Hola! In need of a Thanksgiving weekend getaway that was warm, easily/quickly accessible, scenic, and relaxing, we sought out a few countries like Mexico, countries in Central America, and the Caribbean. We were interested in seeing the Mayan ruins in Mexico, but the flights weren’t exactly convenient. We learned there are also ruins in Guatemala and Honduras, and the flight to Honduras was not as expensive in comparison to the others, so bingo.
San Pedro Sula (SPS) is the second-largest city in Honduras, and primary city for transportation. We flew into SPS airport (SAP), and took a bus to Copán Ruinas on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day. Because the larger bus company, Hedman Alas, only had one departure time from the airport to Copán, and it was prior to our arrival, we needed to taxi to the bus terminal and take a smaller bus, Casasola. The trip is about three hours without any stops, but Casasola makes hundreds of stops; it picks up and drops off people, whoever it can find, along the way. It also may not leave until it is full. The trip ended up taking about 4.5 hours, so I would recommend taking Hedman Alas, if you have the option. Casasola is a more authentic experience; however, we earned our stripes and had had our time for the books, so we made sure to take Hedman from Copán to SPS. It had food, air conditioning, movies, reclining seats and no stops.
After a long journey, and uncertainty about whether we would be able to check in or not (the resort staff, like most people in Copán, spoke only Spanish, and check-in was to be set up prior to arrival), we arrived at the Mayan Hills Resort, and it was gorgeous! Full of plush greenery, and with cabin-style accommodations, it felt like we were camping with the works (like a pool and room service). We had dinner, and called it a night, because the journey wiped us out. Friday, we went straight to the ruins site, and had a private tour with an English-speaking guide who was excellent; he was informative, personable, and the best photog wingman. We learned a lot about the previously-existing society, and what ultimately led to its decline and destruction. Our package included access to the Museum of Mayan Sculpture, so we stopped in there as well. Saturday, we set out to go to the hot springs, but it turns out it is much further from the town than we thought, so we just explored the city center and relaxed at the resort before we took the Hedman back to SPS. That night, we went to dinner in the city at Restaurante Lindamar; they had inexpensive seafood (I’m talking two lobster tails for the equivalent of US$ 10). Sunday, before our flight back home, we went to the Mercado de Artesanias Guamilito for desayuno and to spend the last of our Lempiras. We spent about $180 in cash Lempiras the whole weekend; most places only accepted cash.
I don’t hear of Honduras as a common vacation destination, so I was glad to experience its beauty and charm. If I returned, I would like to check out the hot springs.
Photos were taken with Nikon D5100 and iPhone 8 Plus.
Jenai M. Davis 