Honduras-CANATURH: One more reason to discover Honduras

News provided by

Honduran National Chamber of Tourism - CANATURH

Oct 24, 2014, 08:29 ET

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, Oct. 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- For all kinds of reasons all over the world, every day, natural habitat where thousands of animal species live, is being reduced, and some places are actually disappearing with everything contained within them lost; yet fortunately there are certain places on the earth that are protected and resist the loss of their natural enchantment and unique richness…

To get an idea of the place we want to tell you about, first consider that in the 9,826,675 square kilometers of the entire territory of the United States there are about 800 different species of birds. Now imagine a place measuring a mere 304 square kilometers but endowed with more than 400 species of birds; it sounds incredible, but such a place exists and it's called the Cerro Azul Meambar National Park (PANACAM – Parque Nacional Cerro Azul Meambar), a very long name to describe a paradise for birds located in northeastern Honduras.

PANACAM is itself an assortment of mountain habitats around the only natural lake in Honduras, a spot that is almost equidistant between the northern and southern hemispheres, for which reason it has become a "center" where migratory birds from North and South America converge, as well as the native or stationary birds of Honduras and the Central American region, which is to say, in this place you can find birds from all over the Americas – amazing, isn't it?

It has been demonstrated that the best way to protect these sanctuaries is to get tourism involved in the process, so that the more informed and aware we are of the existing wealth of nature, the more this will be reflected in our attitude towards conservation, a tangible and direct benefit cultivating awareness and raising consciousness, with multiplier effects that make it the best weapon for the defense of habitat and humanity.

Since the fundamental aim is to preserve this place, national authorities and international agencies have dedicated themselves to protecting it, offering the most attractive features for tourists, while at the same trying to minimize the damage from human presence as much as possible, so that paths have been built in such a way that tourists can walk through the park without damaging it, and recently, thanks to support from USAID ProParque and Aldea Global, bird watching towers have been built, three observation posts have been set up, and 7 kilometers of paths have been improved, which is to say that today you will have many more opportunities to see and photograph this enormous abundance of birds in just one day.

According to records, each year 9,000 people from all over the world visit PANACAM, obviously drawn by this natural wealth and the opportunity to watch birds from all over the Americas in one single space. If PANACAM did not exist, you would have to spend several months and thousands of dollars, to engage in these bird watching activities, which is why this park is such a magnificent option for tourists and bird lovers.

The improvements noted above will have a major impact, allowing 10% growth in the number of visits, a considerable increase for nature lovers and defenders of the environment.

One thing we haven't told you is that to get to PANACAM, you won't have to wander through jungles like Indiana Jones since access is easily arranged via the main highway network of Honduras, and just before you reach the park you can discover Lake Yojoa, a natural wonder where you can enjoy yourself exploring it by boat, looking at the beautiful landscape and savoring the best fried fish in the country, accompanied by sliced plantain and pickles, a splendid delicacy that goes down just right in this splendid bird sanctuary.

Lilian Lagos
Phone: (504) 2232-1927
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.canaturh.org / honduras.travel

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141023/154113
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140225/MX66043LOGO-b

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/honduras-canaturh-one-more-reason-to-discover-honduras-614318351.html

SOURCE Honduran National Chamber of Tourism - CANATURH