Cloud Forest
Santa Barbara Mountain National Park is the second-highest peak in Honduras, at 2744 meters (apx 9000 ft), though is only a 35 minute scenic ride up from Lake Yojoa.
The park boasts one of the most unique tropical cloud forest ecosystems in the world. Lofty clouds roll into the forest in the mornings and evenings, providing moisture to large trees (and to all the flowers and plants). They also create beautiful scenery and photo opportunities from below, which evoke a Peter Jackson film or perhaps something more prehistoric like "Jurassic Park."
Santa Barbara Mountain National Park is the second-highest peak in Honduras, at 2744 meters (apx 9000 ft), though is only a 35 minute scenic ride up from Lake Yojoa.
The park boasts one of the most unique tropical cloud forest ecosystems in the world. Lofty clouds roll into the forest in the mornings and evenings, providing moisture to large trees (and to all the flowers and plants). They also create beautiful scenery and photo opportunities from below, which evoke a Peter Jackson film or perhaps something more prehistoric like "Jurassic Park."
Caving
The mountain is made up of an unparalleled limestone terrain which, over the centuries, has created looming cliffs, yawning sinkholes, and dramatic caves. The caves in the area vary in size, though some are very deep and long and even contain lakes. Locals who have lived in the area all their lives have many tales to tell about people’s interactions with the caves and sinkholes. Undoubtedly, cave enthusiasts of all sorts will have plenty of opportunities to go exploring; local guides know the routes and are ready to take you to the best spots. (If you’re a serious caver, you may want to bring your own gear.)
The mountain is made up of an unparalleled limestone terrain which, over the centuries, has created looming cliffs, yawning sinkholes, and dramatic caves. The caves in the area vary in size, though some are very deep and long and even contain lakes. Locals who have lived in the area all their lives have many tales to tell about people’s interactions with the caves and sinkholes. Undoubtedly, cave enthusiasts of all sorts will have plenty of opportunities to go exploring; local guides know the routes and are ready to take you to the best spots. (If you’re a serious caver, you may want to bring your own gear.)
Birding
Another highlight of the area that visitors shouldn’t overlook is the great biodiversity of bird species. The mountain belongs the same ecological corridor as Lake Yojoa, which is famous in Central America for its bird-watching opportunities. Birders on any given day can spot toucans, quetzals, mot-mots, trogons, hummingbirds and a countless variety of other colorful tropical and migratory birds. Be sure to bring binoculars.
Another highlight of the area that visitors shouldn’t overlook is the great biodiversity of bird species. The mountain belongs the same ecological corridor as Lake Yojoa, which is famous in Central America for its bird-watching opportunities. Birders on any given day can spot toucans, quetzals, mot-mots, trogons, hummingbirds and a countless variety of other colorful tropical and migratory birds. Be sure to bring binoculars.
Biodiversity
Although you never know what you’re going to come across on a given hike, the cloud forest is the natural habitat for literally thousands of species of plants, animals and fungi. Howler monkeys’ distinct cry, for example, can be heard from the trail in the forest. An intriguing endemic black salamander calls Santa Barbara Mountain home and can be found lounging in moist bromeliads on the sides of trees. Mammals, large and small—not to mention a wide array of various reptiles and amphibians—live inside and outside the national park and offer chance encounters to observant and lucky visitors year round. See the list below for a handful of examples of the types of wildlife that live in SB Mtn:
Culture
A trip to Santa Barbara Mountain won’t only give you a chance to experience the region’s natural beauty, but you’ll also get a rare peek into the culture of the people living here (and an opportunity to participate).
And life here is the epitome of “tranquilo,” Spanish for “tranquil.” Things move at a different pace. Mother Nature supplies fresh air, cool breeze, purifying rain storms, ever-blooming flowers and singing birds, while small-town life makes one forget the worries and hustle and bustle of the city.
Families have lived and worked in this small community together for generations and they’re a humble, generous and hard-working people. Generally townsfolk are religious and maintain traditional customs, preferring to do things the old way: Coffee is ground by hand, food cooked on wood-burning stoves and clothing washed on washboards and hung up to dry.
People’s main focus in life are just about summed up by chatting with neighbors, playing and watching soccer, going to church, growing and drinking coffee, working and raising kids. Although people here are poor according to first-world standards, their generosity and hospitality is unprecedented: it’s customary for them to invite strangers into their houses to share a cup of coffee and home-made sweetbread.
And that’s at the heart of our ecotourism project; visitors can come to the mountain to get away and relax to enjoy the beauty of a lifestyle that’s becoming all too rare in today’s world. Spend as much time here as you’d like and take your time meeting the people. There’s a lot that citizens of the Western world could spare to learn by taking a step back from Internet and smart phones and rush hour to enjoy the quiet details of life.
And life here is the epitome of “tranquilo,” Spanish for “tranquil.” Things move at a different pace. Mother Nature supplies fresh air, cool breeze, purifying rain storms, ever-blooming flowers and singing birds, while small-town life makes one forget the worries and hustle and bustle of the city.
Families have lived and worked in this small community together for generations and they’re a humble, generous and hard-working people. Generally townsfolk are religious and maintain traditional customs, preferring to do things the old way: Coffee is ground by hand, food cooked on wood-burning stoves and clothing washed on washboards and hung up to dry.
People’s main focus in life are just about summed up by chatting with neighbors, playing and watching soccer, going to church, growing and drinking coffee, working and raising kids. Although people here are poor according to first-world standards, their generosity and hospitality is unprecedented: it’s customary for them to invite strangers into their houses to share a cup of coffee and home-made sweetbread.
And that’s at the heart of our ecotourism project; visitors can come to the mountain to get away and relax to enjoy the beauty of a lifestyle that’s becoming all too rare in today’s world. Spend as much time here as you’d like and take your time meeting the people. There’s a lot that citizens of the Western world could spare to learn by taking a step back from Internet and smart phones and rush hour to enjoy the quiet details of life.
Check out the next page "__" to learn about the home-made food, the bed-and-breakfast style home-stays, insiders' tours of coffee farms, knowledgeable guide services on the trails, horseback riding and more ways you can interact with community members.
Coffee
After the beauty of the nature and the relaxed lifestyle of the people here, it’s coffee that makes Santa Barbara Mountain special. Visitors will get a first-hand look into all things café and will have a unique chance to learn about how it’s produced. Not to mention, there will also be ample opportunity to appreciate its consumption, naturally.
Because of the mountain’s altitude, nutritious soil and cool and rainy climate, coffee produced here is of the highest quality in the world. To start with, it all qualifies as “high-grown” or “strictly-high grown,” terms used to designate excellence. What’s more, the region proudly claims __ winners out of the last __ Taza de Excelencia, the internationally-recognized taste-testing competition of Honduras. Much of the mountain’s coffee is shade-grown and organic and almost all of it ends up in gourmet coffee shops in North America, Japan and Europe.
Coffee farming has been a tradition on the mountain for generations and today almost every family living here depends on its production for their yearly income in some form or another. In fact, during the months of the coffee season, just about the entire town spends their day up in the fields picking the stuff.
It’s fair to say that townsfolk are very proud of the coffee they produce. They not only receive a much higher price for it than other regional cash crops like corn or beans, but they also drink it religiously, children and old people alike. A local co-operative, called Montaña Verde, buys a majority of the community’s coffee, paying fair prices, and exports it to a large buyer in Canada. Members of the co-op are happily available to offer tours of the plant and to explain all the things it does to help the community.
Additionally, tourists will have the chance to visit farms in person and chat with producers, to even try their hand at picking it, and, of course, to share a cup with friendly families excited to show off their home-grown and -roasted coffee.
