Travelers stop at Gracias, a town which still retains much of its colonial flair, en route to the Celaque National Park. Founded in 1536, by settler Juan de Chavez who named the location Gracias a Dios after exclaiming "thank God that we have finally found flat land".
At 26,400ha/66,000ac Celaque National Park is one of the largest tracts of cloud forest left in Central America. The journey to the 2,500m/8,200ft level where the cloud forest vegetation actually begins is long and strenuous There is plenty to see on the lower mountain such as the many orchids and colorful tropical birds plus an interesting organic coffee farm, located ½ hour hike up into the park.
The 16th C colonial Church of Las Mercedes, and the Audiencia de Los Confines houses the parochial center. The Audiencia de Los Confines, once the governing council for all of Central America and capital of Honduras, was established here in 1544.
From a small mountain, turreted Castillo de San Cristobal looms over the city of Gracias. The fort has old Spanish cannons that were donated by the Spanish government and the tomb of Honduran governor Juan Lindo. From the fort you can Gracias' three churches, the cemetery, and the Montaña de Celaque located behind the fort.
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