grapes, peaches and strawberries. The busiest market days are Saturday and Sunday.
, are major times of celebration. Christmas Eve, known as Nochebuena
, is celebrated with a late-night dinner with family and friends followed by lighting off fireworks at midnight. For Holy Week, there is generally a series of processions and activities, with Good Friday, Viernes Santo having the largest procession and alfombras, designed carpets on the street made of colored sawdust. Most businesses are closed Thursday and Friday of Holy Week since they are national holidays.
In addition to Christmas and Easter, several other annual festivals and holidays are celebrated including:
Festivals may include parades, processions, marching bands, food tents, artisan demonstrations, traditional dancing, live music and fireworks.
Some sites of interest in and around La Esperanza include:
via Highway 22 which is paved and in good condition. From La Esperanza, one can take the road to Yamaranguila
and connect with Highway CA 11-A to reach San Juan, Intibucá
; Gracias
, Lempira; and Santa Rosa de Copán
, Copan. Parts of the road between La Esperanza and San Juan are unpaved making them sometimes impassable during the rainy season, but the road is currently being paved. Transportes Carolina operates a fleet of Pullman buses which run hourly to/from Tegucigalpa
and San Pedro Sula
making stops at major cities along the way. There is also regular mini bus service to Marcala
, Yamaranguila, San Juan, Erandique
, Gracias and Santa Rosa de Copan all leaving from the main bus terminal near the entrance to town. Chicken buses
run to smaller surrounding communities.
The nearby village of San Juan
is known for its coffee
production and for its proximity to Erandique
home to the ancient fortress of Lempira, an indigenous
Honduran hero who fought against the Spanish
.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
of the same name of the department of Intibucá, Honduras. The city of La Esperanza is merged indistinguishably with the city of Intibucá, the head of the neighboring municipality of Intibucá. Intibucá is the older of the two cities and was originally a Lenca community, while La Esperanza is the newer ladino community. The two cities, often called the twin cities, while distinct with separate municipal governments, are generally referred to jointly as La Esperanza and are separated only by a street that crosses town. La Esperanza is famous for having the coolest climate in Honduras and also for being the heart of the Ruta Lenca, a region of Lenca ethnic influence that spans Honduras from Santa Rosa de Copan
Santa Rosa de Copán
Santa Rosa de Copán is the departmental capital of the Honduran department of Copán. It is set at an elevation of approximately above mean sea level....
to Choluteca
Choluteca, Choluteca
Choluteca is a municipality and the capital city of the Honduran department of the same name. Situated in southern Honduras between El Salvador and Nicaragua, the city is generally considered the regional center of southern Honduras and is a major transit point on the Pan-American Highway. It...
.
History
The area was originally occupied by Maya and Lenca people from pre-columbian times who formed two settlements called Eramani and Lentercala. In 1647, Mayor Francisco de La Cerda was appointed by the Spanish throne to officially demarcate the territory of the indigenous population. He divided the land into two jurisdictions, not corresponding to the Eramani and Lentercala sites, and created boundaries and names for the surrounding small communities. Over time, the two jurisdictions developed a rivalry, especially over land. The cities grew in population especially in the 1800’s and La Esperanza was named a villa on September 22, 1848. La Esperanza officially became a city in 1883 when the department of Intibucá was formed by separating from the neighboring department of Lempira, then called Gracias.In 2002, permits were obtained by the Consorcio de Inversiones SA de CV (CISA) to build a hydro electric dam on the Rio Intibucá over an abandoned hydro project. Called the La Esperanza Hydro Project after the city, the dam began producing electricity for the surrounding communities in 2003, but its phase two expansion was not completed until 2006. The project was the first in the world to generate Certified Emission Reduction
Certified Emission Reduction
Certified Emission Reductions are a type of emissions unit issued by the Clean Development Mechanism Executive Board for emission reductions achieved by CDM projects and verified by a DOE under the rules of the Kyoto Protocol...
s (CERs) under the Clean Development Mechanism
Clean Development Mechanism
The Clean Development Mechanism is one of the "flexibility" mechanisms defined in the Kyoto Protocol . It is defined in Article 12 of the Protocol, and is intended to meet two objectives: to assist parties not included in Annex I in achieving sustainable development and in contributing to the...
(CDM).
Geography
La Esperanza sits at an altitude of 1700 meters, making it the highest city in Honduras. It is bisected by the Rio Intibucá which runs from the municipality of Intibucá through the municipality of La Esperanza. La Esperanza is situated in a relatively flat mountain valley, bordered by two chains of mountains, the Sierra de Puca Opalaca to the north and Montaña Zapochoco to the Southeast. The area of the La Esperanza municipality is 138.8 km2 and Intibucá 531 km2.Climate
La Esperanza experiences two distinct seasons: the rainy season/winter from May to October and the dry season/summer from November to April. The rainiest months are June and September, and the driest months February and March. During the winter, it rains primarily in the afternoon and the intense showers often make small dirt roads into the surrounding mountain communities impassable. La Esperanza receives average annual precipitation of 1400 mm. Due to its high altitude, La Esperanza has a cooler climate than most of Honduras, with an average annual temperature of 18.6ºC (65.5ºF). Temperatures in December and January often fall into the 40’s at night. Hail has been reported on occasion, but it has never snowed. In the summer, high temperatures reach the 80’s, but with low average humidity around 76%.
