Copan Ruins offers an array of restaurants and a large choice of foods. Please note that when choosing an eating establishment, they may be priced higher than what you are used to paying in Central America, but Copan Ruinas is more or less an island, where everything is brought in by bus, truck or mule. The prices are in fact very reasonable. For your convenience, we have broken up the eating establishments around Copan into two very broad groups: Restaurants, where you will find a full bar service, and a more elegant atmosphere, and Comedores, with more basic installations, a less elaborate menu, a very informal atmosphere and therefore cheaper prices.

Located inside the Hotel Marina, the variety includes pepitos (open faced steak sandwich), plato tipico & sandwiches. Full bar. Moderately priced to expensive. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Groups welcome.

Famous for its giant burritos and baleadas, soups, sandwiches, three types of pasta as well as vegetarian plates. The charcoal grill offers excellent chicken and beef specialties. Open continuously from 7:00a.m. till 10:00 p.m. Full bar, great music collection (over 300 + cassettes). Happy hour for all mixed drinks from 8 to 9 PM daily) Moderate prices. Groups welcome.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Serves beef & seafood, as well as some Uruguayan bocas. Full Bar. Can handle groups of 10 or more. Good beef, great value. Without doubt one of the best steak restaurants in Honduras. Prices are moderate and the value excellent. They offer the most extensive wine selection in Copan Ruinas.

International cuisine, with a specialty in grilled beef and seafood dishes. Also offers typical meals, including soups and broth's. Full bar service. 12 km from Copan Ruinas, just past El Rio. Pleasant setting at El Jaral Resort. Breakfast lunch and dinner.

Specialty in carne asada, (broiled meet) Plate of day. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Pizza, tacos, snacks, chicken plates. Beers and soft drinks. Inexpensive.

Restaurant Las Ruinas.

Located at the prestigious Posada Real de Copan, offers an international menu with full bar service. The well decorated restaurant offers beautiful views of the Copan Valley. Good food and service.

Located on a corner looking into the park and part of the prestigious Marina Copan Hotel, offers simple sandwiches, salads and baked goods, as well as a variety of coffee's. Try the "ticucos" a local tamal with beans that is exquisite. Full bar service. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The second floor also operates as a Cigar Bar, with a selection of the famous Honduran hand made cigars available for the purchase on an individual basis.

Tres Locos.

New York style pizza, great atmosphere and the personal attention. Full bar service and reasonable prices. Located across the street from the Cruz Bueso convenience store, almost across the street from Los Gemelos Hotel.

Elisa's Cafeteria.

Located at the Camino Maya Hotel, this restaurant offers light foods, sandwiches, salads and grilled dishes, and ice cream, all in a comfortable informal cafeteria style setting. Service is available from 6:30 a.m. through 10:00 p.m. daily.

A very hygienic, buffet style establishment located at the visitors center of the Ruins. Daily specials with buffet food as well as sandwiches and burgers. Soft drinks, beer and frescos. Probably your best option for lunch if you plan on visiting the ruins and the museum on the same day. Also a good option for breakfast. Open daily from 7:30 a.m. till 4:00 p.m.

Cafe Cinema Vamos a Ver.

An interesting combination of a European Cafe-Bar with a cinema room, this new informal hang out is owned and run by a Dutch couple and features fresh home made baked bread daily, Dutch cheese, great sandwiches and strong European style coffee. Daily specials include a veggie plate or a regular meal with meat. Cinema showed nightly at 7:00 p.m. for a one dollar fee.

Tipicos El Rancho.

Located on a privileged hilltop, always fresh. Informal, champa style construction. Typical Honduran dishes, such as carne asada, chicken, pupusas, etc. Also serves hamburgers. Fresh fruit juices. No alcoholic beverages served. Very pleasant atmosphere.

An informal restaurant bar that is popular with the locals. Nice view overlooking part of the Copan River and Valley. Typical dishes, beer and full bar. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

La Flor del Café

A family style restaurant in Copan Ruinas. Great family atmosphere, open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Salads, grilled dishes, taco shells and the best fresh fruit frescos in town. Children's menu. Good local Honduran dishes. One of your best options for vegetarian food. Open from 7:00 a.m. till 10:00 p.m.

