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1 March 2022
Nestled in the scenic mountains of southern Francisco Morazán, the municipality of Ojojona offers an enticing mix of natural beauty, colonial architecture, indigenous art, and unbeatable Honduran cuisine.
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A mere 34 kilometers south of Tegucigalpa, the idyllic town of Ojojona offers an enchanting escape from the bustle of the national capital.
Wonderfully preserved since the end of the Spanish colonial era in 1821, its charming architecture recalls a time of rustic beauty.
Ojojona, which means “green water” in reference to a scenic creek that traverses the town, was originally settled by gold and silver miners in the 18th century.
In this municipality of approximately 11,000 residents, old ways endure even today. 48% of the residents work in agriculture; 84% of them cook with firewood. The indigenous Lenca make up 4% of the population.
The owner of the restaurant La Finca prepares meals in the traditional wood-burning method
Children climbing the maze of branches in a centuries-old tree in Ojojona, Honduras
Belying its bucolic ambiance, the town saw the Spanish colonists subject a mix of Indian and African slaves to work in the local mines. At times, free laborers were also employed.
Part of the artisanal village in Ojojona, offering traditional and indigenous art
The author enjoyed the famous Honduran baleada and a local beer in the treehouse table of the restaurant El Guancasco
Although the gold and silver extracted from Honduras was never more than 5% of Spain’s New World production, these precious metals constituted the central pillar of the area’s economy.
Like all of the provinces of New Spain between Chiapas in the north and Costa Rica in the south, Honduras formed part of the Royal Audencia (Captaincy) of Guatemala.
In 2021, Ojojona made headlines for the wrong reasons when its mayor, José Armando Garcia Andino (Liberal Party), was imprisoned for domestic abuse and terroristic threats against his partner.
For the period of 2022 – 2026, the city council is led by Ángel Rafael Aguilar González (National Party).
The author is unable to find any official city website for Ojojona.
© 2022
