Copan Ruinas, Honduras

By Michelle LamphereJune 15, 2014

The Copan Ruins are near the Guatemala and Honduras border and lie in the fertile, green river valley of the Rio Copan. This Mayan city was the capital city of this kingdom for several hundred years from 500-900 AD.

Copan is known for the incredibly detailed carvings that can still be seen on nearly all the buildings, and especially on the stelas (ornate statue blocks) in the central plaza.

There are a lot of Macaws at the entrance to the complex, most of whom have been brought here to recover after an injury. It’s a Macaw sanctuary in a way, and a very loud and chatterbox-ish one at that.

The grounds are fairly compact, centered around the acropolis. The valley is very hilly and I climb up and down over and over to wander around the complex.

I visit the ball court and the grand staircase which is covered by a several story-high tarp to protect the ornate carvings and statues from erosion.

Enormous trees have grown over everything, their roots pushing the stones from their foundations.

The amount of detail is overwhelming. Not only in the larger statues, but in every building and wall. Each stone was carved, something I have never noticed in the other ruins I have visited.