The Parque Central is the practical centre of Puerto Cortés — a tree-shaded square where the church, the municipal palace and the busiest stretch of restaurants and shops face one another across patches of well-kept grass. Locals gather on the benches in the late afternoon when the heat eases, shoe shiners work the corners, and street vendors sell fresh coconut water and tajadas.
It is the obvious starting point for a wander through town: the main commercial streets and the bus terminals are within a few blocks, the malecón along the bay is a short walk north, and on Sundays the park fills up after morning Mass at the parish church.