Yuscarán

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Yuscarán is the capital of the El Paraíso department of Honduras, located 65 kilometers from Tegucigalpa. Yuscaran is the capital of the department of El Paraiso. This quaint village was a major mining center in the 18th and 19th centuries, first for the Spanish Crown and later for U.S. mining companies. The same topography that produced rich veins of precious metal also gives the town its spectacular mountain scenery and its windy cobblestone roads.

The entire village was declared a national monument by the Honduran government in 1979. Today more than 200 colonial homes remain, paying tribute to Yuscaran’s historic past.

The mountain of Montserrat towers over the town to the southeast. This biological reserve is also the main source of water for the area, the same pure water that the villagers use to produce the famous Yuscaran-brand sugar cane alcohol known as “burning water” (aguardiente, or simply guaro).

Ancient rock paintings can be found in the nearby communities of Orealí and Oropolí.