San Pedro Sula was founded on 27 June 1536, by Pedro de Alvarado under
the name Villa de San Pedro de Puerto Caballos, close to the town of Choloma.
There were around 18 towns populated by indigenous people in the Sula valley at
the time. Early descriptions of the landscape indicate abundant swampland and
dense tropical forests, with little land good for agriculture or cattle
raising. The city's name became San
