Nestled high up within the lush, carpeted mountains of Western Honduras lies the Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park. Created in 1987 to protect the spectacular, diverse flora and fauna of the park alongside the social and economic needs of the rural communities surrounding it, the relatively unknown Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park is perhaps one of Central America’s best kept secrets. A couple of days stay at the park and the stunning Panacam Lodge is bound to evoke the senses and bring a taste of beauty, adventure and peace into one’s soul.
I had the opportunity to visit the Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park (otherwise known as Panacam) at the tail end of a work trip to Honduras for EOS International, a non-profit that provides safe drinking water and opportunity in Central America. After four days in the field based out of our Marcala office, our staff headed for a two-day retreat at the Panacam Lodge located in the park. I was coming from a day in the field in Gracias, a lovely colonial mountainside town along the famous Ruta Lenca.