Things to do in Copán Ruinas
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Café Welchez
Although it looks like money, the Café Welchez is a relatively affordable place.
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Hacienda El Jaral
The large, rather cheesy Hacienda El Jaral resort-hotel-waterpark-museum-foodcourt-minimall-movie theater (did we miss anything?)is a budget version of Disneyland. The water park has several high tubular slides that wind down to a somewhat dated pool, while the movie theater has one screen showing Hollywood flicks. Both are the only ones of their kind near Copán Ruínas, and the best reason to make the trip (and then only if you are really jonesing for some soft-serve diversion).
The much-hyped Museo de la Vaca, Museum of the Cow, is a glorified gift shop, while the hotel is way overpriced.
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Macaw Mountain Bird Reserve & Nature Park
Set on 4 hectares of tropical forest, Macaw Mountain Bird Reserve & Nature Park has large enclosures with birds ranging from brilliant Buffon’s macaws to manic keel-billed toucans. The ticket price (a bit steep, but good for three days) includes a one-hour guided tour (English and French spoken). There’s also a 20-minute nature loop through an adjacent coffee plantation, a small swimming hole and a cafe. It’s 2.5km north of Copan Ruinas, mostly uphill; a taxi is L$20 per person.
reviewed
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Jim’s Pizza Copán
This thatch-roof restaurant serves some of the best pizza around. Choose from a variety of ingredients – pepperoni, ham, sausage, bell peppers, onion, mushrooms, olives – and it’s baked before your eyes in the open-air kitchen. A steady stream of clients keeps the place going late.
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La Llama del Bosque
From the outside, this place looks forgettable. But eat one meal here and you’re likely to remember it for a long time. The menu is extensive and varied with dishes that are delicious, beautifully presented, abundant and cheap.
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Carnitas Nia Lola
An American bar-and-grill planted firmly on the Honduran mainland, this restaurant feels a bit more upscale than other spots in town and draws an older – we mean ‘more mature’ – crowd.
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ViaVia Café
A hip boho atmosphere with outdoor and indoor seating; the daily specials are the way to go at this place. Each day the chef takes a crack at various world-food dishes and often pulls them off with flair.
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Café San Rafael
This tiny eatery 1½ blocks south of Parque Central sells coffee from the family finca.
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Cabañas
Just a few minutes east of Copán is the cheerful little farming community of Cabañas. Peace Corps volunteers have helped community members organize a day-long rural tour; highlights include hiking or horseback riding through coffee fields and tiny farming communities, visiting traditional houses 'painted' with colored mud, a 25m waterfall, and lunch at a campesino home. Visitors can also stay overnight with a family in Cabañas. There's even a website with hotels and descriptions.
It is vital that you call in advance, so the trip can be organized. Come the afternoon before, stay the night and start the tour early. Doña Magaly Alvarado, who operates the Comedor Calle Re…
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Los Sapos
From Hacienda San Lucas in Copán Ruínas, a pleasant 10-minute walk brings you to Los Sapos, a Maya site purportedly dedicated to women and fertility. Some archaeologists believe it was a place for royal women to conduct fertility ceremonies, or even to give birth. Others say it was simply a place for stone carvers to practice their trade.
In any case, the actual pieces - roughly hewn rocks, one in the shape of a sapo (frog), hence the site's name - are significantly eroded but the hike there, with great views over the valley, is half the fun. The trails to this site are maintained by Hacienda San Lucas, and nonguests are charged for their use.
reviewed
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La Pintada
Located 10 minutes' walk south of Los Sapos Maya site, La Pintada is a picturesque Chortí Maya village known for the production of corn-husk dolls. (You may be swarmed by kids trying to sell them to you.) The town has beautiful views, including of the acropolis at the Copán archaeological site. The name of the town comes from a little-known painted stele nearby. The folks at Hacienda San Lucas can provide a guide to point it out (free, but a tip is expected).
The trails to this site are maintained by Hacienda San Lucas, and nonguests are charged for their use.
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Museo Regional de Arqueología Maya
Although in need of some updating, the 1970s-era Museo Regional de Arqueología Maya gives a good overview of the Maya and their presence in the Valle de Copán. The exhibit contains some excellent pieces: painted pottery, carved jade, Maya glyphs and the original Stela B, portraying King 18 Rabbit. Don’t miss the Tumba de la Bruja, the round tomb of a shamana who was buried with several spectacular offerings, including two human heads (neither of which were hers).
