The Town
The archeological site of Copan lies one kilometre south of the small town of COPAN RUINAS , generally simply referred to as Copan, 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 Copan'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 Arqueologia (Mon-Sat 8am-4pm; US$2). Inside are some impressive Maya carvings from the Copan 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 Copan 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, Copan'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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