Northeast of Tegucigalpa, on the way to Valle de Angeles, a right turn goes to the quaint old mining village of Santa Lucía which is perched precariously on a steep mountainside overlooking the valley with Tegucigalpa below. The town has a colonial church with a Christ statue given by King Felipe II of Spain in 1592. There is a charming legend of the Black Christ, which the authorities ordered to be taken down to Tegucigalpa when Santa Lucía lost its former importance as a mining centre. Every step it was carried away from Santa Lucía it became heavier. When it was impossible to carry it any further they turned round, and by the time they were back in Santa Lucía, it was as light as a feather.
The town is lively with parties on Saturday night, and there is a festival in the second and third weeks of January. There are souvenir shops in the town, including Cerámicas Ucles just past the lagoon, second street on left, and another ceramics shop at the entrance on your right. There are good walks up the mountain on various trails, with fine views of Tegucigalpa.
A good circuit is to descend east from the mountain towards San Juan del Rancho through lovely landscapes on a good dirt road, then connect with the paved road to El Zamorano. From there continue either to El Zamorano, or return to Tegucigalpa .
Get the best info about sights, places to eat and sleep in Santa Lucía free to download!
download free pdf