It was hard for me to believe there was a Hilton in San Pedro Sula, but there it was. I used to splurge occasionally at the Gran Hotel Sula, and we did go there later for breakfast with the grandparents, but for now here we were. My dad had made reservations online from home so as to have a destination on arrival, and we stayed for one night before heading back west, through La Entrada and out to Copan and the Mayan ruins. Later, we stayed another night at the Hilton before catching our flights home, and it is worth mentioning that it was much cheaper arranging for the hotel in person. My parents were pleased with the ‘senior’ discount they received at the hotel and at other places we went, so it is worth requesting if it applies to you or anyone you are travelling with.
I can’t find any of our pictures, but this is the pool at the San Pedro Hilton where we went, and a street view of the hotel. I like this street view because you see how different the hotel is from its surroundings; also I had to cross this crazy street with my dad to change some money at a (heavily guarded) bank across the street!
My parents had visited Honduras, including the village, when I lived there and were eager to come back. My dad especially liked the Ruins, and a hotel we had stayed at there, so off we went. We drove through the hills, passing roadside villages that were little collections of shacks, a few stands selling roasted corn or various fruits, small piles of burning trash, and the familiar sight of farmers walking by with their bundles and machetes. The road was no problem, paved with asphalt and curving around gentle hills. Getting lost is not an issue since there is really only one paved road between San Pedro and Copan. You will get there as long as you don’t go South to Santa Rosa De Copan (a popular ex-pat town, it isn’t bad at all to end up there anyway!). We drove through La Entrada and continued to the town of Copan Ruinas.
The Hotel Marina Copan is so beautiful – not only the pool which the kids adored, but there are mysterious little corners with beautiful displays of art, Mayan artifacts and plants.
The town of Copan Ruinas is well-known to backpackers and has become adapted to more sophisticated tourists as well. There are now ‘resorts’ and bigger, newer hotels on the outskirts of town in addition to the simple varied-budget hotels on the stone streets of the picturesque central town. The Hotel Marina is an easy walk from the central town plaza, many restaurants, and a local market. It was built in the late 1940’s to house the growing number of archeologists and tourists coming to the ruins sites and has been lovingly maintained and modernized through the years. From there, we walked everywhere except when we drove to the Ruins site a mile or so outside of the town. We ate at a different low-budget, backpacker type restaurant every meal and were not disappointed. There are many blocks of them, and walking the area is a pleasure.
Inside public area nestled in a corridor of the hotel with couches and historic photos, Fiercely in a garden in the hotel, overhead view of hotel
The Ruins, synonymous with the town, have ongoing archeological digs as well as long-established stelae (Mayan hieroglyphic towers) and the famous Mayan ball courts as well as other structures. Copan is known for artistic details such as sculptures and hieroglyphics as opposed to Tikal, Guatemala which is known for more for its stepped Mayan pyramids. Copan has recognizable monkeys, bats, and Mayan rulers carved into stone that have endured the centuries remarkably well.
Fiercely being a Mayan bat, Cleverly and me in front of the museum, which is painted as historians say the original sculptures were painted.
We spent a day walking around the Great Plaza at Copan and checking out the new (to us, actually opened in the late 1990’s) museum on the grounds. This is an easy place to be with active kids because it is so big and open. There are steps to climb, great lookouts, and also a newer tunnel area the kids liked a lot. The museum houses sculptures, and is also large and spacious. The kids were free, grandparents were discounted, I’m the only one who paid full price. We had a lot of fun taking pictures at the museum.
me and my Dad and a Mayan, Cleverly on part of the main plaza
One day we went to a bird sanctuary called Macaw Mountain in the hills above the town of Copan Ruins. We took a tiny taxi, of which there are numerous, up to the site of a working coffee finca/rescue facility for birds confiscated from illegal trade. We had an English-speaking tour guide as we walked the grounds and learned about the sad stories of the birds there. Macaw Mountain is a newer facility here, and a wonderful example of eco-tourism as it is locally owned, ecologically sustainable, and provides a destination for these birds that have been mistreated.
The taxi that took us into the hills, My mom and the girls with the guide, Cleverly with a parrot
We also found a children’s museum in the town, a bit uphill from our hotel. Casa Kinich appears not to have its own website, which of course makes it more endearing to me. The name means “House of the Sun” and the castle-like building housed a fun, interactive museum for kids and cost about $1 for me and was free for the kids to enter. The exhibits covered the natural and cultural history of the area and Mayan civilization, and was geared towards children, so unlike the Ruins sculpture museum, the kids could touch and explore various parts of the exhibits.
Kids at the Casa K’inich exhibits, and the building from the outside
Tripping Fantastic 