Population
La Esperanza has an estimated population of around 6,000 in the urban area and 4,000 in the rest of the municipality as of 2010. Additionally, neighboring Intibucá has a population of 45,000 in the municipality including 15,000 in the urban area, meaning the effective urban area of La Esperanza/Intibucá is home to approximately 21,000 residents. The municipality of Intibucá has 20 aldeas (divisions) with 106 caserios (small villages), and La Esperanza has 5 aldeas with 32 caserios. Residents of La Esperanza are known collectively as Esperanzanos, and residents of the city or department of Intibucá as Intibucanos.Culture
The predominant ethnic group is the Lenca people, who have existed in this region of Honduras since pre-columbian times. The Lenca are the largest ethnic group in Honduras, numbering just over 100,000. The Lenca once had a distinct language which is now lost, however other traditional customs still exist such as the production of textiles and pottery, dances, and clothing. The Lenca people, particularly women, can be recognized by their unique style of dress including brightly colored dresses and woven head scarves called pañuelos.Life in La Esperanza and Intibucá is centered primarily on agriculture, which is the mainstay of most residents, especially the Lenca people. Due to its uniquely cool climate, the department is able to produce products that other departments cannot including potatoes, strawberries and apples. La Esperanza is famous for its daily farmers market which draws vendors and shoppers from around the department. Lenca farmers arrive from the surrounding communities and sell their fruits and vegetables in the street while some La Esperanza residents manage permanent wooden stalls. Produce available includes lettuce, spinach, carrots, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, yuca, onions, cilantro, apples, blackberries, mangoes, pineapple, bananas, platanos, avocadoes, grapes, peaches and strawberries. The busiest market days are Saturday and Sunday.
Celebrations
As in the rest of Honduras, the majority of the population is Roman Catholic, with a growing percentage of Evangelicals. As such, Christmastime or Navidad and Holy Week proceeding Easter, called Semana SantaHoly Week
Holy Week in Christianity is the last week of Lent and the week before Easter...
, are major times of celebration. Christmas Eve, known as Nochebuena
Nochebuena
Nochebuena, , is a Spanish word referring to the night of Christmas Eve. In Spain, Cuba, Latin America, and the Philippines, the evening consists of a traditional dinner with family....
, is celebrated with a late-night dinner with family and friends followed by lighting off fireworks at midnight. For Holy Week, there is generally a series of processions and activities, with Good Friday, Viernes Santo having the largest procession and alfombras, designed carpets on the street made of colored sawdust. Most businesses are closed Thursday and Friday of Holy Week since they are national holidays.
In addition to Christmas and Easter, several other annual festivals and holidays are celebrated including:
- Artisan Festival (Feria de Artesanía de La Ruta Lenca) - February
- Anniversary of the Department of Intibucá - April 16
- Wine and Mushroom Festival (Feria de Vino y Chorros) – June or July
- Potato Festival (Feria de La Papa) - July
- Independence from Spain (Día de Independencia) - September 15
- Festival of the Patron Saint, Virgin of Conception (Feria Patronal de la Virgen de Concepcion) – November 29 to December 7
Festivals may include parades, processions, marching bands, food tents, artisan demonstrations, traditional dancing, live music and fireworks.
Artisan Products
Local people make a variety of interesting handicrafts. Many women’s groups use hand constructed wooden looms to produce traditional Lenca woven textiles such as ponchos, scarves, shawls, head scarves, table runners and tablecloths in bright colors. A growing number of groups have begun to take advantage of the ample number of fallen pine needles from the surrounding forests which they weave into sturdy and decorative baskets, pot holders, and vases. White clay local to the region is used to produce a variety of unique ceramic items. La Esperanza is well-known for the production of sweet, liqueur-like wines from fruits such as strawberries, pears, peaches, blackberries, and apples as well as the local favorite, potatoes. Visitors to La Esperanza can purchase these items and many other artisan products from around Honduras at one of the three primary souvenir stores in town, UMMIL (Union de Mujeres Microempresarias Lencas de Intibuca), Opalacas, and El Rincon del Turista.Tourism
The location of La Esperanza on the route between Tegucigalpa and Western Honduras makes it an ideal point for a stop-over while travelling. It’s also a great place to absorb traditional Lenca culture, so visit on a festival day or take a trip to the Lenca farmer’s market. La Esperanza/Intibucá has plenty of hotels, restaurant and shops in every price range.Some sites of interest in and around La Esperanza include:
- La Gruta – This is a cave located on a small hill overlooking town just 5 minutes from the Central Park. According to local lore, Chief Lempira hid here from the Spanish. The site is now a Catholic shrine, and affords wonderful views of the city.
- Lenca Cultural Museum - This newly opened museum is housed in the Casa de Cultura of La Esperanza, a large pink building two blocks up from the Central Park toward La Gruta. Open Monday through Friday, usually 12-4 pm, it features artifacts, artisan products and a great deal of information about the history and culture of the Lenca people in the area (Only in Spanish). Stop by a day in advance to arrange a docent.
