Municipality of Cololaca
Cololaca is a municipality in the Lempira department in Honduras.
It was established in 1628 on a small hacienda belonging to an ancient community. According to references from elderly residents, it was legalized as a municipality in 1835, belonging to the Guarita district. Land titles were granted to the municipality in 1889.
Geography
Like in several other municipalities, the surrounding hills are quite steep, and the landscape is somewhat arid, improving during the rainy season with vegetation typical of a dry tropical forest. Due to its elevation of around 600 meters above sea level, Cololaca experiences a rather hot climate.
Limits
Cololaca is bordered to the north by the municipalities of San Marcos de Caiquín, to the south by the municipality of Guarita, to the east by the municipalities of San Sebastián and Guarita, and to the west by the Ocotepeque department and the Republic of El Salvador.
Territorial extension: 221 km²
The town of Cololaca is located more than 200 km away from the city of Gracias.
Resources
The main activity is agriculture, with the cultivation of corn and beans. (Coffee is not grown due to its low elevation, but there are numerous collection centers where the beans are processed.) Coffee is the main source of income for the villages in the northern part of the municipality (Malsincales, Planes, Canguacota, Las Flores are the main coffee producers in the municipality, and people from the town of Cololaca go to these villages to pick coffee).
Water is obtained through wells and some streams. Several pumping distribution systems have been implemented to improve the quality of life. Trade is of vital importance due to its proximity to San Marcos de Ocotepeque.
Population
Mestizos are the majority in Cololaca, but there are also some descendants of indigenous people both in the town and in some surrounding villages.
- Population: In 2001, the population was 5,531 inhabitants. According to estimates by the INE Honduras, it is projected to increase to 6,498 inhabitants by 2008.
- Villages: 5
- Hamlets: 113
Tourism
Mobile phone services are available. The architectural distribution follows the typical Spanish colonial style, where administrative, religious, and commercial establishments are located around a central park. The town has many cobblestone streets in the city center.
The best way to reach Cololaca is by starting from Santa Rosa de Copán and passing through San Marcos de Ocotepeque, with a travel time of 1.5 hours. It is worth noting that in 2009, a paved road was inaugurated to access this community.
Currently, work is underway to pave the road leading from Cololaca to the border communities with El Salvador, such as San Juán Guarita, Tambla, Tomalá, and Valladolid.
Patronal fair: February 2, the day of Candelaria.
