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COPAN |
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 Set in serene, rolling hills 45km from Santa Rosa, COPÁN is one of
the most impressive of all Maya sites. Copán's pre-eminence is not due
to size - in scale it's far less impressive than sites such as Tikal or
Chichén Itzá - but to the overwhelming legacy of artistic craftsmanship
that has survived over hundreds of years. Not surprisingly, the site is
heavily promoted by the Honduran government and tour operators and now
ranks as the second most visited spot in the country after the Bay
Islands.
The Town
The archeological site of Copán lies one kilometre south of the small
town of COPÁN RUINAS , generally simply referred to as Copán, a charming
place of steep cobbled streets and red-tiled roofs set among green hills.
Despite the weekly influx...
The archeological site of Copán lies one kilometre south of the small
town of COPÁN RUINAS , generally simply referred to as Copán, a charming
place of steep cobbled streets and red-tiled roofs set among green hills.
Despite the weekly influx of hundreds of visitors, which now contributes
a large part of the town's income, it has managed to remain largely
unspoilt and genuinely friendly. Many travellers are seduced by Copán's
delightfully relaxed atmosphere, clean air and rural setting, and end up
spending longer here than planned, studying Spanish, eating and drinking
well, or exploring the region's other minor sites, hot springs and
beautiful countryside.
Half a day is enough to take in virtually all the town's attractions.
The Parque Central - lined with banks, municipal structures and an
attractive, whitewashed Baroque-style church - was originally designed
by visiting archeologists Tatiana Proskouriakoff and Gustav Stromsvik,
though its original elegance has been somewhat spoilt by grandiose
remodelling initiatives, including a series of sweeping pillars and
arches, unleashed by a local mayor in the last few years. It does remain
a popular place to kill time however, its benches filled with cowboy-booted
farmhands and camera-touting visitors in the late afternoon. A number of
souvenir shops on or close to the Parque Central sell Honduran ceramics,
wood and leather crafts; all are broadly similar in terms of price and
range. Tabacos y Recuerdos, next to La Posada hotel, has a wide
selection of Honduran cigars.
On the west side of the plaza, and somewhat eclipsed by the new
sculpture museum at the site itself, though still worth a visit, is the
Museo Regional de Arqueología (Mon-Sat 8am-4pm; US$2). Inside are some
impressive Maya carvings from the Copán region, including the glyph-covered
Altars T and U and Stela B , depicting the ruler Waxaklajuun Ub'aah
K'awiil (Eighteen Rabbit), along with some remarkable intricately
detailed eccentric flints - ornamental oddities with seven interlocking
heads carved from obsidian. There are also two remarkable tombs , one
containing the remains of a female shaman, complete with jade jewellery
and the skulls of a puma, deer, and two human sacrificial victims. The
other (10J-45) was constructed for an early Classic period ruler of
Copán and only discovered in 1999 during road-building work.
Archeologists found a vaulted burial chamber, dating from the sixth
century, where the as yet unknown leader was buried with numerous
ceramics and two large carved jade pectoral pieces.
Just behind the museum (turn right beyond the post office), the tiny
municipal market is worth a browse, while there's a wonderful view over
the town and surrounding countryside from El Cuartel , the old military
barracks up the hill five blocks north of the Parque Central.
On the outskirts of town, a twenty-minute walk from the plaza along the
road to Guatemala, is a small butterfly park , Enchanted Wings (daily
8.30am-5pm; US$5), owned by an English enthusiast and his Honduran wife.
Unfortunately, Copán's cool winter nights periodically wipe out some of
the forty or so specimens - many of which are collected from the
steamier tropical environs of the north coast - so you may not find an
abundance of butterflies, though look out for the speckled brown "giant
owl" and the scarlet-and-yellow "helicopter", two of the hardier species.
Butterflies hatch in the morning hours, so if you plan to go to the
centre, it's best to time your visit accordingly if you can. On the
other side of town, 3km north of the plaza, a new bird park with macaws
and toucans is set to open in the near future
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