Experience the best of Copán

Copán is best known for its Maya city, which flourished in the Copán valley in western Honduras from the fifth to the ninth century AD and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its Great Plaza is lined with stelae carved with portraits of its kings, the Hieroglyphic Stairway bears the longest known Maya inscription, and the ball court, temple pyramids and acropolis rise beyond. Scarlet macaws, the national bird, fly among the trees.

The nearby town of Copán Ruinas has cobbled streets, whitewashed houses with red-tile roofs and a lively central plaza. A sculpture museum shows original carvings and a full-size replica of an early temple. Coffee farms and tobacco fields cover the hills, the Guatemalan border is a short drive west, and the Maya site of Quiriguá, with its tall carved stelae, lies across it.

Honduran baleadas, folded flour tortillas with beans, cheese and cream, are the everyday snack, alongside tamales, fried plantain and grilled meat. The local coffee is served strong and sweet. Exploring the ruins is easiest in the drier half of the year, and the valley turns lush once the rains arrive in May.