City and Municipality of Puerto Cortés

Puerto Cortés is a municipality and the northernmost port city in the Department of Cortés, Honduras.

The Spanish explorer Gil Gonzáles Dávila arrived in a village called Chivana, now Puerto Cortés, in 1524. By 1582, the governor of Comayagua, Alonso de Contreras Guevara, described the town as follows: «The town of Sant Joan de Puerto Cavallos, of the northern sea, is a very small town of Spaniards». During the Colonial period, it served as a port along with Trujillo to trade with Spain. It was President José María Medina who named the port «Puerto Cortés», as there he would start the construction of the interoceanic railway in 1869. It was given the status of a municipality in 1882 under the administration of Marco Aurelio Soto; and in 1976, the free zone of the port was established as well as the financing of the maquila industry. Origin of its name: in honor of the conqueror Hernán Cortés.

General Information about Puerto Cortés

Established on: April 3, 1882
Land Area: 390.60 km2
Altitude: 2 meters above sea level
Patronal Fair: from June 10 to 17, the day of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Administrative Code (Geocode): 0506
Villages: 38
Hamlets: 155

History

See more about the History of the municipality of Puerto Cortés Puerto Cortés was founded in 1524 by Captain Gil González Dávila, under the name of Villa de la Natividad de Nuestra Señora, in the area now known as «Cienaguita». In 1526, Don Hernán Cortés arrived by sea to punish Captain Gil González Dávila.

Due to a storm, he was about to shipwreck and lost 17 horses, naming the place Puerto Caballos. Its current name was acquired from March 5, 1869, when General José María Medina was president of the republic. Its creation as a municipality dates back to April 3, 1882.

The place itself did not have great importance for the Spanish conquistadors, as most of its territory was marshy. Instead, they established the port in the area now known as Omoa, west of present-day Puerto Cortés. The positive development of the city of Puerto Cortés began in 1933 when the Municipality, composed of progressive citizens, laid the foundations for the modernization of the city.

On March 5, 1869, President José María Medina, during the start of the interoceanic railroad construction, decided to found the current Puerto Cortés in memory of the illustrious Captain Hernán Cortés. This foundation took place on the southern side of the current peninsula, which at that time was uninhabited due to being filled with swamps. The population of Puerto Caballos was located south of the bay, where the villages of Cieneguita and Tulián are now situated.

Municipal Corporation

Allan David Ramos Molina – Mayor
María Luisa Martell Canizales – Vice-Mayor
Elmer Adalid Guerrero López – Councilor
Adolfo Eliseo Canales Carabantes – Councilor
Roberto Santos López Lemus – Councilor
Emely Marlene David Reyes – Councilor
Olvin Daniel Aguilera Crúz – Councilor
Lidwin Francois Martínez Fajardo – Councilor
Dany Alberto Díaz Jiménez – Councilor
Juan Eduardo Vallecillo Brocato – Councilor
Michelle Alejandra Montalván Galo – Councilor
Dolores Argentina Mejía Sánchez – Councilor

Location

Puerto Cortés is the northernmost city in the department of Cortés, Honduras. The urban area of Puerto Cortés is located at the southern tip of a small peninsula, separated from the mainland by the Alvarado Lagoon. The city extends 7 km from east to west and 4.5 km from north to south.

The municipality of which Puerto Cortés is the head has a territorial extension of 391.2 km². There are also 38 villages and hamlets located in this territory.

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Boundaries

North: Caribbean Sea;
South: municipalities of Choloma and El Progreso (Yoro);
East: municipality of Tela (Adántida);
West: municipalities of Omoa and Choloma.

Hydrography

Rivers

The hydrographic basins include the Medina River, Cienaguita River, Rio Chamelecón, Las Palmas River, Rio Ulúa Las Delicias, Tulián River, and the Chorros de Baracoa. These are all relatively small streams.

Creeks

The Macho and Gáleas Creek, Chile and Bulichampa Creek.

