Comayagua is the former capital of Honduras, founded in 1537 and the seat of colonial government for more than 300 years. After being heavily damaged by fire during the civil war of 1873, the capital was moved to Tegucigalpa — and Comayagua has been relatively unchanged ever since.
Anyone driving between San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa should get off the bus here, even for a few hours. The city has one of the finest colonial centres in Honduras: the Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción, completed in 1715, contains the oldest functioning clock in the Americas, a Moorish-style timepiece that originally hung in the Alhambra in Granada. The central square is handsome and relatively quiet.
Comayagua sits in a broad valley at about 600 metres, making it warmer than Tegucigalpa. Palmerola International Airport, the main airport serving the capital, is actually located nearby, so some travelers begin their Honduras journey here rather than in Tegucigalpa.