 | Copán Things To Do | Tips 1 - 10 of 83 |  |
Popular Things To Do | Other Things To Do Tips | All Tips (83) copan's ruins might not be as grandiose as others, there are not many high temples and whatnot here. they also might not be surrounded by the lush thick jungle as other sites too. but what copan does have is a myriad of beautiful sculptures, heiroglyphics, and symbolism, that will whet your appetite to learn more. it will leave you dreaming of this past ancient kingdom, it will have you trying to decipher and guess as to what it all means.
photos:
1) shows the dragon head, located at the base of temple 11, in the western court. the detail was amazing, and even though the stone has stood in the weather for many years, you can still make out the colors it was painted!
2) another mystical creature, on temple 11. is it dancing? is it posing for war? what is it doing?
3) another head, this time located near the western edge of the plaza de los jaguares. just sitting here, on a block of stone. in the shade, the best place to be at the peak of the day with the intense heat! missed by many, only discovered for the chance of some shade in the trees. who is she/he? were they real?
4) the famous heiroglyphic stairway. an amazing collection of sculptures leading up the stairs to the top of the pyramid. so many shapes can be discerned, so many weird and wonderful symbols. every symboligists dream (eat that da vinci code!)
5) the altar at the start of the stairway. you will notice these last two photos are in shade, because they have been covered with a tarp, to protect from weathering. these are some of the best symbols we have of this ancient civilization! Leave a Comment Directions: in the copan ruins. pick up a map at entrance, and follow the trail that they suggest on the map to get the full effect of this site.
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copan's small main square, of 'plaza' is the focal point of this small community. surrounding the plaza are your important needs like the post office, banks and the church. in the cool of the night the icecream vendors are tinkling the little bells on their carts, lovers sit and kiss (and might i add, one night at 2am they were sexin' behind the plants!), the kids are playing on the concrete with their raggedy ball, the old men sit and gossip, just as the old women do (men might claim to be different to women, but no matter where you go in small towns, the men gossip like old mother hens too!)
the plaza is the "in" spot in town, and while here at home, a plaza or square means nothing, to the locals it means alot. and to be honest, i quite like the idea of a 'square' being such a focal point. no tv's, no computers, no playstations, no huge amounts of money to spend at the discotecas.no, go to the square for your entertainment. meet and talk with people, socialise. maybe our cities could learn a thing or two from places like copan. Leave a Comment
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these next 3 photos show the famous ball court from various angles. one of the best preserved ball courts in the mayan world, this is the reason why copan is also highly regarded and prized.
located in the "great plaza" the ball court is still standing for us to see, to dream, and to pretend! our local guide (who by the way was so fantastic, brilliantly spoke, with a wicked sense of humor) told us how the people played, and how brutal the games were! after our guide had finished his presentation, we had some free time, and of course, me being the crazy ringleader of our little group, decided to organise a game of ball.
here we were, clambering on these ancient stones, kicking an empty water bottle, and using it as our 'ball'. nobody there to see us, nobody to tell us off. kicking the water bottle, using the elbow to try and hit the target, pretending to be mayans. it was alooooot of fun!
this is what amazes me about these sites. unlike stonehenge, where one cannot go anywhere near the stones, here, you can climb on them, play on them, be immature on them! you can touch, lay on it, kiss it. feel the energy of these ancient stones. dream and imagine. this is what i love about sites like copan! Leave a Comment
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it almost seems like the birds are waiting for you, as you enter the park that is the copan ruins site. beautiful birds, who are are used to having the cameras click away at them. such amazing colors, beautiful feathers, lovely song. a perfect way to start a walk into this ancient realm. we asked the man at the entrance if they are always hanging around here, and he said yes. im sure if you come one day, you'll get to see them too.
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people watching is a fine way to see the comings and going of village life, and in copan, its no exception. walking the small cobblestoned streets will make you feel like you've stepped back in time. you will see people of indian descent, to the more 'spanish' looking people. you'll see farmers going to work with primitive blades (what, no powersaw?), you'll see girls in neatly ironed school uniform, you'll see men walk around with rifles, women with babies etc etc. for such a small village, there is a myriad of people to be seen. every corner on the copan streets showed something different and unique, and totally different to our own little worlds! Leave a Comment
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located on the plaza in the centre of the village, the archeological museum is a must see. while small, it is packed full of some of the most amazing things you will see, especially the mayan teeth that are encrusted with jade! a small entrance fee of US$2 is well worth seeing these perfectly preserved displays.
you will see stone carvings, weaponry, the jade jewellery, skulls, pottery and utensils, and many other things that gave us clues to the lives of the copan mayans. if you've seen the ruins themselves, then this is the perfect chance to see the smaller details, yet sadly, quite often missed by the tourist buses that plough through. don't make that mistake folks! Leave a Comment Directions: on the western side of the central plaza, unmissable.
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The Mayans lived here before the spaniards came to america, when they got here Copan was already abandoned by it's people and their culture almost gone from this lands. You need to visit the park, see it by yourself, and feel it by yoursel. be sure to hire a guide, they speak english and will explain you the meanig of every stone, piramid and temple or sculture in the main plaza and around the park. Then go back and visit it just you alone and climb to the top of a piramid and stay there a while.... silence.... pay atention to the sounds of nature,... , that can be one real special moment in your life. Leave a Comment Address: One km. from the small town of Copan Ruins.
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Copán has a very friendly atmosphere. It is small but it does feel like a town.
After spending a few hours here you have seen the whole place and that makes it so pitturesque. The locals are used to tourists but it's luckily not so bad it thrives on it. Leave a Comment
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It's a bit confusing, the ancient site with the ruins is called Copan and the town is named Copan Ruinas. It's a lovely small town with cobblestone paved streets lined with colourful houses. When you walk from the Parque Central down into one of the declining streets, you will have nice views at the surrounding landscape and mountains.
I liked the atmosphere in the town of Copan Ruinas, being a perfect mix of a lifely and easygoing, of a touristy and authentic ambiance. Some streets have lots of touristy shops, restaurants and bars, but after walking one block you can be in a totally other world of local shops and adobe houses. Leave a Comment Directions: Copan Ruinas is situated at 12 km from the border with Guatemala and 1 km from the ancient site.
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Like in most towns and villages in the region you find a central square or Parque Central in the centre of the village. The church, townhall and museum are situated at this square. And almost all shops, bars, resataurants and hotels are within two blocks from the square.
The Parque Central has a fountain, benches, a lot of flowering green, arcades protecting against sun and rain. Several times a day I visited or crossed the Parque Central. I saw lots of people of the local community gathering at the central plaza. Children play, men meet and chat, so do women and young couples, streetvendors are selling sweets, snacks and drinks. It's nice to sit or hang around for a while at the square to experience the daily life. Leave a Comment Directions: Yu can't miss the Parque Central, when yu are in the centre of the village.
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on September 3, 2006
on November 5, 2005
on December 12, 2003
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