Visiting Copán Ruins, one of the significant ancient Maya archaeological sites, was something Jeff and I wished to do for years. We lastly made it, in January of 2025.
While awaiting this chance, we checked out lots of otherMaya websites, most of them in Mexico, though we also got to seeTikalin Guatemala and several others, including Caracol, in Belize.
And lastly, after decades of reading and enjoying documentaries about the site, we visited Copán Ruins.
We didn’t invest months trekking through thick jungle and floating through narrow rivers to get to Copán like explorers Stephens and Catherwood in 1839.
However, considering its relative closeness– and the fact that we are in the 21st century–, getting there was rather a journey, taking us about 24 hours, including 2 flights, 5 hours in an airport, and over four hours driving from the airport to the town of Copan Ruinas. Though stressful, it was definitely worth it!And the best part (or among the best parts): Copán ruins were never crowded while we checked out. We were frequently alone in a plaza, without any one else in sight. Our hotel in town was normally empty; many nights we were their only visitors. We anticipated it to be more popular, but took pleasure in the solitude.Copán Ruins: Our
Check out Scarlet macaws– guacamaya roja– welcomed us as we entered the website, even before we reached any ancient structures:< img alt= "Scarlet macaws in Copan"data-src =" https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc74ab903-e372-40a1-bd5a-0ba9315eef0a_4032x3024.jpeg" src="image/gif; base64, R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAP////// zCH5BAEHAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw=="/ > Scarlet macaws in Copán Ruins
I even found a little turtle along the trail:
Turtle along the path to Copán Ruins We entered the website near the Great Plaza,
filled with stelae, the majority of them portraying Copán’s 13th ruler, Waxaklajuun-Ubaah-K ‘awiil, likewise referred to as 18-Rabbit. Stelae representing Washaklahun-Ubah-K’ awil, known as 18-Rabbit
in the Great Plaza of Copán After exploring the stelae– a stone forest of one king’s representation through different stages of his life-, we walked on.Climbed a little pyramid, Structure 4, then strolled over to the ball court.
the ball court We took pleasure in the shade under the canopy that protects the Hieroglyphic Staircase( the longest recognized pre-Columbian text understood up until now in the Americas).< img alt ="hieroglyphic staircase in Copan"data-src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F732d601e-46ee-42f0-94a2-491e6694f2b9_4032x3024.jpeg"src ="image/gif; base64, R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAP////// zCH5BAEHAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw=="/ > the hieroglyphic staircase From there, we walked over to Temple 11, with another sophisticated stela at its base. Stela in front of Temple 11 To climb up the pyramid, we walked around it and took the modern staircase set up for it. From the top, we delighted in the view of the Plaza and the Copán Valley. View from top of Pyramid 11 After hanging out in the shade of a substantial ceiba tree growing on top of this pyramid, we descended on the other side onto the West Court of the Acropolis, where we discovered a replica of the popular Altar Q(the original is at the museum at the site), representing all the rulers of Copán, beginning with the founder of
the dynasty, and ending with the 16th. Altar Q in the Acropolis Controling this plaza– and the next– was Temple 16, encasing an earlier pyramid, the famous Rosalila.( Listed below it, two other structures encase the tomb of the creator of the Copan dynasty, K’inich Yax K’uk’Mo.) Years ago I enjoyed a documentary about the time it was discovered, and I wished to see it ever since. I lastly did.A brief tunnel leads inside this pyramid, where we saw parts of the walls of Rosalila, behind thick glass. Not as colorful as I expected (obviously, the airflow from the outside from when they opened the tunnel, faded a few of the paint), the masks visible behind the glass are still remarkable.
in the tunnel of Rosalila It was midday, warm and warm, so we continued our visit in the longer tunnels within the nearby pyramid. In the tunnels in between an older pyramid and the one still visible on the top We wound up behind the pyramid, at the edge of the website, where a path lead us back towards the primary plaza.We spent more time here, but quickly we left the website to have time for checking out the museum. We understood we would return the next day to explore some more.The museum turned out to be a lot more outstanding than either people expected. The entrance was through a tunnel, which opened to the sight of the rebuilded Rosalila.
Reconstruction of Rosalila in the museum of Copan By the time we were ready to leave, we ran out water and treats, and we had a kilometer to stroll to our hotel. En route out, we identified a dining establishment on the premises, and we headed over. For the next two days, as we returned to the site, this small restaurant was the area for our
lunch-break. The website was nearby the time we went out. A shaded walking course, separated from the road by a broad stretch of greenery, led back to town. Strolling along this course, we passed two more stelae, one near the road, Stela 5, and another a bit farther, in the field. Though beyond the historical site’s gates, they still came from the ancient city.
Stelae 5(along the roadway )and 6 (in the field )Though one day may usually suffice to go to the most outstanding sights in Copan, we required 3 to see it all. On our very first full day, we didn’t even make it to Sepulturas, the house of nobility of the city, about a half-mile walk from the main site. We explored it on our second day and found the homes of a number of the artisans of Copan, compounds surrounding their own little plazas.
Replica of the Skyband bench in the Palace of the Skyband bench at the Sepulturas (we saw the original at the museum )On our last day we reviewed our preferred locations (and learnt that we have actually missed a little temple). I sat for a very long time on top of Pyramid-Temple 11, in the shadow of the big ceiba tree in the midday heat, while Jeff went off to take more photos.Looking down onto the
remains of the ancient city, I pictured it at its height– during the reigns of K’ahk’Uti Witz’ K’awiil (Smoke-Jaguar), and Waxaklajuun Ubah K’awiil (18-Rabbit), and likewise at its last phases of decline, as the surrounding forests and farm lands disappeared, changed by elaborate, vibrant stone structures and edifices.A clear view
of the rise and fall of an excellent civilization– history we might have learned from …
Keep in mind:
The initial version of this post was very first released on my Substack newsletter, Letters from a Wanderer, under the title Copán Ruins– In Photos
To get future posts directly in your inbox, before they are released on this website, think about signing up for the newsletter (link in the footer).