Located in front of the entrance to the ruins. Lunch only till 4:00. Beer and soft drinks, Plate of the day. Inexpensive.

Inexpensive. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Chicken & beef dishes, tacos. Plate of day. Beer, soft drinks.

Esperanza's Empanadas.

Located just next to the bridge, at the entrance to town. Best empanadas (stuffed tortillas). Very inexpensive. Although it might not look very clean, I've eaten there dozens of times and never gotten sick. Best tipico breakfast in town. Also good lunch.

Happy hour 8 - 9:00 every night on all mixed cocktails. Exotic drinks, tape collection of 20 years +. Serves food till 10:00 P.M., drinks till 12:00, sometimes later.

Located in the Marina Hotel. Marimba music Friday and Saturday from 5:00 to 8:00 P.M. Exotic drinks. Open daily till 9:30 P.M.

Located at the new Posada Real de Copan Hotel. Full service bar in a very cozy atmosphere. Giant TV screen with ESPN and other English TV channel's.

A new establishment located a couple of blocks frm the main square. Rock music, an interesting mix of local and European flair and a good mix of tourists and locals have made this bar one of the happening spots in town. Open from 5:00 p.m. till midnight. Happy hour from 5 till 7 p.m. Closed on Sunday.

Most restaurants are closed by 10:00 p.m. If you find yourself hungry after that hour, your choices are quite limited - best bets are:

Only opens at night. Fried chicken plates, great baleadas, empanadas, tacos, beer and soft drinks. Sometimes open till around 1:30.

Tacos, a local's hang out. Beer & soft drinks available. Open sometimes until 2:00 am.

This magnificent park, located in the Copan Valley, has been a major source of information regarding the ancient Maya civilization. Copan has always been referred to as the most artistically advanced and elaborate of all the Maya cities. Copan was declared a heritage of humanity site in 1980 by UNESCO, and continuous study of the city by archaeologists for over a century make it the most studied city of the Maya.

Although the park itself is enclosed, the legacy of the Maya can be found throughout the valley. The principal attractions are the main park, "Las Sepulturas", "Los Sapos" , the stelae surrounding the valley and the two museums: the Museum or Archaeology, located in the town and the Museum of Maya Sculpture, located within the Visitors Center area of the Park.

Entrance fee is now the equivalent to $10.00 US Dollars and includes a visit to the main park as well as the Sepulturas Archaeological site. The fee for the new Museum of Mayan Sculpture is $5.00 US Dollars or its equivalent. The Museum is without question a new major attraction to the park. Finally, the Museum of Archaeology, located downtown has an entrance fee of $2.00 US Dollars.

The Ball Court, considered the social center of the city. This park is by far the most artistic ball court in Meso-America. Unique to it are the markers on the side walls, resembling macaw heads. The final work done on this ball court goes back to the days of ruler 18 Rabbit.

The Great Plaza. Famous for its stelae and altars that are scattered around this immense plaza. Most of the stelaes that are standing today were erected during the times of the 13th ruler, known as 18 Rabbit between the years 711 and 736. Many of the altars have a zoomorphic form.

The Hieroglyphic Stairway. This unique temple holds the longest known text left to us by the ancient Maya civilization. It was erected by ruler number 15, known as Smoke-Shell and is believed to be a lineage tree, recording the ascension and death of all Copan rulers from Yax-Kuk-Mo to Smoke-Shell. The 5 portraits located in the stairway represent five successors to the dynasty. Unfortunately, the glyphs can not be read because the steps had all fallen out of place. Archaeologists rebuilt the temple, but had no way of knowing where each piece belonged. Today, this magnificent temple has an enormous tarp covering it to protect the steps from further erosion, which has unfortunately already damaged a great part of the glyphs.

