4 Best Sights in Gracias, Western Honduras

La Campa, only 16 km (10 mi) from Gracias on a well-maintained road, is the easiest of the surrounding communities to reach on your own. This lovely Lenca village set in the rugged mountains is well worth visiting just to see the local ceramics—the same red pottery you will see for much higher prices in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula. Of particular note are the cántaros—perfectly cylindrical urns—and also bowls, plates, and wind chimes. Just outside town is the home of the Doña Desideria Pérez, a smiling lady who bakes red pottery in the open air. She will happily show you around. Many of the pottery makers around town are happy to let you get your hands dirty and fashion your own work. The complication is that it takes at least 24 hours for your work to dry; you'll have to come back the next day. On top of the hill at the entrance to town is the Centro de Interpretación de Alfarería Lenca, where you can see Lenca pottery on display and hear explanations of how it is fashioned.

Also make sure to stop by the 1690 Iglesia de San Matías. The whitewashed church is usually closed except for Sunday masses, but if you ask around, you can find somebody to let you in. It's quite plain inside, though. The statue of San Matías was stolen a few years ago, but the uproar was so great that the thieves relented, wrapping it in rags and leaving it on a bus from Gracias to Santa Rosa de Copán, where it was discovered and returned.

The area around Gracias is considered one of Honduras's best-kept secrets, as it's home to the pristine Parque Nacional Celaque, one of the largest tracts of cloud forest left in Central America. At 2,849 meters (9,345 feet), the Cerro de las Minas within its confines is the highest peak in Honduras. The name of the park means "box of water" in the Lenca language, after the 11 rivers flowing from this mountain. The park is home to spider monkeys, as well as birds such as toucans and quetzals. If the Lenca gods are smiling upon you, you might catch a glimpse of jaguars, ocelots, and pumas, but all are painfully shy, so don't count on it.

A 9-km (5½-mi) dirt road leads from Gracias to the park's entrance, more or less a two-hour journey. The visitor center is another half hour beyond that. There is no public transport to the park, but you can hire a car in Gracias. You can stay overnight at the modern visitor center, where you'll find two small cabins with beds, showers, and cooking facilities. The hike to the summit, which takes seven to eight hours, is easier during the dry season, from about February to September. If you want just a taste of the park, you don't need to hike very far from the visitor center to get a sampling, and trails are well maintained here. No matter what the time of year, it gets chilly and wet in the park. Warm, waterproof clothing is a must.

Another 14 km (9 mi) beyond La Campa over a rough road is the remote village of San Manuel Colohete, which borders Parque Nacional Celaque and gets the same ethereal cloud-forest mists as you'll find inside the park. The town's stunning 1721 church of the same name is considered to be the most beautiful in the country. Sculpted saints set in niches make the facade quite unusual, while the swirling colors of the frescoed walls and ceilings inside have led people to compare it to the Sistine Chapel. The massive gold-plated altarpiece with a gleaming Cristo Negro (Black Christ) is breathtaking. At his feet (you may have to gently shift some lace decorations) are paintings of the sun and moon that recall the religions that Christianity hasn't managed to completely push aside here. The church is only open for Sunday Masses.

Several hot-springs complexes dot the area around Gracias. The most well run of these is this one on the road to Santa Rosa de Copán. Relax in one of the various pools with water temperatures ranging from 90 to 123 degrees. The complex is managed by the Posada de Don Juan in town, and entrance is free if you're one of their guests.