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Churrasqueria Momo’s
A meat-lover’s haven, Momo’s, one block south of Parque Central, serves beef in four basic styles: pincho (kebab), churrasco (Argentinean-style beef), puya so (a choice cut of steak), and parrillada (a sampler, including sausage, beans and tortillas). There are a few chicken, pork, and shrimp dishes, but you might as well go somewhere else for those. Meals are served in an open-air dining area overlooking the Valle de Copán.
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Copán Archaeological Site
Honduras has only one major Mayan ruin, but it's a true gem. A Unesco World Heritage Site since 1980, Copán archaeological site is known for its remarkable stone sculptures, especially the enormous and intricately carved stelae depicting former leaders. The site is not as lofty or grandiose as, say, Tikal or Chichén Itzá, but the artisanship is impressive. The museum is also top-notch.
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Enchanted Wings
Enchanted Wings has a terrific mariposario (butterfly enclosure), bursting with tropical plants and dozens of moths and butterflies flitting about. Come before 11am and you may see new butterflies breaking out of their cocoons (the adults are more active then, too). An attached orquidiario has 150 different species of orchids, all native to Honduras.
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Tunkul Restaurant & Bar
You wouldn't expect it from the outside, but the dining area in this longtime restaurant and bar is quite large and, with a leafy interior courtyard, stone floors and wood tables, downright outdoorsy. (Well, almost.) The food is tasty and the portions large, and there are a number of vegetarian options. Drink specials and a lively crowd make this a good bar, too.
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Crafts Market
Every afternoon, a small sidewalk crafts market sets up just off the Parque Central. You'll see Guatemalan woman sitting side by side with hippyish traveler-jewelers, each loaded down with shell necklaces, bead bracelets, feather earrings - boho wear. There's a fair amount of blah here but browse slowly and you're sure to find a one-of-a-kind piece.
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Ixbalanque Spanish Language School
Probably the best school in town, Ixbalanque offers one-on-one Spanish classes 20 hours per week (L$3990), including a homestay (private room with bathroom, three meals per day and laundry). Volunteer opportunities in elementary schools, medical centers and municipal offices also can be arranged in conjunction with language study.
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Tun Club Restaurant & Bar
You wouldn’t expect it from the outside, but the dining area in this longtime restaurant and bar is quite large and, with a leafy interior courtyard, stone floors and wood tables, downright outdoorsy. (Well, almost.) The food is tasty and the portions large, and the menu includes a number of vegetarian options.
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Basecamp
Inside the ViaVia Café, Basecamp is easily one of the best operations in Honduras. It offers a variety of excursions, from a two-hour walking tour of the ‘real’ Copán village to an all-day hike through the hills and rural communities around Copán.
reviewed
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Tavos
A hacienda-style recreational area by day, Tavos becomes a hopping karaoke bar and discotheque by night. It's an upscale place that gets packed on weekends - the DJ gets the crowd going. Just 300m south of the parque central, it's an easy downhill walk or even easier uphill moto-taxi ride.
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Go Native Tours
The longtime and locally owned Go Native Tours offers hiking, caving and horsebackriding trips around Copán, as well as to Lago de Yojoa and Gracias. Some of the local trips involve and benefit local villagers. The office is in Tun Club Restaurant & Bar.
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Glifo’s
A bit stuffy but still considered one of the classiest places to eat in town, this restaurant in Hotel Marina Copán offers a wide selection of fine international dishes. The Honduran specialties with a traditional Maya twist, however, are the way to go. Service is excellent.
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Vamos a Ver
This cozy little patio restaurant dishes up good food: tasty soups, fruit or vegetable salads, homemade breads, a variety of international cheeses, and lots of teas. Plus, every evening, pretend that you’re back at camp and make your own s’mores over an open fire.
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El Grill
One of the town's most popular restaurants, El Grill is an open-air eatery serving up Honduran and Mexican dishes. Grilled meats are the focus of the menu; on weekends, consider ordering the lechón asado (grilled piglet) for a change of pace.
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