The city of Progress is popularly known as the Pearl of Ulúa, due to the mighty river that bathes it and which is one of the most important in Honduras. With about two hundred thousand inhabitants, it belongs to the department of yoro, located in the north of the country.
It has a strategic location, since many of the trips made through Honduras pass through El Progreso. In fact, it is one of the main communications centers. From this city connections are made to other important towns such as, for example, San Pedro Sula, Santa Rita, Saint Manuel and even Tegucigalpa. However, it has enough attractions for you to visit it. Below, we show you everything you need to know about El Progreso.
History of Progress
Park in El Progreso
Until the end of the 19th century, this town was known as Pelo River Village. Then it became a municipality and began to grow. It was also called Santa María de Canaán de Río Pelo and it is said that it adopted the name of El Progreso due to the speed with which it developed economically and socially. However, according to other theories, its current name is due to the fact that one of its heroes, Juan Blas Tobías, was from Progress, in Yucatán.
In fact, for years it has had an important maquiladora industry, strong agriculture and a large commercial sector. This has led her to become the sixth city in Honduras by number of inhabitants and the fifth by economic strength.
Prices in the Honduran city
La Cabaña, one of the hotels in El Progreso
Despite everything we just explained to you, El Progreso is not expensive. If you travel from Spain, it will be cheaper than our country, although not as much as you might expect from a Honduran city (the average salary in that nation is about five hundred euros per month).
For example, the room in a three-star hotel is around sixty euros per night and food in a restaurant around twelve per person. Likewise, renting a car can cost you around sixteen euros per day. As for supermarkets, a liter of milk is around one euro, while a bottle of water is 0,76 cents and a loaf of bread is around 0,70.
How to get to El Progreso
A street in the Honduran city
This city in the department of Yoro is located about two hundred and thirty kilometers from Tegucigalpa, the capital of the country. The road trip lasts approximately three hours and twelve minutes, and you have Bus who make the journey. However, you can also rent a car to get around.
Likewise, you have the possibility of doing the route By plane. However, El Progreso does not have an airport. The closest is that of yoro, although we do not recommend it. It is a small airfield crossed by unpaved roads and also surrounded by mountains.
The best way to get to El Progreso is fly to the international airports of Ramón Villeda Morales, in San Pedro Sula, or La Ceiba. Furthermore, the first of them receives flights from Spain, specifically from Madrid.
Gastronomy in the Honduran town
An open shot
El Progreso has an excellent range of bars and restaurants where you can savor its delicious cuisine. This is one combination of Lenca and Spanish influence. As for the first, the Lencas are one of the great pre-Hispanic ethnic groups of Honduras. They descend from the Mayans and, currently, are located, above all, in the departments of La Paz, Lempira and Intibucá. However, the influence of his culture spreads throughout the country.
Among the dishes that have precolonial roots are tatemada iguana y the pozol. But the cuisine of El Progreso has also known how to assimilate the Spanish heritage. For example, in it it is very important rice y beef.
As for the typical dishes, we advise you to try the fried fish with slices of green plantain and, likewise, fried. It makes a delicious contrast of flavors. We also advise you yucca with pork rinds, which combines cassava with fried pork fat, and progressive shooting. The latter is a quick breakfast or lunch that consists of a flour tortilla filled with beans, eggs, cheese and sauces, along with other garnishes.
What to see in El Progreso
El Progreso Railway Museum
Once we have explained everything you need to know about how to get there, where to eat and what the history of El Progreso is, we are going to talk to you about what you have to see in the Honduran city. And there are many attractions that it offers, both in terms of its monuments and its natural environment. Let's see it.
The cathedral and other monuments
Cathedral of Our Lady of Mercedes
La cathedral of Our Lady of Mercedes It is one of the main monuments of the city. The building that you can see today dates from the extensive renovation that was carried out in 1992, since the old temple from 1928 and built in adobe could not be recovered. In any case, it is a beautiful neogothic temple.
Another essential visit to the city is the Railroad Museum. It is a unique place in the entire country where locomotives and wagons that belonged to the Raid Road Company Fabric, in charge of communicating the area with the rest of Honduras. And, to relax, you can take a walk around the Central Park, meeting place for local residents.
El Mico Quemado and other natural wonders
View of the Mico Quemado mountain range
La Mico Quemado mountain range It is one of the great symbols, not only of El Progreso, but of all of Honduras. In fact, more of its 28 hectares of surface are classified as Protected area. Dominate the city from the east, over the great valley of Sula. Its wealth in terms of exotic animals and plants is incalculable. And you can do different hiking trails in her. For example, the one that takes you to the viewpoint of the same name, which offers you wonderful views of the aforementioned Sula valley.
Moreover, the Ulúa River It also offers El Progreso wonderful places. No wonder, with its more than three hundred and fifty kilometers, it is one of the most important in the country. In addition, it has tributaries such as the Otoro, the Humuya or Jicatuyo. However, during the flood season it can be dangerous to bathe in it due to the increase in flow.
In conclusion, we have shown you everything you need to know about Progress, the beautiful city in the north of Honduras that will captivate you. As is the case with so many other Central America, is largely unknown to mass tourism, but it is charming. Dare to visit it.