Lagoons

Puerto Cortés is home to the Alvarado Lagoon, which is connected to the sea through the bay. The Alvarado Lagoon is surrounded by mangroves and is a relatively untapped tourist destination that undoubtedly has great potential.

Topography

Sapadril Hill (576m)

Flora and Fauna

Flora

Puerto Cortes presents open spaces with relatively abundant vegetation, especially in the reserve area on the peninsula, in the wetland to the east of the Alvarado Lagoon, in the mangrove forest on the eastern part of the lagoon and along the channel of the same name, in the surrounding areas of the secondary road towards Bajamar, and on the Sapadril and Cardona Hills, as well as on the steep slopes of the medium-altitude and foothill mountains.
The remnants of the original mangrove forest are mainly composed of Rhizophora mangle, or «red mangrove,» and Laguncularia racemosa, or «white mangrove,» located on the peninsula and around the Alvarado Lagoon, as well as in some areas along the road to Omoa and the path to Bajamar.

The wetland areas feature Thypha sp or «cattail» and «tigrillo.» There are also small areas covered by Gualiqueme or Palo Pito (Erythrina fusca) and Willow (Salix humboldtiana), which grow on land with frequent freshwater flooding for the former and on flat land with high water table throughout the year for the latter.

Fauna

The fauna in Puerto Cortes has been greatly reduced in terms of the number of species and individuals, due to the intensity of human activities carried out in the area.
However, less developed areas in the indirect influence zone such as the wetland and the medium-altitude mountain areas still provide habitat for larger mammal species such as Jaguar (Panthera onca), Puma (Puma concolor), and White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus). In most of the study area, smaller mammals like Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), Howler Monkey (Alouatta palliata), and Agouti (Dasyprocta punctata) remain.

The proximity of the indirect influence zone to the Cusuco National Park suggests that inventories conducted in the park may serve as an approximation of the existing fauna in the upper part of the municipality of Puerto Cortés.

In terms of marine species, the occurrence of mammals such as Manatees (Trichechus manatus) has decreased. Among the marine fish species that are still present are mackerel, grouper, red snapper, needlefish, shark, swordfish, sailfish, and dolphins.

(Pelecanus occidentalis) can be observed in the area. Specimens of Orioles were sighted in the foothill areas.

Among the freshwater fish species reported in the Environmental Impact Assessment Report of the River Tulián Dam Design Project are Cuyamel (Joturus pichardi) and Tepemechín (Agnostomus montícola).

Population

It has a total population of 122,426 inhabitants, of which 59,113 are men, 63,312 are women. 79,546 people live in rural areas, ranking #4 in the department with 7.8% of the population. It ranks #11 in the country with 1.5% of the total population. 4.1% of the population belongs to an ethnic group.

In the last 10 years, 1,878 people have emigrated and now live in another country. In this municipality, there are 72,209 people aged 18 and older, of which 92% have their identification card. This municipality has a literacy rate of 8.2% and primary school coverage of 95%, with an average years of schooling of 6.6. Women heads of households represent 34% of households. The masculinity index is 93 men per hundred women, and the elderly population (64+ years) represents 5.3% of the population.

Economy

22% Manufacturing industries
19% Agriculture, livestock, forestry, and fishing
16% Wholesale and retail trade, vehicle repair
9.7% Transportation and storage
7.6% Construction
26% Other activities

The main economic activity of the city revolves around port operations, which generate approximately 65% of employment in Puerto Cortés, including cargo services, transportation, storage, etc.

Port Operations

The port operations of Puerto Cortés, like all ports in Honduras, are managed by the National Port Company (ENP), which was established during the presidency of Dr. Ramón Villeda Morales in 1958. The professional firm TAM was responsible for carrying out the project under the supervision of the Minister of Finance, Licenciado Jorge Bueso Arias.

At the time of the creation of the National Port Company, Honduras was among the largest exporters of bananas in the world, so the commercial activities of the port company were largely based on this product.

