- Address: Nacional Montaña de Celaque, Honduras
- Website: www.celaque.hn
- E-mail: mancomunidadmapance@yahoo.es
- Phone: +504 9971 3011
- Foundation date: August 5, 1987.
- Area: 266.4 square meters. km
- Maximum height: 2489 m
The Honduras National Park of Selak (Celaque) is 45 km from the city of Santa Rosa de Copán . It was founded in August 1987 after the fact of a decrease in the area of forest tracts in the country was established.
Interesting facts about the park
Speaking about the Selak Park, let us note the following facts:
- On its territory is the summit of Serra-Las Minos - the highest point of the country (the height of the mountain is 2849 m above sea level); she wears another name - Pico Selak. There are also three more peaks above 2800 m in height.
- The terrain of the park is very uneven, more than 66% of the territory has a slope of more than 60 °.
- The word "selak" means, in one of the dialects of the Lennacan Indians, who once lived on these lands, a "box of water". In fact, there are eleven rivers running through the park, which feed water to more than 120 villages near the park.
- Since the territory is predominantly mountainous, there are rapids and even waterfalls on the rivers, the most famous of which is the Chimis waterfall over 80 m high.
- And the waterfall on the river Arkagual inspired the writer Herman Alfar to create the book "The Man Who Loved the Mountains."
Flora and fauna
Most of the vegetation of the park is made up of coniferous trees, including six varieties of pine trees from seven that grow in Honduras. Here also grows a large number of species of shrubs, bromeliads, mosses, ferns and many kinds of orchids. It can be said that in the Selak Park there is the largest species diversity of plant life in the country. Here you can see 17 species of endemic plants, 3 of which grow exclusively in the park. The park is famous for a wide variety of mushrooms, 19 species of which are eaten by local residents.
The fauna of the park is not inferior to the variety of flora. The park is home to white-tailed deer, bakers, ocelots, coats, shrews, including two endemic species. Also here live amphibians (including 2 endemic species of salamanders, one of which - Bolitoglossa ctlaque - is close to extinction and is under special protection) and reptiles. The ornithofauna is especially rich here: in the park you can see toucans, parrots, woodpeckers and even such a rare bird as the quetzal.
Ecotourism and mountaineering
The park offers its visitors 5 pedestrian routes with a total length of more than 30 km:
- La Ventana;
- Liquidambar;
- El Gallo;
- Mirador de ka Cascada;
- Camino al cielo.
In addition, there is a visitor center and 3 camps, where you can spend the night in tents or in rooms under the roof. Cliffs and cliffs of the park attract mountaineers; There are several routes of high complexity that only well-trained climbers can pass through.
Residential areas
There are several communities in the park; The land on which they are located occupies about 6% of the territory. And, despite the fact that their agricultural activities are restricted by law, residents are engaged in illegal deforestation and commercial agriculture, which damage the vegetation of the park. Legal agricultural activity is only the cultivation of coffee on mountain slopes.
How and when to visit Selak Park?
From Santa Rosa de Copan to the park you can take the road CA4 and along the road CA11. First you will reach the town of Gracias , and from there you will reach the visitor center by dirt road.
Santa Rosa de Copan can be reached via CA4 from the city of La Entrada, which is located near the city of Copan , on the route linking it to San Pedro Sula . Visiting the park will cost 120 lempir (about $ 5).
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