Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Minibuses
to the El Florido border leave town from the corner next to the market about
every half hour for the 20-minute, 12-kilometer trip. There are hourly onward buses from
there to Chiquimula, taking about an hour. A much more comfortable and increasingly
popular option is to book a shuttle bus.
Monarcas Travel
(
www.mayabus.com
)
, in the
Casa de Todo shop, runs two daily buses to Guatemala City and Antigua for $20 one-way.
Hedman-Alas
(tel. 651-4037,
www.hedmanalas.com
)
operates a direct first-class bus to
Guatemala City ($35, four hours) and Antigua ($41, five hours) from its terminal on the
road south of town heading toward the river. There are also onward buses to Tegucigalpa
and San Pedro Sula.
If driving a rental car to Copán from Guatemala, be aware that you'll need written per-
mission from your car-rental agency.
Enchanted Wings Butterfly House
On the road from Guatemala, just before the turnoff into town, Enchanted Wings Butterfly
House (tel. 651-4133,
http://hondurasbutterflyfar.tripod.com/copan.htm
,
8 A.M.-5 P.M.
daily, $6 adults, $2.60 children under 12) is run by former Peace Corps volunteer Robert
Gallardo and his wife. There are between 30 and 35 species of butterflies being bred here
in a screened-in facility by a river. Included in the admission price are a tour (you'll get a
laminated placard with various pictures of butterflies to help you follow along) and a visit
toanorchidnurseryontheothersideoftheriver.Therearesnacksanddrinksavailable for
purchase. It's best visited in the morning, when butterfly hatchings are frequent.
Macaw Mountain Bird Park
A few kilometers outside of town in the surrounding hillsides, Macaw Mountain Bird Park
(tel. 651-4255,
www.macawmountain.com
, 9 A.M.-5 P.M. daily, $10 adults, $5 children)
has a collection of birds, including macaws, parrots, and toucans, housed mostly in cages
found along a trail and wooden walkways winding through the park's splendidly sylvan
riverside setting. In one area, you can interact freely with domesticated birds outside of
their cages. There's a restaurant at the main entrance serving mostly meat and seafood
dishes ($5-8) as well as a café along the trail. There's also a gift shop.
Hot Springs
About 22 kilometers from town along this same road are a series of pleasant hot springs
($1.50), where you can soak in synthetic pools or take a trail to the water's source. There
is a nice mix of cool river water combining with the boiling hot water from the springs to