The Acropolis. The acropolis is divided in two big plazas: the west court and the east court. The west court houses temple 11 and temple 16 with the unique altar Q set at its base. Temple 11 was built during the reign of Yax-Pac, and is his most significant architectural contribution to Copan. This very elaborate temple was meant to be his portal to the other world. Altar Q has now been completely "read" and depicts each (16) of the members of the Copan Dynasty, including Yax-Pac, seated on their own glyph. In it, the founder of the dynasty Yax-Kuk-Mo is passing the scepter of power directly to Yax-Pac.

Temple 16 is set between the east and the west court, and in its last stage, was finished by Yax-Pac. One unique aspect of this building is that for some reason, the previous standing temple was not defaced or "deactivated or terminated" but instead, a big effort to build on top of it without damaging it was made. This old temple, is known today as the "Rosa Lila Temple, or Temple of the Sun" and its discovery has helped archaeologists understand how Copan actually looked in its days of glory. The fine stucco masks of this building retain their original colors, and a replica of this temple is being made at the new museum of sculpture.

"Las Sepulturas" archaeological site forms part of the "PAC" (Proyecto Arqueológico Copán) and is located one mile from the central acropolis. This small site has been most important in understanding how the Mayan elite lived during the days before the collapse of Copan.

Probably the most asked question by tourists visiting a site like Copan is: where did the population live? A good part of the answer to that question can be found at "Las Sepulturas". In addition, you will enjoy walking through its trails, listening to the birds and wildlife, and being surrounded by the peacefulness of the area. There are no guides on site, so if you wish a guided tour, which is highly recommended, be sure you hire one at the visitors center at the entrance to the main Copan park.

Commonly referred to as the "birthing place", "Los Sapos" is a very small site located on the hilltops overlooking the Copan valley. Studies suggest that this is an area where the ancient copanecan Maya women would go to give birth to their offspring. It is easily accessible via horse back riding. You can arrange for a "guide", usually a young boy from town to lead you there. You can also walk up to the area. Probably your best option is to hire a horse and a guide with one of the local tour operators in town, such as Xukpi Tours, Go Native Tours or MC Tours. Another good alternative is to stop by the Hotel Yaragua, located half a block from downtown, where you can arrange for a tour. The ride from town will take you about 45 minutes each way. "Los Sapos" is interesting in the fact that the stones sculptured there are "in situ". In addition, the view of the Copan valley, the town and the main acropolis is well worth the walk!

Although most of the Mayan "tree stones" or stelae's are located in the main plaza, there are a series of stelae's that are located throughout the valley in strategic locations. Some of these are very easily accessible, while others require an effort to get to. All of them were erected by Butz Hunab K'awil, more commonly known as Smoke Imix-God K as part of an effort to demonstrate the power of the Maya kings, the power of creation, inherited directly from the Gods that founded the order of the present world. Through them, he made the entire Copan valley his personal portal to the other world.

This small museum is located right on the main square of the colonial town of Copan. It houses a very complete selection of artifacts found in the site. Among the exhibits is a burial ground of a scribe, and complete original sculptured bench of the house excavated at "Las Sepulturas". The museum is well worth a visit. Open daily except Sundays from 8:00 am to 12:00pm and 1:00pm to 4:00pm. Entrance fee is $2.00US dollars per person, and your ticket may be purchased at the Museum.

This massive museum is without doubt one of the highlights of your visit to Copan. Located adjacent to the visitors center and the ecological reserve area next to the park, the museum houses a series of original pieces of sculpture that have been recovered within the Copan Archaeological site. The masterpiece is the real size replica of the Rosa Lila temple, discovered intact under structure 16 in the acropolis. This replica will give the visitor a very clear idea of how the temples where decorated with stucco and paint during the peak of the Mayan culture, over 1000 years ago! In addition, a series of temples with fine sculpture have been reconstructed here. Perhaps the most outstanding is the facade of the Ball Court, which is completely original. The archaeological bench, originally from the Sepulturas site is also one of the most distinguished masterpieces. After exiting the museum, you can take the option of following the nature trail that is open and takes you through the dense jungle behind the ruins. The hike is a short 25 minute walk and is completely flat, making it easily accessible to most people. You will end at one of the ball courts within the park, from here, follow the trail to the left of the mounds and you will return to the entrance gate to the park. The entrance fee to the museum is $5.00 USA dollars.