In 1965, the port authority became an organization with the same characteristics as other major ports around the world. As a result, it was named the National Port Authority. However, the central government authorities disagreed, so it became the National Port Company.

Over the years, Puerto Cortés has undergone significant evolution. Today, it has one of the most modern facilities in Central America. Recently, it was certified as a «Safe Port» by the American authorities, as it has modern gamma-ray equipment that scans each container before shipment.

Puerto Cortés has the advantage of being located in a well-protected natural deep-water bay, where tidal variations are insignificant, with a maximum fluctuation of 0.3 meters. The prevailing winds are generally from the northeast, and the currents are inconsistent.

ENP Facilities

The ENP has six docks with a total length of 1,157.03 meters of berths. There are closed and open storage areas for all types of goods, with the former consisting of two warehouses covering 1.8 hectares.

The open areas or outdoor storage zones cover a total of 29.6 hectares, of which 10.6 hectares are considered reserved.

Other Port Facilities

Easy access to industrial zones and cities
Cabotage facilities
Banking services
Cold storage warehouse
Free trade zone
1,157 meters of berths
Yard for storing trailers and containers: 8.3 hectares
Container yard: 7.5 hectares
Merchandise storage yard: 3.2 hectares
Leased yards: 8.5 hectares
Vehicle yards: 500 units
Water tank: 1,000 m³
Emergency electricity supply: 2 MW
Warehouse area: 1.3 hectares (Source: ENP Website)

Expansion Plans

Starting from October 2008, the expansion and modernization project of Puerto Cortés began, which involves the construction of new docks, dredging of the bay, construction of a new container terminal, a new and modern bulk terminal, and the installation of state-of-the-art gantry cranes and all the necessary equipment. It is expected to be completed by October 2009.

The projections are set for Puerto Cortés to become a world-class mega-port in the short and medium term.

Tourism

Puerto Cortés has various tourist attractions, including its beaches. The most well-known and visited are the Municipal Beaches (La Coca Cola), characterized by their calm waters protected by the bay of the port. In front of these beaches, there are various restaurants and hotels, and it is the site where numerous recreational activities take place during the fair.

Further west is Cienaguita Beach, another popular destination for both national and foreign tourists. In front of this beach, you’ll find the main beach hotels and restaurants in Puerto Cortés.

To the north of the port peninsula are El Faro, La Vacacional, Travesía, and Bajamar beaches. These beaches have rougher waters as they are exposed to the open sea, but that makes them very interesting. Together, they stretch for several kilometers with white sands, palm trees, and transparent waters.

In this area, you’ll find the Garifuna villages of Travesía and Bajamar, which are cultural heritage sites of the municipality. Puerto Cortés is also home to Alvarado Lagoon, which connects to the sea through the port bay. The lagoon is surrounded by mangroves and is an underexplored tourist destination with great potential. Another must-visit place in Puerto Cortés is its boardwalk, a recreational and relaxation spot for families.

Culture

Patron Saint Festival: June 10-17, Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

August Festival

Puerto Cortés celebrates its patron saint festival in August (August Festival). It is a time of festivities in which each neighborhood organizes its own mini-fair with contests and carnivals.

Among the events of the August Festival, notable ones include the crowning of the Ugly King, canoe race, cycling race, crowning of the festival queen, carnival queen, and children’s queen, as well as various cultural and gastronomic activities. On the last Saturday of the festival, there is a parade of floats and comparsas (musical groups) on the main streets of the city in the afternoon, followed by the spectacular «Noche Agostina» (August Night) in the evening.

During the «Noche Agostina,» also known as «Noche Veneciana» (Venetian Night), you can witness a parade of gondolas decorated with different themes in the bay of Puerto Cortés. The parade concludes with a fireworks display, marking the grand carnival closing the festival.

Club Deportivo Platense

This football club was founded on July 4, 1960, in the Campo Rojo neighborhood and has the honor of being the first champion of the Honduran National Football League. Nowadays, Platense continues to be one of the main contenders in Honduran football.