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Located in the north-west of Honduras’ mainland, Copan is one of the cutest towns we’ve been to. It has an old-school Central American vibe with its colorful homes and its laid-back atmosphere. As small as it is, it’s home to some of the most impressive Mayan Ruins in the world, the Ruins of Copan.

If you’re looking for things to do in Copan Ruinas, or even the best things to do in Honduras, get ready, because we have a great mix of fun and relaxing things to satisfy every type of traveler. Here are our favorite 10 things to do in Copan!

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Top 10 things to do in Copan, Honduras

If you want to comfortably see the best places to visit in Copan, we recommend spending a good three days here. However, if time is not an issue, you can stay a few days longer to fully enjoy everything the city has to offer and to relax a bit more. For such a small city, there are quite a few things to do in Copan Ruinas. Here are our top 10 favorite ones!

1. Explore the Copan Ruinas

Let’s not kid ourselves here. You probably only came to Copan to see these Mayan Ruins. The good news is, they won’t disappoint. The Ruins of Copan are some of the coolest ruins we’ve seen in a while.

The cost to get in the Ruins of Copan is $15 USD per person, giving you access to the Ruins and the Sepulturas. You’ll have 2 days to visit them with this ticket. At the main ticket office, you can also buy your entrance into the digital museum, the tunnels or the archaeological museum.

At the entrance, you’ll find a ton of guides vying for your business. The cost of a guide is $30 USD for 2-5 people. Expect a higher price for larger groups.

How to get to the Copan Ruins

Getting to the Ruins of Copan is quite easy. Either you can pay a $2 USD tuk-tuk ride, or simply walk there from your accommodations. It should take you about 10 minutes if you are near the center of town.

Your best bet is to go there early in the morning, not to avoid crowds (the masses have yet to discover the beauty of Honduras), but mainly to avoid the hot sun!

You’ll probably need a good 2-3 hours to explore the grounds of the Copan Ruins and take all your pics.

2. Relax at the Luna Jaguar spa

If you’re looking to spend a quiet afternoon getting pampered in the middle of nowhere, the Luna Jaguar Spa is the perfect place for you. It’s one of the best places in Honduras to rest and get pampered!

Nestled in the mountains, about 45-minutes outside Copan, this spa is a little natural getaway. Spend your time in one of the many thermal baths, that range from scolding hot to a temperate cool.

This afternoon trip will cost you $22 USD, but it includes transport to and from the spa, as well as access to the baths. Once there, you can get a massage as well, at a cost of course.

For those looking to take the retreat a little further, you can stay at the Luna Jaguar Spa, in one of their tents or little treehouses. There’s also a cafe/restaurant on-site where you can grab a little snack or a meal if you get hungry after all this pampering.

3. Enjoy the Tea and Chocolate Place, for a more sustainable Copan

This sustainable business knew how to get to our hearts… through delicious chocolate! And tea… but mainly chocolate! This is the perfect place to spend an afternoon, mainly because it’s only open from 4 to 6 pm, every day except Sundays when they are closed.

It’s hard to categorize the Tea & Chocolate Place. It’s not a traditional cafe or restaurant, but a cover to teach people about the effects we have on the environment while educating them about sustainable ways of growing and harvesting cacao. Cacao production has been deeply impacted by climate change as it requires special water and temperature conditions to thrive. This is one of the best places in Honduras… and for eco-friendly folks like us, you can understand why!

From the terrace of the Tea and Chocolate place, you can enjoy the view and a delicious meal and drink, but be sure to take note of the grave realities facing the Honduran world, such as soil degradation and erosion. You can also sample everything in their shop, from delicious chocolate to mole dips and everything in between, and they will never pressure you to buy a single thing!

The Tea & Chocolate Place is a really unique experience and a must for all who visit Copán. For the local communities, it represents a bridge between the past and a better future. If you’re looking for unique, local and handmade gifts to bring back home, you’ll love their shop, where they sell a variety of tea, chocolate, and other edible treats. The best thing of all is that their ingredients are all sustainably grown without artificial fertilizers or pesticides.

4. Hike with Basecamp adventure tours

This hike might have been the highlight of our Copan trip, and one of the best things to do in Honduras! We met with Heraldo, the man behind the ViaVia hotel and restaurant in the city. He also offers various hikes around the city that are both fun and educational.

We opted for the alternative hike that shows you a different side of Copan. A side most tourists don’t know about, or even care to see… but we’re not most tourists.

Heraldo took us around the farmlands of the city, where a few abandoned drug hideouts are. These homes are now inhabited by families who live well below the poverty line. They live without water and electricity. He spoke to us about the reality of most Hondurans, their lives, and how the drug trade has impacted them. We spoke about our global society, the environment, the past, and the future.

