Located in the northern part of the country, San Pedro is only a few miles from the coast and has always played a major role in Honduran history. The city was founded the 27th of June, 1536 by Don Pedro de Alvarado himself. The Spanish conqueror founded it with the name of "Villa de San Pedro de Puerto Caballos" and within the next five years it was known as San Pedro Sula, with the name Sula deriving from the local dialect Usula, meaning "valley of birds".

The dry season, or verano in San Pedro Sula is from December through April inclusive, with March and April being the hottest and driest months. The rainy season or invierno is from May through November and the wettest months are August and September. Getting around San Pedro Sula. San Pedro is an easy city to get around in. It is divided into four quadrants following the old Spanish system of building cities: Northeast, southeast, northwest and southwest. All the streets are numbered, with avenues leading from north to south and streets east to west. Downtown is marked by the 1st Street. The most important commercial street is Third (Tercera) Ave. 

The Guamilito market, within walking distance from the central plaza on between the 8a and 9a Avenidas and 5a y 6a Calles NW offers the most complete selection of Honduran handicrafts in San Pedro Sula. The market is also a good place for vegetables and flowers. When shopping at the market, always remember to barter, as prices here are not fixed and everyone barters the price down