CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS
Copan Ruins:
Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980, the Maya ruins of Copán have been studied by archaeologists for over a century. Now the most exhaustively researched site in the Maya world, Copán is renowned as the most elaborate and artistically advanced of the great Maya cities.
At the primary site, the five areas of most interest to visitors include the Great Plaza, the Ball Court, the Hieroglyphic Stairway, the Acropolis, and the Tunnels. Adjacent to the site is the Museum of Maya Sculpture, one of the most extraordinary museums in Central America. Its centerpiece is a massive, life-size reconstruction of the famous RosalilaTemple. And less than a mile east of the main ruins, and accessed by a pleasant tree-lined trail, is Las Sepulturas, where the Maya elite lived.
The park is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.daily. Admission is $15 and includes entrance to the main park and Las Sepulturas. Admission to the museum is $7. There is an additional fee of $10 to view the extraordinary tunnels. We recommend use of a guide to enhance your visit to the ruins. The hotel is pleased to arrange your visit with a bilingual guide. (Guides at the park cost approx. $25)
Parks & Museums:
Downtown Copán Ruinas boasts two fascinating museums:
The Maya Archaeology Museum includes many original Copan artifacts, including Stela 7, which was originally found near the site of the hotel. The museum is open 8 a.m. to noon, and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Saturday. Admission $2.
The Casa K'inich Children's Learning Center, the world's only museum devoted to introducing children to the ancient Maya, is equally compelling for adults. Interactive exhibits are in three languages (English, Spanish, and the local Chortí Maya dialect). The museum is open 8 a.m. to noon, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Saturday. Admission is free.
Just five minutes from downtown, the Macaw Mountain Bird Park and Nature Reserve is the most exciting new tourism and conservation project in Central America. Brilliantly colored parrots, macaws, and toucans- including several that are rare and endangered - can be viewed along tranquil, shaded forest trails. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.daily. Admission $10, valid for three consecutive days.
Just west of town is the Enchanted Wings Butterfly House and Nature Exhibit, which boasts over 30 species of butterflies, as well as an orchid exhibit with more than 200 species. A 5-terrace greenhouse with waterfalls provides a verdant backdrop for viewing the butterflies. Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.daily. Entrance fee Lps. 100 (approximately $5.50)
Colonial Towns:
Within a few hours of Copanare several beautiful colonial towns that make for great day trips.
Santa Rosa, with a population of over 25,000, is the commercial and political hub of western Honduras. In the 1700´s Santa Rosagained renown for its tobacco, which spurred growth in the region, as well as some very attractive architecture. Near Santa Rosaare the lovely indigenous colonial towns of Corquín and Belen Gualcho.
Less than an hour from Santa Rosa, the colonial city of Gracias, founded in 1536, is one of most appealing towns in Honduras. Gracias is also the gateway to Celaque National Park, home to the highest mountain in Honduras(soaring to 9,500 feet), as well as one of the largest remaining tracts of cloud forest in Central America.
Indigenous Communities:
In the foothills surrounding the town lives a fascinating indigenous Maya community, the Chortí, whose way of life has remained virtually unchanged for centuries. Communities such as La Pintada, Chonco, Carrizalón, and Llanatillos welcome visitors to learn their ancient ceramics and cooking techniques. Some communities are accessible by vehicle, others require a hike through the scenic hills that surround the valley.
NATURAL ATTRACTIONS
Agrotourism:
Coffee Finca Tour: In recent international competitions, such as the Cup of Excellence, the coffees of western Honduras have been receiving quality ratings that in the past were attained by Costa Ricaor Brazil. The world is just beginning to appreciate the quality of our distinctive coffees.
Just 30 minutes from Copan, Finca Santa Isabel offers a fascinating and educational introduction the entire process of coffee cultivation. At Finca Santa Isabel, you will not only learn how our great coffees are crafted, but you will taste them on the spot, and can even buy a pound or two to take home. You can learn more and order coffee by visiting the finca´s website at www.cafehonduras.com.
Cattle and Cardamom Ranch Tour: Since 1927, Finca El Cisne has been run by the same Honduran family. This traditional Honduran ranch is located an hour north of the hotel, near the hot springs. Activities include horseback riding, hiking, and fascinating tours of the ranch in operation. This tour makes a great day trip, and can be combined with a soak in the hot springsat day's end.
Organic Farm Tour: A scenic 30 minute drive east of Copan, Finca Mirasol is an integrated organic farm, one of the few projects of its kind in western Honduras. An extraordinary variety of fruits and vegetables grows year round on this remarkable finca, which represents a hopeful alternative future to the traditional slash and burn agriculture of the region.
Adventure:
Hiking: The varied environments (dry tropical, pine, and cloud forests) and extreme topography of Copán´s foothills make for fantastic hiking. One can climb to indigenous Maya communities that have hardly changed for hundreds of years, or hike to hidden Maya stelae, mountaintops with matchless vistas, or discover secret waterfalls rarely visited by outsiders.
Caving: Within an hour of downtown is El Boquerón Cave, reached by a drive, hike, and scramble up boulders to the cave mouth. The hike within the cave is up a subterranean river. This unforgetable adventure is as strenuous as it is unforgettable.
El Rubí Waterfalls: This stunning natural display is reached by a 40 minute hike through a pristine forest located just ten minutes east of downtown. Don´t forget your bathing suit.
Mountain Biking: The local indigenous Maya Chortí people have over the years created an extensive trails system throughout the region. These trails, combined with the dirt roads that crisscross the valley, ensure excellent mountain biking, with a degree of difficulty ranging from novice to extremely technical.
River Tubing: The CopánRiveris Class III in parts, but generally quite navigable by anyone. A tubing trip from Hacienda El Jaral back to town is a half-day trip sure to yield great memories.
Bird Watching:
The Copanvalley is a birding paradise, with over 330 species identified.
Migratory species arrive starting in September, departing in March and April. During this time, a seasoned birder can identify 40 to 50 species in a couple of hours just walking from downtown to the CopanRiver, just a mile away!
The surrounding mountains boast an incredible array of habitats, ranging from tropical rain forests, to pine forests and cloud forests. One particularly interesting habitat favored by birds are the local shade-grown coffee plantations. The Audubon Society and the Smithsonian Institution both characterize shade-grown coffee as ´bird-friendly´ habitat. In fact, such habitat is considered the second-best habitat for birds, second only to untouched virgin tropical forest.
Finca Santa Isabel offers such shade-grown habitat, and is just 30 minutes from Copan. Here birders can pursue their avocation, tour the coffee finca, and enjoy a great cup of the local brew, all on the same trip.
Copán is blessed with several expert bilingual guides, but their services are often booked well in advance. So we strongly urge you contact us early in the planning stages of your trip, so we can reserve your guide.
Horse Back Riding:
Exploring the Copán valley atop a horse has long been a popular mode of travel for visitors.
Popular destinations include rides along the CopánRiver, up to Hacienda San Lucas and the ruins of Los Sapos, east to Las Sepulturas, or north of town to the Macaw Mountain Bird Parkand Nature Reserve.
Further away, Finca El Cisne offers rides in the spectacular mountains to the north of Copán. We can arrange individual rides, or group rides.
Hot Springs:
Agua Caliente, the hot springs to the north of Copán, are popular with locals and visitors alike. You can witness where the hot water flows into the river, and even cross the river to hike up to the source of the thermal waters. Then soak and relax in natural streamside pools.
One memorable option we could arrange is to visit the hot springs at night during the full moon.
Shower and picnic facilities, as well as a snack bar, are available at this pristine, scenic site. Open daily 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Entrance fee Lps. 20 (approximately $1.10).
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