Cantarranas
It's 9:45 a.m. on a Friday, October 4, 2019, and I'm ready to drive out to the Cantarranas in Franciso Mórazan. The route will take approximately 2 hours between short stops to take a photo or breathe some fresh air. During my tour I planned to stop at the edge of the road to appreciate the breathtaking view of the Yeguare Valley. It's really amazing to watch the extension of land from the foothills of the mountain called "La Tigra. Once passing Valle de Angeles, a few kilometers more, 8 to be more specific, you will appreciate this natural beauty. From there you can see, all the crops that surround El Zamorano Pan american Agricultural School, and the communities that lives in this area. Families that live along this this road have created viewpoints that will allow you to have a safe sighting of this unique landscape. I would call them “ paraderos “ as they are often called in other countries.
Once in Cantarranas the activities to perform will take more than a couple of hours. Artworks carved as paintings on the walls of the old houses, built with: adobes, wood and tiles from dating back decades, immediately steal your eyes. People pose in front of these beautiful murals to take the best selfie possible or with friends or family. And there are many houses that have become authentic canvas of those painters who left their inspiration placed in those homes. A must stop are the stairs, built with river stones, which lead to the street that passes in front of the Church, located in the central park. Each step has been decorated with picturesque colors that can´t fail to attract the attention of all visitors. The properties surrounding this street are painted with multiple figures illustrating the fauna, flora and history of this great country. Honduran artists have uniquely shaped their ideas and showed us their valuable art to remind us that we have talented people in Honduras. One thing to notice is how the authorities are interested in showing the best face of Cantarranas. And they're getting it. You can see it totally clean and neat streets, friendly people willing to collaborate in every way from helping you to park your car to volunteering to show you the place. Their narrow streets are not enough to cover the heavy traffic generated by the large number of visitors from Tegucigalpa. Its central park has been filled with vendors and local residents ready to serve their tourists. Refreshing waters and snacks you can get all over the park. You can find several residents who offer to sell flowers, ornaments, handicrafts and local food such as nacatamales, sweets and fruits.
Coming to Cantarranas means to travel in time, to learn from the ancestral gastronomy of Honduras, to breath fresh air and to appreciate the art of the country's valuable artists.
If you want to come to this place from Tegucigalpa you can do so, by taking the road to Valle de Angeles, once you cross this town, follow about 19 kilometers more on a paving road full of multiple landscapes with a very pleasant climate. When you reach the final destination take into account that you will be going down the mountain of La Tigra; will feel the changes in height in your ears and the increase in room temperature. Generally the climate tends to be hot and dry in all municipalities established above the Yeguare Valley. Undoubtedly Honduras has multiple places to take a weekend getaway and Cantarranas is one of them.
