History and Information about Copan Ruins

The Mayan Ruins in Copan are situated in the western region of Honduras on a small valley near the Guatemalan border in the Department of Copan. The ruins were discovered by Diego Garcia de Palacios, member of the Spanish government with headquarters in Guatemala. In a letter written on March 8, 1576 he said, ‘’Near the road going to San Pedro Sula, in the first town in the Province of Honduras, called Copan, there are some ruins and remains of a great population and superb buildings built with such a skill that it doesn’t seem like they were built by the rough inhabitants of this province’’. The King of Spain gave no importance to this letter because he was more worried about exploiting the rich minerals in the country so several centuries went by without the civilized world knowing about them.

In old archives we can find the first analysis and studies done by the State of Honduras and scientific institutions. These documents are the agreements and contracts for the years 1889, 1891, and 1900 and show the failed attempts to study the ancient culture that once inhabited the Ruins of Copan.

The contracts were between the Government of Honduras and Mr. E.W. Perry first and later with the Peabody Museum. Before them no person or scientific institution had been allowed to explore and study the prehistoric monuments that existed in the country. Unfortunately all the agreements signed between 1879 and 1895 didn’t give the desired results.

According to the National Archive records by January 1935 work started in the ruins by cleaning, repairing, and preserving to later study the most important monuments in the zone of Copan thanks to the cooperation covenant between the Government of Honduras and the Carnegie Institution in Washington.

In September 1939, during Doctor Tiburcio Carias’s government, formal work started on the construction of the Copan Museum, according to the plans made by the engineer Aubrey S. Trick of the Carnegie Institution. The same workers who were repairing and restoring mentioned the necessity to build this construction because there was a great amount of sculptures, fine objects and delicate archaeological jewels that required great car for their preservation. The work was completed in seven months by Mr. Stromsuick and inaugurated on March 15, 1940.

The Copan Ruins County was created on January 1, 1893 and the city category was given under the decree number 56 of February 21, 1942 during Carias’s administration.

By 1939 when Doctor John Stephens arrived in Copan Ruins County he mentioned that the place was a group of huts built on a promontory at the side of Cacesmil Creek. Later on more people settled what is now known as Barrio El Calvario.

The origin of the name Copan derives from the former Hueytlato or Payaqui capital city, from the Mexican Quanhpantli, which later became Capante in Honduras meaning wooden bridge.

Because of its international importance in1980, the Mayan zone of Copan was declared as a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO. In 1982 the government of the Republic of Honduras declared it a National Monument.

In 1987 an idea is presented in Belize to create a group of nations that make up the old Mayan culture so in 1992 the Mayan World is created, with Copan as its backbone. In other words you cannot visit the Mayan World without taking a look at the Science and Cultural Center of the once existing Mayan Empire.

General Information

Copan Ruins is a splendorous place with a large hotel capacity, with paved roads leading to it, with all the necessary amenities to keep you completely communicated and many attractions that make it a pleasant setting. There is no doubt that the most important jewel in Copan are its fabulous Mayan Culture Ruins in the archaeological parks.

It is commonplace to find people from many countries of the world. This city has a BAC Honduras branch where you can use your Visa, Master Card, JCB, Diners Club International, and American Express credit cards to withdraw money or exchange your traveler’s checks. You will also find ATMs.

The area where you find the Mayan Ruins is divided into three zones: 1. Tourism House, built by the Tourism Department and inaugurated on August 18, 1975. 2. The aviation field. 3. The Mayan city itself. The Mayan Ruins in Copan are both beautiful and mysterious. It is beautiful because of its decorative style, imagination, and the representation of the great works of architecture. It is also mysterious because until now modern archaeologists haven’t been able to decipher all the writings in its steles, altars, and monuments.

According to contemporary archaeologists and the Discovery Channel if you compare Copan Ruins with a modern city it could be said that this ancient Mayan City was the Paris of its era. This is because Copan was the Art, Sciences, and Spiritual center. According to Medardo Mejia in his book, History of Honduras, Copan, also known as ‘‘Huey Country or Huehuetlapallan’’, it was the place where the dawn is born as the Aztec priests said. This impressive ruins and the declarations of the Aztec priests show the immense wealth of knowledge that the ancestors had about their environment and surroundings, with which they had and intense cultural and commercial exchange. For instance, Mayan dentists used to fill tooth cavities with jade stones.

Life in Copan Ruins

Life in Copan is totally linked to the touristy activity and in a smaller scale, to agriculture. The weather in Copan is cool, with seasonal variations. The culture of its people is greatly influenced by the Guatemalan lifestyle because it is near the border in Florido, Copan.

There are many restaurants of many cuisines and night life in this small town is active in the Clubs and Bars. You may have a beautiful day in Copan Ruins, with a pleasant rest since it is a very calm town.

In most of the hotels English is spoken as a second language. An ideal place to stay in Copan is the luxurious Marina Copan Hotel, in the downtown area, very close to BAC Honduras. It has the necessary amenities and affordable prices.

From this town you can visit many other places in addition to the Copan and El Puente Archaeological Parks such as the thermal waters, places where you can swim and horseback riding in some of the local farms.

One of the best places to eat in Copan Ruins is the ‘Carnitas Nia Lola’ Restaurant. They’ll treat you like royalty, but we do recommend that you reserve a day before.

How do I get to Copan Ruins?

To get to Copan Ruins you can do it by land using the paved road that starts in San Pedro Sula, a distance of about 118 miles. San Pedro Sula’s Ramon Villeda Morales International Airport receives many international flights. If you wish to come to Copan Ruins we suggest that you get in touch with us so you may learn about our packages that can include a visit to this majestic place or just let us personally prepare a visit to our beautiful country.