Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
built over it, Rosalila was not destroyed but was left completely intact. The original Ros-
alila temple is inside the core of Structure 16.
1
El Bosque & Las Sepulturas
Excavations at El Bosque and Las Sepulturas have shed light on the daily life of the Maya
in Copán during its golden age.
Las Sepulturas, once connected to the Gran Plaza by a causeway, may have been the
residential area where rich and powerful nobles lived. One huge, luxurious residential
compound seems to have housed some 250 people in 40 or 50 buildings arranged around
11 courtyards. The principal structure, called the
Palacio de los Bacabs
(Palace of the Offi-
cials), had outer walls carved with the full-sized figures of 10 males in fancy feathered he-
addresses; inside was a huge hieroglyphic bench.
To get to Las Sepulturas you have to go back to the main road, turn right, then right
again at the sign (2km from the Gran Plaza).
The walk to get to El Bosque is the real reason for visiting it, as it's removed from the
main ruins. It's a one-hour (5km) walk on a well-maintained path through foliage dense
with birds, though there isn't much of note at the site itself save for a small ball court.
Still, it's a powerful experience to have an hour-long walk on the thoroughfares of an an-
cient Maya city all to yourself. To get to El Bosque, go right at the hut where your ticket is
stamped. There have been no reports of crimes against tourists here.
Information
Admission to Copán includes entry to Las Sepulturas archaeological site but not to Túnel
Rosalila and Túnel de los Jaguares or Museo de Escultura.
The Centro de Visitantes (visitor center) at the entrance to the ruins houses the ticket of-
fice and a small exhibition about the site and its excavation. Nearby are a cafeteria, and
souvenir and handicrafts shops. There's a picnic area along the path to the Principal Group
of ruins. A
Sendero Natural
(Nature Trail) entering the forest several hundred meters
from the visitor center passes by a small ball court.
Pick up a copy of the booklet
History Carved in Stone: A Guide to the Archaeological
Park of the Ruins of Copán
by noted archaeologists William L Fash and Ricardo Agurcia
Fasquelle; it's available at the visitors center for L100. It will help you to understand and
appreciate the ruins. It's also a good idea to go with a guide, who can help to explain the
