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Copan – A Showcase of Ancient Mayan Culture
10-24-2007COPAN RUINAS, HONDURAS – Copan is a picturesque town set against low rising verdant mountains. It’s a colorful, cultural and artistic town where one can still experience the “old world” charm of Honduras. In the time of the Maya, Copan was the Paris of the day – the artistic hub of the Maya world. By 800 A.D. the population had grown to 35,000, yet suddenly the entire population abandoned the site and the Maya civilization all but vanished.
In the early 1930’s, the Carnegie Institute in Washington, D.C., agreed to finance the excavation of the Acropolis area of Copan Ruinas, ushering in an era of increased visitation to the region. Over the last 60 years unearthing Copan Ruinas has revealed a wealth of information vital to understanding the ancient Maya culture.
And that work continues. In early 2007 the National Geographic Society's Committee for Research and Exploration announced it had discovered an entombed human skeleton, perhaps of the Maya aristocracy, that has helped in further positioning the ancient city of Copan as a location of some of the most artistic and historically significant Mayan ruins in Central America.
Many of those early archaeologists enjoyed the hospitality of the family of Doña Marina Villamil de Welchez who opened her home to them. In the mid 40´s the family of Doña Marina decided to construct a modest, yet comfortable lodge for the growing number of visitors. The Hotel Marina Copan was named in honor of Doña Marina, a tribute to her pioneering efforts to attract visitors to this remote corner of Honduras. The hotel was built on the site of her family home in 1945.
From this hub, thousands of guests, many toured by guides from MC Tours, venture out to see the magnificent Mayan ruins, local museums, agro-tourism ventures, wildlife and lush mountainous landscapes surrounding the town.
Copan Mayan Ruins
A UNESCO World Heritage site, the Copan ruins are some of the best and most historically significant in Central America. Ancient artisans carved intricate stone images and scribes etched complex hieroglyphics at Copan. The extensive Hieroglyphic Stairway, along with other inscriptions on stelae and altars, is the largest concentration of Mayan texts. The texts have played a significant role in deciphering Mayan code and revealing their culture, including their fascination with astronomy. The Mayan culture’s high period lasted from 250 to 900 AD and Copan, one of the regional capitals, is believed to have been abandoned in the 10th century AD. As well as the Hieroglyphic Stairway, other areas of interest are the Great Plaza, the Ball Court, the Acropolis, the Tunnels and Las Sepulturas where Mayan royalty lived.
Local Archaeological history intertwined with the Hotel Marina Copan
In the early 1930’s, the Carnegie Institute in Washington, D.C., agreed to finance the excavation of the Acropolis area of the ruins, ushering in an era of increased visitation to the region. Many of those early archaeologists enjoyed the hospitality of the family of Doña Marina Villamil de Welchez who opened her home to them. In the mid 40´s the family of Doña Marina decided to construct a modest, yet comfortable lodge for the growing number of visitors. The Hotel Marina Copan was named in honor of Doña Marina, a tribute to her pioneering efforts to attract visitors to this remote corner of Honduras. The hotel was built on the site of her family home in 1945.
Agro-Tourism – Coffee Plantation
The Welchez family also operate a coffee farm or finca just a few miles out of Copan - Finca Santa Isabel, home to the Café Welchez coffee plantation. You can go by horseback or a quaint coffee wagon to the top of the plantation and take a walking tour down into the complete ecosystem of the plantation. Guides will introduce you to an abundance of plants, over 150 species of birds and other animal life which inhabit this system. Shade is natures best way to grow coffee, and through its production on through processing, Welchez employees try to be as environmentally sensitive to the land base as possible. The result is a magnificently fragrant coffee that is smooth yet full bodied.
Macaw Mountain Bird Park and Nature Reserve
The Macaw Mountain Bird Park and Nature Reserve, an exciting new conservation project, lets visitor stroll along forest trails viewing brilliant multi-colored parrots, macaws and toucans, and other some rare and endangered birds. The Scarlet Macaw is recorded in the glyphs, stelae and monuments among the ruins and was revered by the ancient Maya. Today the bird can be found in its natural habitat along with over 330 other species of birds in the area. The reserve is just a few minutes from Copan, and covers an impressive tropical setting with hundreds of species of flowers blooming throughout the year.
Local Museums
The Sculpture Museum found on the archaeological site houses a life-size replica of the Rosalila Temple which is buried beneath another temple. This light and airy museum was opened in 1996 and also houses many other ruins brought in for protection from the elements. Two other museums, the Regional Museum of Maya Archaeology and the Casa K’inich Children’s Learning Center, can be found in the town of Copan Ruinas.
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