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atufft Says: The oldest church in Gracias is Iglesia Las Mercedes, dating back to 1611. It is a few blocks off from Parque Central. At the time I visited, it was closed, and mostly fenced off from tourists. The church was in obvious need of renovation, having weeds growing in its tower....
atufft Says: The Parque Central has the statue of Lempira, and other memorial statues and fountains under an arbor of old tropical trees. One of the more curious statues is apparently of Mary with baby Jesus, because the way she holds arms outstretched a sexualized infant is a very rare...
atufft Says: Adjacent to, not facing, the Parque Central in Gracias, is the largest church in town, the Iglesia San Marcos has 18th century origins, but appears newer than this. The interior was only sparsely decorated for Christmas, not having the textiles hanging from the ceiling found...
Hike up to San Cristobal Fortress
atufft Says: As a mining town, Gracias was subject to unrest for many years after its founding, so the San Cristobal fortress was established on the hilltop to ensure control over the miners, as much as anyone. Yet, Juan Lindo’s tomb, a former governor of Honduras, who was one of the...
Walk Past Iglesia San Sebastian
atufft Says: One of the many Iglesias in Gracias, one of lessor importance that was closed, was very close to our hotel. San Sebastian has a cross-shaped exterior structure, but I wasn't able to confirm the chapel's interior floor plan. The grounds outside are devoted to children's play...
Relax in Mineral Baths After Hard Day Driving
atufft Says: The roads in Honduras are difficult, so by the time we arrived in Gracias, we were pretty eager to visit it's famed Aguas Termales, or mineral baths. There's a supply of hot water that several private and one public bath tap into, so the first thing we had to determine was...
calcaf38 Says: On the unpaved road towards Celaque, you will find this church, amid considerable litter. This is the only church I saw in Honduras with a little color on the façade - like a novice nun wearing a touch of blush. I believe that churches in Nicaragua often sport such colorful...
calcaf38 Says: Much more ancient (early 1600s) is the church of La Merced. It is chunky but haunting, with much touching detail inside and out. Even under the roasting noon sun, such churches remain quite cool.
calcaf38 Says: The San Marcos church is the largest in Gracias. It was built it the late 1800s, and what makes it distinctive is a series of curtains, almost like sails, hanging from the ceiling.The light plays with the curtains in the most interesting way, and the caretaker will let you...
calcaf38 Says: This 19th Century fort located on a hillock just behind the Hotel Guancascos never saw any action. However, reaching it makes for a very pleasant stroll, and it is from the Castillo that you will see the most beautiful view over Gracias.
Casa Galeano & Jardin Botanico
calcaf38 Says: This is a fancy colonial house near the South end of town, which has been refurbished into a small museum of Lenca culture, with some financial assistance from Spain. Behind the casa, there is a botanical garden with many local species of trees.
The colorful streets of Gracias
calcaf38 Says: Sleepy Gracias is a very pleasant town to walk around. I felt safe on each and every street, as the town is probably too small to have distinct good or bad neighborhoods. The center is quite colonial, with a deserted Parque Central, and handsome churches. The outskirts...
Parque Nacional Montaña Celaque
calcaf38 Says: This is a wonderful but tiring hiking area, so I encourage you to find a ride from town to the park entrance - as I did: Froni from the hotel took me to the house of the guide she had hired for me, and she picked me up five hours later. As soon as you enter the no-vehicle...
kate.uk Says: While I was in Gracias i did a day hike to Celaque national park. It was about a year ago so forgive me if I can't remember all the details.to arrange it your guide book will tell you to go to a hotel restaurant run by a belgian woman (can't remember the name sorry). We did...
Hotel Guancascos Restaurant: Breakfast and Lunch with a Great View
atufft Says: Even if you don't stay here, dining at Guancascos Hotel Restaurant is recommended not only for decent food, but also for the great view across the town. Some would like to spend time using there wifi. There's plenty of seating, and this is also a bar, so sitting around with...
Rinconcito Graciano: You Must Dine Here, with Some Suggestions
atufft Says: When I read the Lonely Planet description, I was determined to dine authentic Lenca style, rather than at the popular pizza place in the center of town. The initial problem though was in finding the place. Walking are poorly lit cobblestone streets, we passed the place twice...
Rinconcito Graciano: Freshly cooked with natural ingredients
DWARF-2 Says: Healthy eating; ecologically disposed owner, Lizeth, pleased to provide information on the town, the area and local history. Gallery and sale of local arts and crafts. Freshly cooked vegetables, potatoes and fish; many other local dishes.
Helpfulness
Gracias is - to an extent - the "end of the line." There must be some direct buses from San Pedro Sula, but you are more likely to need changing buses in Santa Rosa de Copán, a larger town.
In both directions (to Gracias and from Gracias), there was a bus for an immediate connection in Santa Rosa. And I mean quick, involving running through lanes of traffic.
Gracias will always be referred to by bus conductors as Gracias-Lempira, to distinguish it from the remote Gracias a Dios Department.
The buses to Santa Rosa are coaches, but between Santa Rosa and Gracias, your bus will be a school bus. Going farther than Gracias is more of an adventure, as you can see on my La Campa page.
Updated Aug 1, 2009
We came across this very unusual place when we were trying to find our restaurant. The owner stuck her head out the door and offered to help. Then, I peered inside and found a large and most unusual collection canned vegetables neatly arranged in clear jars on shelves as shown in the photo. It was obviously a great found photo because I questioned whether all this canned veggies could ever be sold. In California, canned veggies aren't too popular anymore, but his made for great photos. At then counter, there are a number of tropical fruit candies, some that appear homemade.
Later, I noticed that these sorts of canned veggies are a substitute for salads on the plate. They are very much like the pickled jars produced in Italy.
What to buy: In the back are some freezers filled with fruit popsicles and ice-creams. My favorite is guanabana, a tropical fruit most people in the mid-latitudes don't even know. They also had coconut, pineapple, papaya, and other tropic fruits frozen desserts.
What to pay: Cheap, very cheap by American standards. The hospitality of the ladies at this place was very good too.
Updated Jan 23, 2012
Take a walk further out of town, maybe a mile or so out, and you'll find Santa Lucia, an attractive recently painted church surrounded by traditional homes. The interior was simple and decorated for Christmas. Outside, chickens and children play.
Written Jan 23, 2012
Gracias, in the Department of Lempira, is a small town of 15,000 with a rich past. It was founded back in 1539, and allegedly owes its name to the exclamation: "Thank God we have arrived at flat land...
Gracias, a small quiet town with a colonial past in the higher part of Western Honduras, lies close to the entrance to the Celaque National Park. This covers the largest area of cloud forest in...
Historic Mountain Capital of Lempira District
Lempira, for whom the Honduran currency is named, was Lenca tribal leader at the time of Spanish conquest. He fought against, hid from, and was assassinated by the Spanish, and so he retains a martyr...
Build your own Gracias page
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