page_title: Tegucigalpa
section_title: Around the city
hierarchical_section_title: Tegucigalpa / Cityscape / Around the city
caption_attribution_description: English: Map of the contemporary area of Tegucigalpa, M.D.C., the capital of Honduras. This area is found east of the Choluteca River, south of the northern tributary (Rio Chiquito), west of Anillo Periférico (beltway), north of Boulevard Fuerzas Armadas (Armed Forces Blvd). This area is considered the capital's vibrant zone (zona viva), holding its most exclusive neighborhoods, its most important boulevards housing important government and financial institutions as well as the city's most popular malls and other businesses. Español: Mapa de la zona contemporánea de Tegucigalpa, M.D.C., la capital de Honduras. Esta zona se encuentra al este del rio Choluteca, sur de la cuenca rio Chiquito, al oeaste del Anillo Periférico y al norte del Boulevard Fuerzas Armadas. Esta zona se considera la "zona viva" de la capital, con sus vecindarios más exclusivos, los boulevares más importantes que dan cimiento a importantes instituciones de gobierno y financieros así como los centros comerciales más populares de la ciudad, entre otros establecimientos.
context_page_description: Tegucigalpa, formally Tegucigalpa, Municipality of the Central District, and colloquially referred to as Tegus or Teguz, is the capital and largest city of Honduras along with its twin sister, Comayagüela.
  Claimed on 29 September 1578 by the Spaniards, Tegucigalpa became the country's capital on October 30, 1880, under President Marco Aurelio Soto, when he moved the capital from Comayagua. The Constitution of Honduras, enacted in 1982, names the sister cities of Tegucigalpa and Comayagüela as a Central District to serve as the permanent national capital, under articles 8 and 295.
  After the dissolution of the Federal Republic of Central America in 1841, Honduras became an individual sovereign nation with Comayagua as its capital. The capital was moved to Tegucigalpa in 1880. On January 30, 1937, Article 179 of the 1936 Honduran Constitution was changed under Decree 53 to establish Tegucigalpa and Comayagüela as a Central District.
  Tegucigalpa is located in the southern-central highland region known as the department of Francisco Morazán of which it is also the departmental capital. It is situated in a valley, surrounded by mountains.
context_section_description: The metropolitan area of Tegucigalpa and Comayagüela is officially divided into barrios and colonias and there are 892 of them.  Colonias represent relatively recent 20th-century middle class residential suburbs, some known as residenciales for their upper income development, and these are continuously spreading while the barrios are old inner-city neighborhoods.
  While the city administration divides the capital into barrios and colonias, the fact that there are hundreds of them makes it difficult to define the city's different regions, especially for those not familiar with the Central District.  To have a better understanding of the city's regions, the metro area of the Central District can essentially be divided, first, into two sections: Tegucigalpa and Comayagüela.  These two entities remain separated by the Choluteca River basin that runs between them.
  The Tegucigalpa side of the District can be divided into five sections: 1) Centro Histórico (Historic Downtown); 2) Centro Contemporáneo or Zona Viva (Contemporary Downtown or Vibrant Zone); 3) North Tegucigalpa; 4) South Tegucigalpa; and 5) East Tegucigalpa.
  1 – Centro Histórico or the Historic Downtown of Tegucigalpa is formed by the original neighborhoods that date back to its founding days.  For years, this area remained neglected and run down, but in recent times attempts have been made to revive the zone and bring back its colonial heritage.  Several government offices, including the National Congress and City Hall as well as museums, parks, a cathedral and churches are located here.
  2 – Centro Contemporáneo is the contemporary, vibrant and modern downtown of Tegucigalpa.  This area is formed by the neighborhoods encompassed east of the Choluteca River, south of the northern tributary, Rio Chiquito (which confluences with the Choluteca below the Mallol Bridge), west of the beltway (Anillo Periférico), and north of Armed Forces Blvd.
  This section of the city is perhaps the best developed and properly urbanized.  It is formed by more than 40 neighborhoods, many of them wealthy middle class residential areas such as Colonia Palmira to the east of the historic center, on Boulevard Morazán, which hosts several foreign embassies as well as upscale restaurants.  Other upscale neighborhoods are Lomas del Guijarro, Loma Linda, and Lomas del Mayab, which house most of the apartment complexes in the city.
  The leading hotels of the city are found around these neighborhoods, including within the Plaza San Martín Hotel District. These include: the Marriott Hotel, Clarion Hotel, Hotel El Centenario, Intercontinental, Honduras Maya, Plaza Del Libertador, Plaza San Martín, Hotel Alameda, and Excelsior Hotel and Casino.
  Boulevard Morazán and Avenida Los Próceres/Avenida La Paz are busy commercial corridors (running parallel to each other) and run through several neighborhoods home to foreign embassies, a hotel district, business establishments and corporate buildings, including Los Próceres Comercial Park (Parque Comercial).  Boulevard Suyapa and Boulevard Juan Pablo II are located south of the aforementioned boulevards, and they also form a busy commercial and financial district stretching through several neighborhoods such as Colonia Los Profesionales where the Presidential House is located; Colonia Florencia Norte where Multiplaza Mall is located; Colonia Miramontes, among others—housing several financial institutions, government offices, hotels, etc.
  3 – North Tegucigalpa is formed by both middle class and impoverished neighborhoods that lie above the surrounding hill immediately north of the historic downtown.  Beyond these neighborhoods sits the United Nations National Park on El Picacho Hill, one of the most popular destinations in the capital among its residents and visitors.  Beyond the Park, stretching north and northwest of the city, upper income suburban neighborhoods such as El Hatillo sit on the sides of the hills, surrounded by heavy vegetation.
  4 – South Tegucigalpa is everything south of Boulevard Fuerzas Armadas.  This area is home to Colonia Kennedy, the capit
caption: Map showing Tegucigapa's contemporary Center, formed by over 40 neighborhoods
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