Located near the town of La Entrada, (the detour is a short 4km before this town) this site is the second most important archaeological park in Honduras. The detour is marked by a sign on the road. There is a distance of 7 km between the road and the site itself. The area is perfectly safe to hike in, however, you can arrange for a pick up to take you to the visitors center. "El Puente "has only been opened to the public since January 1994, making it a site well off the usual path of tourists. The visitors center is equipped to provide the day visitor with information and basic services, such as rest rooms, a small restaurant, etc. The road has just been paved and the museum is now on the premises. It is a wothwhile visit.

Just 9 km from Copan lies the small town of Santa Rita, a lovely colonial Honduran town, with cobblestoned streets, red tiled roofs, and many friendly people. It is located on the Copan River, where the Gila River and the "quebrada Cashapa" merge, making it a town with plenty of water. The main activities for the town are agriculture, with tobacco, and coffee being the most important products.

Upstream, is a lovely romantic secluded waterfall, located about 45 minutes up the mountain. The waterfall and a big boulder located close by are known by the locals as "El Ruby" Following a trail further up the river, you will come to a unique small rock canon, with small waterfalls amidst very interesting rock formations created by the waters erosion. A return can be made via a small countryside community, with stunning views of Santa Rita and the valley it is located in. This tour will take approximately 4 hours, and is very worth while for anyone looking to see some of the lovely countryside of Honduras. Although hiking is one of the assets of this trip, it is not very strenuous, and anyone with good health can enjoy it. It is advisable to bring along shoes that you can use to walk in the river, as there will be stretches where you must get wet. Also bring a swimsuit along. This adventure can easily be one of the highlights of your trip.

Just 20km from Copan, lies a private reserve that holds over 20 acres of undisturbed tropical forest, natural to this part of Honduras. Plenty of birds, an immense amount of vegetation, trees towering over 150 feet above the ground, the humid atmosphere of a tropical rainforest, with its small rivers and the exotic sounds of jungle have their home within this reserve.

Plenty of trails will give the nature lovers access to this lovely area. Local guides will tour you through the trails, point out the most significant species of trees and flowers, birds and seeds. There are 6 families of howling monkeys that inhabit the reserve. With luck, you will be able to hear them, or even better, you may even see them!

A good pair of hiking shoes, and long pants are recommended for this tour. You can bring a bathing suit to jump into one of the rivers at the end of the tour to refresh yourself after the long hike. A word of caution: the tour involves fairly strenuous hiking, for a good three hours, therefore, you must be in good health for this tour.

An activity that has long been popular with the locals, tubing down the Copan River is a fun way of spending a refreshing afternoon, while seeing some of the local birds species, as well as the every day life of people that live next to the river. There are several different stretches of river that are fun and safe. These vary according to the season. Make sure that you get a good guide before you set out on this adventure!

One of the best ways to get around the town, visit "Los Sapos", "Las Sepulturas "or even stelae 12 is by horseback. There are several outfits in town that will rent you horses, most of them are young boys looking to make a living and can take you to any of the previously mentioned places. For tours to special places, such as the stelaes located around the valley, check with any of the three tour operators in town: Go Native Tours, MC Tours or Xukpi tours, another altenative is to speak with the people at the Hotel Yaragua, where they will offer horse tours around Copan. They all can arrange for guides and horses to make your trip worthwhile. For the horse lovers, the Hacienda El Jaral, located only 12 km from town, just past Santa Rita has some excellent quality horses and some good tours into the forested areas surrounding the hotel.