The few hours we spent with Heraldo were interesting, and on top of it, we got some pretty epic views of Copan and the surrounding mountains. If you’re looking for an interesting morning to spend around the city, we highly recommend this hike!

Via Via offers different types of tours, so talk to the staff at the hotel/restaurant to see what would be best for you. If you want, there are also a ton of coffee tours available in Copan that you can check out.

5. Discover the birds at Macaw Mountain

Macaw Mountain is a real gem! And we don’t even love birds that much… truth be told, Carine is scared of them! But we had to come to Macaw Mountain because the work they do and the lives they save are much more important.

Macaw Mountain is a bird rescue, rehabilitation and release center that has been operating since 2001. They work with all sorts of tropical birds, but mainly macaws as they are the national bird of Honduras, and held real importance in Mayan tradition.

Macaw Mountain is located on ten acres of forested terrain in a stream-fed valley, just outside of Copan. It takes about ten minutes to get there by tuk-tuk. They are a multifaceted eco-tourism project. They not only work with birds, but they have also taken in many injured dogs and have planted tons of different trees and plants to create a prosperous land for the creatures there.

The best thing is that you can see the birds that have been released back into the wild after rehabilitation when you go to the Copan Ruins. You may spot some around the city too, but these shy creatures prefer soaring freely in the sky, around more forested areas.

An added bonus is that on hot days, you can cool off in the river that passes through, with a nice little pool area.

6. Central Park, the heart of Copan

One of our favorite things to do in Copan was hanging out at Central Park. This beautiful park is the heart of the city. At all hours of the day, you can see locals walking around, selling fruits and other goods, sitting and people-watching. And that’s what made this place so awesome. You get a great sense of everything that was going on in the city, just by being in the Park.

Around the park, you’ll find the Mayan museum, the digital museum, and some Mayan statues. Although the park isn’t that big, it’s the perfect place to sit down, catch your breath, and watch the city come to life.

7. Walk around the city of Copan

Lined with colorful homes, surrounded by mountains, Copan is a beautiful place to walk around. Forget checking maps, the city is too small for you to get lost. But walking around is the best way to connect to this quaint place. You can walk into the many shops, check out the nightly market they set-up and just take in the sights and sounds of the city.

8. Check out the museums in Copan Ruinas

It’s surprising that there are so many museums to check out in such a small city, but if you want to get out of the heat and discover more about the Mayan culture, check out the museums in Copan:

• The museum of Mayan sculptures: This is Copan’s largest museum. It’s in the area next to the entrance to the Copan Ruinas. The museum’s collection is quite impressive, it has a replica of the Rosa Lila temple, several original pieces from the Ruins, as well as the restored façade of the ball court. Entrance to the Museum is an additional $5 USD per person and is well worth it!
• The digital museum: The newest museum, this one opened its doors in December 2015. It’s one of two Copan museums that are around Central Park. You get a three-dimensional concept of the park and compares it with other cities in the area. It’s super interesting, and the entrance is worth $3 USD per person. It’s open every day from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m, and you can catch their virtual tour daily at 10 am and 3 pm.

• The archeological museum: This museum is impossible to miss! It’s right in the middle of town, next to the city hall. It’s open daily from 9 am until 9 pm. The entrance fee is only $2 USD. You can visit this museum in the afternoon after visiting the main park. There are interesting displays of small artifacts, such as pottery and the interesting “eccentric” pieces that are quite unique to Copan.

9. Relax at the Mariposario

There are certain days where the heat in Copan is just too much to handle. That’s when you get happy to discover places like the Mayan hills resort. Located just outside the center of town, this hotel has a butterfly farm and a pool you can get access to without staying at the hotel.

The entrance to the pool is $8 USD per person and includes a meal. The entrance to the butterfly farm is $4 USD. It’s a perfect way to spend an afternoon.

10. Eat delicious food in Copan

The amazing thing about Honduras is that the basic meals are all vegetarian, so finding delicious, nutritious local meals is quite easy. Although they do introduce a lot of meat in their plates too, you don’t need to search too hard for a good meal. Here are the restaurants that we loved in Copan:

Buena baleada: This is a local favorite! At any point during the day, you will find tons of people here, chatting up with the owners or amongst themselves. The wait may sometimes be long, but the food is well worth it. For $2 USD a baleada, you can’t go wrong. These tortillas, stuffed with refried beans, cream, cheese and the filling of your choice are a national favorite. We loved putting plantains and eggs with tomatoes in ours. Buen provecho!

ViaVia restaurant: We came to this restaurant more times than we care to count! The Viavia restaurant is one of the few in Copan that serves delicious international cuisine. And because we can’t have baleadas for every meal, this was a good break. We loved their typical vegetarian plate, the Thai curry, the veggie burger… and so much more. Seriously, you can’t go wrong here!

