Municipality of San Marcos
San Marcos is a municipality in the Ocotepeque Department in Honduras. It is also the second most developed city in Ocotepeque.
In the population census of 1791, San Marcos was part of the Sensenti Curate. It was granted municipality status in 1845 and was one of the municipalities forming the Sensenti District in the Political Territorial Division of 1889. In the 1926 division of the department, it was a district formed by the municipalities of San Francisco del Valle, Mercedes, and Belén.
In the urban area, you can find the San Marcos Hospital, inaugurated on November 29, 1991, during the tenure of Dr. César Armando Castellanos Madrid as Minister of Public Health and members of the Municipal Council.
Location
The municipality borders San Francisco del Valle and Sensenti to the north, Cololaca and Mercedes to the south, San Sebastián and Belén Gualcho to the east, and Mercedes and San Francisco del Valle to the west. It is located in the Sensenti Valley, surrounded by mountains and the Alax and Suntulín rivers.
Education
Currently, the San Marcos Official Institute has a very high academic index, ranking among the top five in Honduras.
The municipality has several private and public schools. During the Zelaya government, the Candido Mejía Pilot School was inaugurated, which is now one of the largest in Ocotepeque and also has a high academic index.
The «San Marcos» Institute was created by the Ministry of Education through Agreement No. 281-EP on January 8, 1970. In recent years, the San Marcos Institute has been one of the best in Honduras, with an academic index of 92% (2012), placing it among the top five in Honduras and the best in Ocotepeque.
Patronal Fair
The Patronal Fair in San Marcos (Ocotepeque) is celebrated in honor of the patron saint San Marcos from April 1st to April 30th each year. The community, like any other, prepares from the beginning of March to receive tourists and visitors from different parts of Honduras and abroad, including people from El Salvador and Guatemala. During this month, there are also dawn processions, coronations, parties, and a variety of festivities.
Villages
- San Marcos
- Callejones
- Cunce
- El Carrizal
- El Granzal
- El Jaralón
- El Refugio
- El Tránsito
- La Ascensión
- Potrerillos
- Sabana Larga
- San Juan
- San Luis
- Santa Marta
- Mesa Grande
- Platanares
Floral Games
The Floral Games are celebrated in the last week of October. The Floral Games of San Marcos, Ocotepeque, are a national literary competition established by resolution of the Municipal Corporation with the purpose of promoting culture, arts, and literature. They have significantly contributed for over two decades to the cultural heritage of the region.
In 2012, the 23rd Floral Games were held in San Marcos Ocotepeque, commemorating a prominent figure from San Marcos, Don Francisco Alberto Rodezno, in recognition of his significant contributions to the promotion of art, culture, and literature in the country.
Don «Beto,» as he is affectionately called, has dedicated his time and money to the committee for 89 years, and according to his sons Salvador and Mauricio, it was well-deserved recognition. This distinguished man is a Lions Club enthusiast in the municipality, a collaborator with the hospital and state institutions, and participates in charity marathons and Catholic Church events. The Queen of the 23rd Floral Games was Dr. Carmen Beatriz Murillo, and the former queen was Scarleth Interiano.