Bird watching

Within the Municipality of Copan Ruinas there are many varied habitats, such as pine forests, cloud forests, tropical rain forests and secondary growth forests. Jorge Barraza, a local guide who has been bird watching for the last 6 years, has sighted over 230 species of birds in the area. Many of these are migratory birds, who start arriving in the area as early as September and leave as late as April, making the time between these months as the most exciting for bird watching. Xukpi Tours (Jorge Barraza) and Go Native tour offer tours in the area and have guides that are familiar with the different species of birds to be seen in the area. The lagoon at the Hacienda El Jaral Resort is home during the months of October to May to as many as three thousand cattle egrets, who fly in flocks to the lagoon every afternoon between 5 and 6 PM. It is a spectacle worth watching!

Perhaps one of the highest quality locally manufactured items to be found are fine leather goods. Danilo's, one of the better manufacturers of leather articles with a factory at San Pedro Sula has a good distribution system with ample products within Copan.

Danilo's leather products can be found at the Guacamaya souvenir shop, located at the lobby of the Hotel Marina Copan, as well as at the Souvenir shop at the Posada Real de Copan hotel.

In Copan you can find the fine Honduran cigars at four different shops, the first, and usually the one with the best selection is the Tabacos y Recuerdos souvenir shop located at the lobby of the Hotel La Posada. In addition, you can find a selection at the Yax Pac souvenir shop, located across the street from the bank, on the main square, as well as the Souvenir Copan, located adjacent to the bank, finally, just below the Banco de Occidente is a new cigar shop, called Celaque.

There are several places where you can find an ample selection of T-shirts in Copan, and even though these are not a typical Honduran handicraft, they are one of the most sought out souvenirs by tourists. The most ample selection of T-shirts is to be found at the "Honduras es Amor" souvenir shop located within the visitor’s center at the entrance to the Ruins. Other good spots to look for this item are the Guacamaya souvenir shop, located at the lobby of the Hotel Marina Copan, The Tabacos y Recuerdos shop, the Sacnicte Souvenir located on the other side of the Banco Atlantida office on the park, and the Copan Galel souvenir shop located almost adjacent to the Hotel Los Gemelos and just next to the Cruz Bueso shop, located half a block from the corner where the Hotel Honduras is on the exit towards the ruins. Although they do not have the largest selection, the best prices for t-shirts are to be found at Bazar Nena, located across the street from the mail office.

Wood handicrafts.

Many of these fine items are hand made in Valle de Angeles, a quaint and pleasant town near Tegucigalpa. Without doubt these are pieces of art. You can find the best selection at the Yax Pac souvenir shop; a good second place is the Honduras es Amor souvenir shop at the visitor’s center at the ruins.

Produced in the nearby department of Santa Barbara, these hats and baskets are decorated with colorful designs and make for great souvenirs, as they are easily packed into your bag, are unbreakable, light weight and truly beautiful. The best selection of these handicrafts can be found Copan Souvenir, located next to the bank and at the Honduras es Amor shop at the visitors center, the Tabacos y Recuerdos at the Hotel La Posada, the Guacamaya souvenir shop at the Hotel Marina Copan and at Mahchi art gallery. The Instituto Hondureño de Antropología, who administers the Copan Archaeological Park has a shop within the visitors center premises, They offer a good selection of baskets and weaved articles.Guatemalan Textiles

Guatemalan goods can be found at several places in town. Mahchi art gallery, Guacamaya Souvenir, Sacnicte and Comercial Cruz Bueso souvenir shop are good alternatives. On occasions a native Guatemalan sets up her goods at one of the corners of the main square.

Jade was the most precious stone of the Maya culture. It can be found in all the Mayan World, from Palenque to Copan. You can buy jade articles that have been made following the inspiration of the lovely Mayan pieces that have been found by archaeologists. Jade can be purchased at the Guacamaya Souvenir, as well as Copan Souvenir. Most of the jade items you will find come from the Motagua Valley jade mines, where the ancient Maya obtained their jade, and is hand crafted in Guatemala.

Ceramics from the different cultures and regions of Honduras can be purchased in Copan. In town, the most extensive selection of these can be found at the Yaxkin 1 & 2 ceramic stores, however, the souvenir shop at the visitors center in the Copan Archaeological Park offers very interesting pieces from throughout the country. You will appreciate the sometimes simple and sometimes elaborate art that goes into these Honduran handicrafts.