A short distance northeast of the capital, Parque Nacional La Tigra covers 238 sq km of rugged forest, with cloud forest and dry pine forest, numerous rivers and waterfalls and a large and varied (but exceedingly shy) population of mammals, including pumas, peccaries, armadillos and agoutis (rabbit-sized rodents).
Somewhat easier to spy are the park’s numerous birds – 350 species in all – making La Tigra the country’s best birdwatching spot after Lago de Yojoa. If you’re lucky, you may even spot a quetzal, a distinctive, aqua-colored bird with long tail feathers. Impossible to miss is the park’s exuberant flora: lush trees, vines, lichens, large ferns, colorful mushrooms, bromeliads and what seems like a million orchids.