Honduras Travels

A Practical Guide to Santa Rosa de Copan, Honduras
by Warren Post

Nestled in the mountains of western Honduras, Santa Rosa de Copan offers an agreeable change from tourist traps and scorching cities. Its cool mountain climate, fine colonial architecture with narrow cobbled streets, and a reputation for friendliness combine to make Santa Rosa de Copan one of the region’s most pleasant places to visit. Off the gringo trail, Santa Rosa isn’t overrun with travelers. And its strategic location makes Santa Rosa a good base for day trips to the surrounding area.

THINGS TO SEE AND DO in COPAN
Santa Rosa is noted for the excellent hand rolled cigars produced by Flor deCopan, makers of the famous Zino line. The factory, located two blocks west ofthe central plaza (open 8am - 5pm Monday-Friday, 8 - 11 am Saturday) allows visitors to enter and view the process. An interpretative tour in English or Spanish is available; inquire at Pizza Pizza.
Just as Santa Rosa is famous abroad for its cigars, it is known among Hondurans as a center of cultural activity. The Casa de la Cultura (1/2 block south of thecentral plaza) offers frequent exhibitions, performances, readings, and concerts. Be sure to ask about upcoming events.

Coffee lovers will want to visit Beneficio Maya, where fine coffee is graded and roasted for export. Aside from being able to view the process, visitors can buy fresh export grade coffee. Take a taxi to the beneficio (US$0.50/person), as it’s a little hard to find.

Ten minutes outside of town on the road to Gracias is La Montanita Park, administered by the Honduran forestry service. This charming little park features a natural mountain pond and pine forest perfect for picnicking. The park is popular with the locals on weekends, but you will have the place to yourself other days. Regular bus service operates to La Montanita and beyond from SantaRosa.

Just a few steps beyond the park is Doricentro, a private complex with swimming and wading pools, light snacks and beverages, picnic areas, and music. Anentrance fee of US$1.50 includes use of the pools. Doricentro is open weekends.

Further along the road to Gracias is Las Tres Jotas (US$0.75), another private park that is also a working tobacco farm and fishery. Have the bus driver point it out, as the sign on the highway is easy to miss. Aside from picnic areas and wading pools, Las Tres Jotas has the freshest fish you’ll eat. Las Tres Jotas isopen daily.

HOLY WEEK IN SANTA ROSA
A very special time to visit Santa Rosa is during Holy Week. During the week before Easter, Santa Rosa presents some of the best processions in the nation. Six in all, the processions are full dress street theater reenactments of the different parts of the Easter story daily beginning Holy Thursday. There’s the Incarceration Procession, the Holy Cross Procession, the Funeral and Mourning Processions, the Resurrection Procession, and more.
The most spectacular is undoubtedly the Holy Cross Procession, or Via Crucis, on Friday morning. Bearing cross and under guard, Jesus makes his way through the heart of Santa Rosa’s historical district along a two kilometer route beautifullydecorated with carpets of flowers and colored sawdust in the streets. Because the carpets are ruined by the passage of the procession, you will want to arrive well before the nine o’clock starting time to admire the handiwork.

My personal favorite, however, is the candelight Women’s Procession Friday night. Mary and her friends march silently through the dark streets in mourning for her son’s death, the only sound their footfalls on the cold cobblestones.

DAY EXCURSIONS
Beyond Las Tres Jotas lies Gracias, one of Honduras’s most historic towns. Founded in 1539, many colonial era buildings remain standing today. First stop is to get your bearings at the fort of San Cristobal overlooking the town with fine views of the valley and the surrounding Celaque range.
A visit to Celaque National Park, one of the nation’s finest, is a must for anyone who likes nature. One of my favorite memories is watching a meteor shower from the park on a family camping trip. A nine kilometer dirt road leads from Gracias to the park’s entrance and visitor’s center. There is an entrance fee of US$0.75 payable in the center, where a guide (recommended) can also be hired. There is no public transport to the park, but a car can be hired at Guancascos Restaurant in Graci.

Hikers will enjoy ascending the principal trail through one of the largestexisting stands of cloud forest in Central America to the 2,849 meter summit,Honduras’s highest. The cloud forest is a great place for wildlife observation ,including the beautiful and elusive quetzal. Others, content to enjoy a walk inthe forest, can return to Gracias and relax in the nearby hot springs southeastof town. Transportation to the springs can be arranged at Guancascos.

Another worthwhile side trip is to the Lenca village of La Campa, sixteen kilometers beyond Gracias. La Campa is where much Lenca pottery, both traditional and modern, is produced for sale in fashionable Tegucigalpa and SanPedro Sula shops. The artisans are happy to display their skills to visitors. Passenger vans and pickups offer transportation from Gracias.

Still another interesting day trip can be made from Santa Rosa south to the mountain village of Belen Gualcho. Perched on the back side of the Celaquerange, Belen Gualcho is an enchanted place with steep, twisting little street soccasionally opening up to give lovely views. Be sure to check out the locally made fruit wines. On the way, you’ll pass through Corquin, where little-explored limestone caves tempt the adventuresome. Busses depart Santa Rosa thrice daily for Belen Gualcho.

GETTING THERE
Traveling to Santa Rosa is easy. From San Pedro Sula it’s a 2-1/2 hour drive onthe Carretera Occidental. Copanecos, Torito, and Congolon bus lines all offer hourly service. From Tegucigalpa, you can travel with Sultana line via San Pedroor enjoy one of Honduras’s most scenic roads through the beautiful Western Range(unpaved between La Esperanza and Gracias; enquire locally in La Esperanza beforecontinuing). There are also buses from the Guatemalan border.
To reach the historic downtown district once at Santa Rosa, stay on the highwayuntil cresting the ridge bisecting the town, then take the second right — or just ask a taxi to take you to the central plaza.

HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS
Hotel Elvir (US$23.00 double, tel/fax +504 662-0103), two blocks west of the central plaza, is Santa Rosa’s most comfortable hotel. Aside from the usualservices, the Hotel Elvir is home to Lenca Land Trails (e-mail:lenca@hondutel.hn), run by my friend Max Elvir. Max offers cultural and ethnic tours, hiking, birding, and horseback trips.
Hospedaje Calle Real (US$4.50 double), 1/2 block east of Pizza Pizza, is a backpackers’ favorite.

Getting hungry? Santa Rosa’s restaurants have made the town an informal R&R center for Peace Corps volunteers. There are steak houses, international cuisine, Chinese food, and — of course — hearty Honduran fare. Pizza Pizza, my restaurant, four blocks east of Central Park in a colonial house and courtyard, doubles as an informal traveler’s information center and Internet cafe.

OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION
English speaking doctor: Dr. Sohel Rajabian, 1/2 block north of Hotel Elvir.
English speaking dentist: Dr. Wilfredo Urquia, 2-1/2 blocks west of Central Plaza. He’s a good chess player, too.
Spanish language school: Santa Rosa de Copan Language School, 1-1/2 blocks south of central market, tel +504 662-1378.
Public fax service: Hondutel, facing central plaza, tel +504 662-1005. Closed weekends.
Post office (general delivery - poste restante): Honducor, facing central plaza. Closed weekends.
Laundromat: Super Lavenderia Florencia, 4-1/2 blocks west of central plaza. Closed Sundays.
ATM: Banco Atlantida, facing central plaza. Accepts Visa, Master Card, and Plus cards.
Warren Post lives in Santa Rosa and owns the highly recommended Pizza Pizza restaurant.