Copan Ruines

Copa ruinas is an archaeological site of the ancient city Copan. Centuries ago about 20.000 people would live here and the city was in important town for the Maya culture. Suddenly it was abandoned, not sure why and is still a mystery. Research only suggest it might be abandoned after becoming unstable.

Now it is an important UNESCO site since 1980. Although it has to fight the famous Chitin Itca in Mexico and Tikal in Guatamala, Copan has the most statues and hieroglyphs. Those are still intact and you can really see the story of the Maya’s here.

For me this was a good reason to visit Copan in Honduras. I stayed one night in Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras. This city is one to be missed, it is dangerous.
A short night and one long bus ride took me to La Ceiba. A really nice jungle!

Via San Pedro Sula I traveled to Copan ruins, which was easy with Hedman alas bus company.

To visit the ruins you can get with a motor taxi or just walk the 1 km to the entrance. You’ll have to pay 15 dollars entrance fee. Make sure you will go early, it will be opened at 8AM You can avoid the heat of the day and the big tour groups arriving later that day. It is easy to walk around yourself and explore the site. But if you want more information you can join in a tour group and pay extra for this guided tour.

A lot of buildings and statues are under construction or renovation. Some parts are covered to protect from the nature.

I really loved the hieroglyphs and the big maya tempels. These you could climb and just soak the views but also remind yourself that they build these with their bare hands. How amazing is that?

Copan and bird park

The modern town Copan, where you can stay is a relaxed place. There are loads of hostels and hotels to choose from and there are many restaurants around.

From here you can take a taxi to the bird park. A small park with a good number of different birds. With a few hours to spare, this is a good choice to see something nice. The park itself has a good setup and great explanation of the birds.