- Baños Publicos El Quiscamote (Public Baths) – This is a spot where you can go to do your laundry at public pilas, but there is also a small pool to swim and tables and chairs for a picnic. You´ll find a lot of locals here on the hottest days. It’s a quick 15 minute walk outside of town from near La Gruta.
- Lenca Market – At this lively market you can find everything from fresh produce, meat and cheese to household items, clothes and other trinkets. It winds around a few blocks just north of the Intibucá Municipal Building.
- Parque de Bosque Enano (Dwarf Forest) – A short drive out of town on the road to Marcala you can encounter over 500 unique dwarf trees that grow less than half a meter tall. Scientists still do not know exactly why this forest exists, but it's an interesting sight to see. There are no signs, services or designated areas, just ask a local is you´re passing between La Esperanza and Marcala.
- Laguna de Madre Vieja (Lagoon of the Old Mother) – Arriving from Siguatepeque, you will find this small lagoon on the left side of the road just before entering town. You can fish, rent a rowboat or just enjoy the silence at this tranquil spot.
- Laguna de Chiligatoro (Lagoon of Chiligatoro) – Just 30 minutes by bus from La Esperanza, this lagoon is an ideal spot to relax and swim for the day or rent a rowboat. There is a nearby restaurant with tipico food and just a few km further up the road you can visit the women of El Cacao to watch them make traditional woven textiles.
Transportation
La Esperanza can be most easily reached by car or bus from SiguatepequeSiguatepeque
Siguatepeque is a small town in the Central Mountains of Honduras, Central America at 1100 metres above sea level and surrounded by mountains.Located almost exactly halfway between Honduras' two largest cities of San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa, it is a major stopping point for rest and refreshment...
via Highway 22 which is paved and in good condition. From La Esperanza, one can take the road to Yamaranguila
Yamaranguila
Yamaranguila is a municipality of about 2,000 residents in the Honduran department of Intibucá. About 2000 metres high, Yamaranguila is known as the coldest municipality in the country. Due to the climate, it is one of the few places where strawberries can be cultivated...
and connect with Highway CA 11-A to reach San Juan, Intibucá
San Juan, Intibucá
San Juan, Intibucá lies in the western highlands of Honduras between Gracias and La Esperanza. It is located in the department of Intibucá, was founded in 1747 by the Spanish, and has a population of around 1000. San Juan lies in the center of the "Lenca Trail" which runs from Santa Rosa de Copan...
; Gracias
Gracias
Gracias is a small Honduran town/municipality that was founded in 1536, and has a population of approximately 25,000 people...
, Lempira; and Santa Rosa de Copán
Santa Rosa de Copán
Santa Rosa de Copán is the departmental capital of the Honduran department of Copán. It is set at an elevation of approximately above mean sea level....
, Copan. Parts of the road between La Esperanza and San Juan are unpaved making them sometimes impassable during the rainy season, but the road is currently being paved. Transportes Carolina operates a fleet of Pullman buses which run hourly to/from Tegucigalpa
Tegucigalpa
Tegucigalpa , and commonly referred as Tegus , is the capital of Honduras and seat of government of the Republic, along with its twin sister Comayagüela. Founded on September 29, 1578 by the Spanish, it became the country's capital on October 30, 1880 under President Marco Aurelio Soto...
and San Pedro Sula
San Pedro Sula
San Pedro Sula is a city in Honduras. It is located in the northwest corner of the country, in the Valle de Sula , about 60 km south of Puerto Cortés on the Caribbean. With an estimated population of 638,259 people in the main municipality, and 802,598 in its metro area , it is the second...
making stops at major cities along the way. There is also regular mini bus service to Marcala
Marcala
Marcala is a municipality in the Honduran department of La Paz.-External links:*...
, Yamaranguila, San Juan, Erandique
Erandique
Erandique is a municipality in the Honduran department of Lempira.Erandique, is one of the several municipalities of the Lempira department. One has to travel 65 km from the city of Gracias passing by San Juan . A second road that leads to Erandique is going by the town of "Dolores" in...
, Gracias and Santa Rosa de Copan all leaving from the main bus terminal near the entrance to town. Chicken buses
Chicken bus
A chicken bus is a colloquial English name for a colorful modified and decorated US school bus and transit bus that transports goods and people between communities in Honduras and Guatemala...
run to smaller surrounding communities.
The nearby village of San Juan
San Juan, Intibucá
San Juan, Intibucá lies in the western highlands of Honduras between Gracias and La Esperanza. It is located in the department of Intibucá, was founded in 1747 by the Spanish, and has a population of around 1000. San Juan lies in the center of the "Lenca Trail" which runs from Santa Rosa de Copan...
is known for its coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
production and for its proximity to Erandique
Erandique
Erandique is a municipality in the Honduran department of Lempira.Erandique, is one of the several municipalities of the Lempira department. One has to travel 65 km from the city of Gracias passing by San Juan . A second road that leads to Erandique is going by the town of "Dolores" in...
home to the ancient fortress of Lempira, an indigenous
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
Honduran hero who fought against the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.