Yuscaran

Yuscarán was one of the richest silver towns in colonial Honduras and the centre kept its shape: cobbled streets on a slope, adobe and tile, wrought-iron balconies, and the Casa Fortín as a town museum. The El Buen Gusto distillery, founded in 1939 as the mines declined, has made aguardiente here ever since. Above the town rises Montserrat, a biological reserve on a limestone hill with cloud forest on top, walkable from the streets.

History

The municipality was founded in 1730, and after gold, silver and other precious metals were found in its foothills in 1746, Spanish mining companies flooded in and built the town in the colonial style of 18th-century Spain. At its height it was a wealthy mining town, home to some of the country's most influential families; it became capital of El Paraíso in 1869, got electricity in 1898, before Tegucigalpa, and was declared a National Monument in 1979, with more than 200 colonial houses in its centre (Wikipedia, Yuscarán).

What's there

• The colonial streets - cobbles and adobe on the slope, with iron balconies.
• Casa Fortin - a merchant house of the mining era, now the town museum.
• The aguardiente distillery - El Buen Gusto, working since 1939.
• Montserrat - the limestone hill above town with cloud forest and a walking route.

When to go

November to April is the driest. The distillery runs on weekdays and visits are arranged rather than dropped in on. The hill above is best climbed early before cloud.

Practical notes

The town is small and quiet, with limited places to eat or stay. The distillery is a working plant and access depends on asking in advance. The climb up Montserrat is steep and unmarked in places.

Nearby

Danli is east towards the Nicaraguan border, and Tegucigalpa is west.

Key facts