From the Visitors' Center follow the path that leads to the site's entrance, you will reach a spot that is ideal for a picnic lunch, shaded under large trees, or you may continue through a nature trail, to the right, where you will learn more about the flora and the fauna that lived in the Copan Valley in ancient times. At the end of this trail (or just past the picnic area) is the entrance to the site of Copan, where you will see a colorful spectacle of brightly colored macaws.
At this point you need to show the park guards your tickets, and we encourage you to sign the guestbook they have there, as this helps keep statistics about the flux of visitors to the park, essential for the park's proper management. Once inside the park grounds walk directly to the Great Plaza, where you will see Structure 4 sitting at the center. This structure stands proudly surrounded by many stelae and altars, and in the words of the Maya themselves you will enter “a forest of stone trees”. As you walk around the plaza and study the details on the sculptures (or their replicas) your guide will give you more detailed information on each one, such as the name of the ruler who is represented in each one and the events narrated on each stela. The history of Copan is narrated using beautifully carved glyphs and intricate patterns, that have taken scientists decades to understand, although much work still remains to be done...
After examining the beauty of the carved stela and altars in the Great Plaza continue to the Middle Plaza and the Copan Ball Court, the second largest in the Maya World (the largest is in Chichen Itza). The ball game was a very important part of the ancient Maya's ceremonial life. It was an event that united commoners and high ranking officials, as during these games matters of state between the people of Copan and other nearby polities, like Quirigua, may well have been settled. Maybe the losing team was even beheaded, but this still remains to be "decided" by modern archaeologist…
Let us continue on our tour of Copan... Our next stop is the Hieroglyphic Stairway, where the longest Maya inscription discovered to this date in the Maya World was found. The stairway is covered with over 1,250 carved stone steps, on which a historical narrative highlighting the feats of K'ak' Yipyaj Chan K'awiil (fifteenth ruler of Copan) and his ancestors is told. The king had it commissioned to broadcast his battles and conquests, and those of his ancestors, the Kings of Copan, since the time of Yax K'uk' Mo', the dynasty's founder. The stairway was constructed as a show of strength and power. When the stairway was first excavated and reconstructed the knowledge of how the glyphs are read (Maya epigraphy) was in its very early stages. Therefore, the correct order and placement of each one of the stone slabs could not be predicted. As a result, the text is admitedly disordered and its complete meaning still remains to be deciphered. Hopefully all the carved steps will some day return to their rightful place. In the central axis of the Stairway there are the portraits of previous rulers, seated figures in full military regalia. For a great photo opportunity climb Structure 7, where you will find a good view of the Hieroglyphic Stairway, the Ball Court and the Great Plaza in the background. (However, it's only the structure of the stairway you will be able to see, because it is covered for protection).
Before you climb structure 7 and into the acropolis to explore the tunnels walk around Temple 11 into the West Court, where a copy of the famous Altar Q marks the entrance to Temple 16. On this altar the complete dynasty of the Kings of Copan is recorded, starting with its founder Yax K'uk' Mo'. Each of the dynastic kings is sitting on a glyph name, except for the founder of the dynasty, who has it in his head. There is a wealth of iconographic information on each of these 16 rulers carved into Altar Q but little is known about most of them, except for Waxaklajuun Ub'aah K'awiil, the 13th ruler of Copan, also known as 18 Rabbit or 18 Jog. He was, beyond any doubt, the most prolific builder at Copan. There is also abundant information about Copan's 12th ruler, Smoke Imix. About the remaining rulers epigraphers haven't been able to establish their correct names yet in the Maya language and are only known by "nicknames" derived from their glyphs or arbitrarily named by archaeologists. This is perhaps explained by the fact that we know much more about the Classic Maya rulers than we do about their earlier forefathers. The Classic Maya period is rich in epigraphic data.
After learning what is known about each one of Copan 's glorious kings you may head on over to the Cemetery Group and see how the kings' relatives lived and died. This group gets its name due to the large amount of burials found beneath the dwellings during excavation.
From the Cemetery Group you will see a small stairway going up a side of Temple 18, and you will have to climb it to go to your next important stop: the East Court. As you climb you will see the Copan River, before you continue with your discovery of Copan, stop there for a minute and ponder upon how the forces of nature had a profound effect on the legacy left behind by these ancient people. What you will see is a feature unique to Copan, as the river cut right through the site's many stages of construction, which now lay exposed showing us their secrets. However, the archaeological cut on the acropolis allowed scientists to understand how the Ancient Maya of Copan used their resources to achieve greater heights and magnificence on their temples and buildings with every new phase of construction. Please note that the Maya of Copan had long abandoned the site when the river cut through the acropolis.
When you reach the East Court you will see a building where an attempt at a more democratic sort of government took place. This is Structure 22, also known as the Popol Nah, or the House of Council. On this building mosaics have been found representing characters who were not noble kings. The characters are carved sitting on glyphs that are not personal names but rather place signs or toponyms. This suggests they held bureaucratic positions, which is another of Copan's unique features. From the East Court you may also see the Copan River on its present course. Considerable efforts were made in the 1930's to divert its course away from the ancient city to prevent further damage to the structures at Copan. By then, the river had already caused much damage, as it had destroyed several structures in the eastern side of the site, "swallowing" no less than 3 whole buildings.
On the East Court you will also appreciate the Plaza de los Jaguares (Jaguar Plaza) where there are entrances to two different tunnels, one right beneath the Jaguar Plaza and the other transporting you in time through Temple 16, where Copan's gem Rosalila may be appreciated. When this temple was no longer used, the ancient Maya of Copan used its debris for construction material, but instead of destroying and defacing the monumental structure (as was the custom at the time) it was buried with so much care that when archaeologists uncovered it, the building still had its original painted stucco covering. We suggest you visit the Rosalila tunnel first and the Jaguar Tunnel at the end, as you will come out to a trail lining the archaeological cut and will be on your way out of the site or back to the Grand Plaza.
You may now visit the Copan museums... A full scale representation of the Rosalila temple is the centerpiece at the Sculpture Museum, where we recommend spending some time to appreciate the wealth of pieces and information painstakingly unveiled through the course of the archaeological dig at Copan, splendidly displayed at the museum.
After finishing your tour of Copan you may continue learning more about this fascinating civilization by traveling 1 mile due west on the main access road to the site of Copan to Las Sepulturas. This group was connected to the main site by a sacbe or causeway. This was a suburb, where merchants, artisans & high ranking officials had their living quarters. They were separated by districts and on each district evidence may be found as to what position the dwellers occupied within their society. There is even one group of dwellings that belongs to another ethnic group! This group was possibly the Lencas, an ethnic group from central Honduras. Many descendants from the Lenca people are still living in modern day Honduras today and their distinctive black and white pottery may still be appreciated.
If your interests lie away from archaeology there are many more activities you may participate in while at Copan, such as our Bird watching tours, the Macaw Mountain Bird Park, the Orchid Nursery or you may go horseback riding. You may also want to simply spend some time getting to know the locals and their village, in the friendly and laid back town of Copan Ruinas… Whatever activities you choose to engage in while you are in Copan you will want to stay a few days discovering the magic & the beauty of Copan & its surroundings. Perhaps you may even want to come back someday or visit other great archaeological sites in our region, the pride and glory of Mesomerica, such as Tikal or Quirigua in Guatemala, and beyond into Palenque in Mexico & Caracol in Belize, where many more architectural wonders of the ancient Maya still remain to be discovered & explored...
