La Campa

La Campa Review

La Campa, only 16 km (10 mi) from Gracias on a well-maintained road, is the easiest of the surrounding communities to reach on your own. This lovely Lenca village set in the rugged mountains is well worth visiting just to see the local ceramics—the same red pottery you will see for much higher prices in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula. Of particular note are the cántaros—perfectly cylindrical urns—and also bowls, plates, and wind chimes. Just outside town is the home of the Doña Desideria Pérez, a smiling lady who bakes red pottery in the open air. She will happily show you around. Many of the pottery makers around town are happy to let you get your hands dirty and fashion your own work. The complication is that it takes at least 24 hours for your work to dry; you'll have to come back the next day. On top of the hill at the entrance to town is the Centro de Interpretación de Alfarería Lenca, where you can see Lenca pottery on display and hear explanations of how it is fashioned.

Also make sure to stop by the 1690 Iglesia de San Matías. The whitewashed church is usually closed except for Sunday masses, but if you ask around, you can find somebody to let you in. It's quite plain inside, though. The statue of San Matías was stolen a few years ago, but the uproar was so great that the thieves relented, wrapping it in rags and leaving it on a bus from Gracias to Santa Rosa de Copán, where it was discovered and returned.