Santa Rosa de Copán

Santa Rosa de Copán is the largest city in western Honduras and departmental capital of Copán.

Get in

 * International Highway of the West west from San Pedro Sula or east from El Poy, El Salvador and Agua Calientes, Guatemala.

Get around
Taxis are about US$0.75 per person anywhere within the city center. The Urbanos, a school bus, runs up and down the main hill to the bus terminal, and through the city center. It stops at the central park. Walking within the city is the easiest way to get around. Santa Rosa is pretty small and compact, and all of the hotels, restaurants, and bars are within a handful of blocks from the central park.

See
The central park is beautiful and well-maintained, with plenty of benches for people watching. There is a Tourist Information Center in the kiosk in the middle of the park with maps, internet and information about the city. Across the park, the white-washed catholic cathedral makes for great photos.

The old cemetery is an interesting visit, about a 30-minute walk from the center of town. It is a colorful and maze-like place. The tourist office can give you directions on how to get there.

At the far end of town, there is a overlook with an OK view of the city. To get there, climb the more than 100 steps to the top, where there is a replica Mayan statue.

Do

 * Take a tour of the Flor de Copan cigar factory, given weekdays at 10:00 and 14:00 in Spanish, and at 11:00 and 16:00 (?) in English (the guide speaks fantastic English). Learn all about the process of hand rolling fine cigars. Tours are very detailed, very interesting and not rushed at all. Price is $5 per person, with a minimum of three people, but you can just pay $15 if you only have 1-2 people. Call +504 2662-0185 to book tours (phone calls may only be in Spanish). Strongly recommended to anybody with a passing interest in cigars. Note that you cannot buy cigars here. Instead, visit their shop that is located downtown (Tabacos Hondureños, SA de CV)
 * Shop in the weekend Farmers Market in Barrio Santa Teresa, and pick up some fresh veggies and fruits from the area.
 * Cool off at one of the small water parks outside of town, Las JJJ, Balenario San Antonio or Doricentro.

Buy

 * baleadas, the traditional Honduran snack food, at Tipicos La Porra or Buffet Baleadas y Mas. Order them with egg and avocado!
 * a granita, a tasty and refreshing frozen coffee drink at Ten Napel Cafe.
 * freshly cut delicious pineapple from one of the many women selling bags in the park- only L5 (lempiras) (about US$0.25s) each!
 * a map of the city at the Tourist Information Office for L15 (about US$0.75).
 * one of the many colorful, plastic woven bags that the women of Santa Rosa use to haul their veggies and fruits back from the market.
 * one of the popular Honduran beers: Port Royal or Salva Vida, ice-cold at the local hangouts: Zotz, El Rodeo, or Antigua Haciendas.
 * the perfect remedy for the hot and dusty Honduran summer afternoons is a paleta from the pulperia by the track- homemade popsicles with milk and your favorite ingredient- choose from strawberry, coconut, chocolate, orange, blackberry, peanut, and other flavors.

Eat

 * Tipicos La Porra for the best baleadas in town- nice thick tortillas stuffed with beans and cream!
 * Cheros Antojitos Mexicanos for mouth-watering plato tipico or quesadillas.
 * The 4-cheese pizza at Weekends Pizza- its no wonder it is the first stop for Peace Corps volunteers looking for a taste of home.
 * Ticucos de huevo from the lady in the park- corn masa, beans and a whole hard boiled egg wrapped up in a corn husk.
 * Ten Napel Cafe for a bagel, panini, or croissant, all home baked!

Drink

 * One of the Honduran beers (Port Royal, Salva Vida, Imperial, or Barena), served ice cold.
 * Atol de Piña, a local drink made of pineapple and corn.
 * Copan Dry, the fruit flavored soft drink made right in town- Strawberry, Fruit Punch, Pineapple, Banana, Grape or Orange. Comes in a cute 7 oz glass bottle.
 * Bar Hijo de la Madre - a cheap, lively, friendly, locally famous dive bar that specialises in "madrazos", special drinks that are supposedly only sold here. Madrazos are made with Honduran aguardiente (a liquor) mixed with fruit juice and ice, and drinks are STRONG. Cheap Honduran beer is also sold here.

Sleep

 * Hotel Antiguo Robles, a beautiful new hotel in the center of town. Reasonably priced.  +504-662-0472
 * Hotel Casa Real, one of the only hotels in town with a pool! +504-662-0801
 * Posada de Carlos y Blanca, a friendly Bed and Breakfast +504-662-4020

Connect

 * The Tourist Information Office at +504-662-2234.
 * The city´s tourism website: www.visitesantarosadecopan.org
 * Email the Tourism office at turismosrc@yahoo.com

Go next
Buses leave from the terminal by the JM restaurant at the bottom of the hill. The following companies have daily buses to San Pedro Sula: Sultana, Toritos, Copanecos, and Congolon. Old school buses leave frequently to nearby villages.