GETTING TO COPÁN RUINAS

From San Pedro Sula:

Should you arrive by plane, you can take an Uber from the airport to the bus terminal (~7USD). From here, you can board several buses a day that depart for Copán Ruinas (the last one at 4pm). As far as safety is concerned, I did not face any issues and according to my Uber driver things have gotten much better in recent years. He explained that many of the terrifying stories you may find across the internet are probably articles that were written decades ago. Still, always make sure you check the current situation before traveling and apply the common safety precautions like you would anywhere else in Latin America.

From Guatemala:

Many visitors come from nearby Guatemala for a day trip and there are several tours being offered both from Guatemala City and Antigua.

If you are on a budget or want to spend more time at the ruins or in the rest of Honduras, you can also reach Copán by bus. In order to do so, take any bus to Chiquimula and from there you may be able to catch another one directly to the Honduran border (El Florido). Otherwise, you will have to head to Jocotán first and then change buses there to get to the El Florido border post.

From El Salvador:

While it is possible to get to Copán via the Honduran town of Octopeque (without having to pass through Guatemala), this is not the recommended option as it tends to take longer due to the road conditions and mountainous terrain.

The fastest way is to take a bus from Metapán to the Guatemalan border (Anguiatu) and, once on the the Guatemalan side, take another one to Quetzaltepeque. From here you can take another one to Jocotán or ideally straight to the Honduran border town El Florido. From here you can take a minivan right to Copán Ruinas.

This route currently involves a few stops and two border crossings with its respective formalities, but can be done in approximately 6 hours (from Santa Ana in El Salvador to Copán Ruinas). Make sure you have cash on hand. Any leftover currencies can be easily exchanged at the border. The total cost for this trip was only approximately 8 USD.

Note that private transfers are sometimes available, however those only make sense if several people are traveling since the cost is approximately 200 USD (per car). On the day I was traveling, I was the only one and decided to go by bus.

EXPLORING THE MYSTIC COPÁN RUINS

From the Copán Ruinas village you can easily walk to the archeological park (approximately 15 min) or just take one of the many tuk tuks. The entrance fee for foreigners is about 15 USD. Add 10 USD if you would like to visit the tunnels under the pyramides and/or 10 USD for the museum.

The opening hours are from 8am to 4pm and the ticket is valid for the whole day. I recommend visiting either in the early morning or in the late afternoon. This way you may avoid some of the day trippers and can also take advantage of cooler temperatures. When I visited, I went twice and had the ruins basically to myself.

The site may not be as big as Tikal in Guatemala but is definitely one of the most mystical places I have visited so far. Many of the pyramids have not been fully excavated yet and the noticeably fewer crowds along with the lush trees and roots on and around the structures make this trip a once in a lifetime experience.

The ruins consist of several structural groups that are arranged around plazas and courtyards. There are numerous altars throughout the site and I particularly liked the carvings of the figures and stelae that were made with so much detail.

Adding to the scenery are the colorful big parrots (scarlet macaws) that can be seen in the treetops around and also on some of the ruins.

If you like to learn more about the history behind the Copán Ruins, I recommend you visit the museum which explains in more detail the structures you have seen or are about to discover. Alternatively, you can also hire a guide. Should you skip the museum, I recommend you familiarize yourself with some of the highlights beforehand since you will only be given a very basic map along with your entrance ticket.

There is a kilometer-long nature trail worth taking a brief stroll just before the entrance to the actual ruins.

Be sure to not miss taking a look at the following structures:

• Stela P or Smoke Snake

• Altar Q

• Plaza de Jaguares: sculptures of dancing jaguars

• The Hieroglyphic Stairway on Great Plaza

• The Ball Court