Copan Honduras: Mayan Heritage with a Coffee Aroma
Located in Western Honduras, Copan is the best known destination in mainland Honduras. Yet, Copan Honduras, can be a confusing destination. The name applies to one of the 18 departments in Honduras. Yet many of the different names of the cities and towns add it to their name. Because of this, even Hondurans confuse the local geography. You have for example Santa Rosa de Copan, La Entrada de Copan, Dulce Nombre de Copan, and so on…
Copan Honduras is one of the original departments in Honduras. It is also one of the most mountainous areas in Central America. It borders with Guatemala, and has two of the official border crossings with Guatemala. One is the El Florido border, where many tourists traveling from Guatemala to Honduras to Copan Ruinas cross in Honduras. The other border is Aguacaliente, which connects the city of Esquipulas in Guatemala with Ocotepeque in Honduras.
The most important city is the capital of the department is Santa Rosa de Copan. It is located in the highlands of Western Honduras and has a nice feeling to it. It boasts cobblestone streets and an early republican architecture. The economy of the department depends mostly of the local coffee production. However the tobacco industry, which produces extremely high quality cigars, also plays a role in the local economy.
Highway CA7 connects the department with San Pedro Sula. At around 2/3 of the distance between San Pedro Sula you will find the City of La Entrada de Copan, which is a bustling commercial center that grew up as a junction town. The city is actually the point where the highway to Copan Ruinas starts. As you can see, it is easy to get confused with so many different towns having the same name.
The two main destinations in the department are Santa Rosa de Copan, which offers a charming setting, nice hotels and many different restaurants and coffee shops; and Copan Ruinas, a lovely colonial town that is next to the magnificent Copan Archaeological site. Between these two cities, the destination offers a truly unique and authentic destination that combines perfectly with the Bay Islands and Atlantida.