The tea and chocolate place: Although this isn’t really a restaurant, we loved heading up there and having a few treats. Their teas, kombucha, and brownies were seriously delicious! Plus, you can’t really beat the view from the terrasse.

Pupuseria: A pupusa technically originates from El Salvador, but they definitely do them right in Honduras too! A pupusa is a yummy cornmeal flatbread stuffed with cheese, beans, squash, and usually with some kind of meat, usually pork rinds, known as chicharrón.

The best time to visit Copan

The best time to visit Copan is during the winter months, from November to March. Expect temperatures to be cooler and more pleasant. Just beware of the Easter week, or la Semana Santa, as most locals will be on holiday and keen to visit the local sites. Summer in Copan is also very nice, with warm days and cool evenings.

Although tourism is not yet that big in Honduras or Copan, if you want to avoid the little crowds that do come here, the off-season, which is basically the rainy season is from May to June, and September to October. Expect the heaviest rainfall from May to July. Though it will probably not rain every day. Instead, expect heavy showers that will last a few hours, mainly in the afternoon.

How to get to Copan

The best way to get to Copan is to take a bus from San Pedro Sula. Just make sure you get an express ride. If not, the 4-hour route might take you a lot longer than you want it to. Those express buses are the best way to get around Honduras, anyway.

If not, we met quite a few travelers that came in from Guatemala. There are plenty of tours or shuttles that will bring you across the border.

How to get around Copan

Copan is quite small, so you don’t even need to worry about navigating around the town. It’s a very walkable city despite some streets that are crazy steep. Just leave your heels at home ladies, because the cobblestone will give you quite a challenge!

Copan is also extremely safe. We had no problems walking around at all hours of the day or night. Although there aren’t a ton of things to do around at night, most people will be hanging around Central Park.

If you’re going around by tuk-tuk, anywhere around town should cost you about 10 lempiras per person, but expect to pay 20 lempiras for further sights, like the Ruins, Macaw Mountain or the Mariposario.

Where to stay in Copan

Copan has a variety of hotels and hostels to choose from, and for every price range. You can find private rooms with bathrooms for between $10 – $30 USD a night, less if you opt for a dorm room. We ended up paying $20 USD for a private room with a bathroom in a small family-run hotel. They provided a hearty breakfast every morning and had fresh drinking water available at all times.

Festivals and Holidays in Copan

Although a festival is an awesome thing to do while in Honduras, these events may disrupt typical business hours, cause canceled bus routes or even road closures.

• Semana Santa: This week-long celebration is never on the same dates. Usually held between March or April, it depends on when Easter falls that year. Located 2 hours away from Copan, Santa Rosa de Copan is one of the best places to celebrate it.
• Day of the Americas: A holiday held every April 14. Honduras celebrates this Day as a way of showing how proud they are to be a part of the American Continent. This is a festivity celebrated all over the country but some people have distinct approaches to celebrate this holiday. This day is not celebrated as a national holiday and offices remain open.
• Labour Day: This holiday is on May 1st. Expect schools to be closed, and most places to be closed as well.
• Independence Day: Celebrated on September 15, like in most of the other Central American countries. You’ll see colorful parades and tons of food stands on the streets.

How long to stay in Copan

We ended up staying five days in Copan. It was the perfect pace to discover everything, get settled into the country and chill around. It’s all you need to see all the sights and catch all the things to do here. If you’re short on time, three full days are perfect. You’ll still have enough time for all the best things to do in Copan.

How to be eco-friendly in Copan

As always, we want to be sure everyone travels in the most eco-friendly way possible! That’s why we want to share these few little tips with you to make your stay in Copan Ruinas (and Honduras) as eco-friendly and sustainable as possible.

1. Bring reusable water bottles and coffee mug: Tap water in Copan, and in Honduras, isn’t safe to drink. So make sure you bring a filtering water bottle that you can fill up (we always have our Lifestraw Go with us!) And if you love to drink coffee, make sure you bring your reusable coffee mug too! You are in one of the best coffee-producing countries, after all!
2. Eat as local and vegan as you can: This is the easiest way to reduce your environmental footprint. Eat as much local produce and food as possible, and especially, eat all the vegan options you can! It’s a delicious and easy way to reduce your carbon footprint.
3. Bring your own bags and refuse plastic bags: Like most places, they still offer plastic bags in grocery stores, at the local markets, and at various shops. So bring your own bag and do your little step to save our beautiful planet!
4. Walk around: We walked all around Copan and had a great time getting lost in its streets. It helped that our hotel was so centrally located, just steps from Central Park. If walking is not your thing, you can grab a tuk-tuk. Within the city, it should only cost you about $2 USD.

Is there anything about Copan you’re still curious about? What would you love to check out here? Let us know in the comments.

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