Olancho and Central Highlands

La Muralla National Park

La Muralla National Park began as a protected area in 1987 by the National Decree 87-87 and is officially listed as a Wildlife Refuge. The park — a a cloud forest that is filled with an immense biodiversity of flora and fauna — is located 14 kilometers from the municipality of La Unión, Olancho in the northeast part of the country.

Defining the park are three principal mountains — Las Parras, La Muralla, and Los Higuerales with the highest point in the park located at 2,604 meters above sea level. This is also a water source for more than 20,000 people who live around the area.

La Muralla National Park is famous for its quetzal sightings. One reason these birds flourish in this area is because there are over 20 species of Laureciae trees which provide the quetzals’ favorite food. Other animals that reside in the park are: dantos or tapir, jaguars, pizotes, sloths, anteaters, three types of monkeys — white-faced, howler, and spider.

There are many trees in La Muralla that are harvested for their precious wood. These include cedros, mahogany, maria, san juan, and granadillo. Many people who live around the park use local plants — liquidamber, quina, calaguala, girlfriend’s kiss, and gualiqueme — for medicinal purposes. There are many other plants in the forest that have still yet to be discovered for medicinal and other uses.

This place is one the best destinations in my expeditions incredible species live in here such as:

Lovely cotinga, Nightingale wren, King vulture, Sparkling tailed woodstar, Great tinamou, Ornate hawk eagle, White breasted hawk, Red capped manakin, Keel billed mot mot, Black headed nightingale thrush, Slate colored solitaire, Crested guan, And many others