El Puente Archaeological Park

El Puente sits in the Florida valley near La Entrada and was a secondary Maya centre in the orbit of Copán, occupied in the Classic period. Around two hundred structures have been identified and a core group excavated and restored: stepped pyramids, plazas and a ball court, set in cleared grass with forest around. A site museum covers the excavation. Because it is an hour from Copán and unsignposted from the highway, most people driving between the two go straight past.

History

El Puente appears to have been first settled around the middle of the 6th century AD, probably founded by Copán, whose architecture and pottery it shares, to control the crossroads of two trade routes in the valley; once independent, it became a tributary of Copán between the 6th and 9th centuries and received immigrants from it in the Late Classic. Jens Yde first described and mapped the site in 1935, and in 1991 the La Entrada Archaeological Project began excavations to create the country's second archaeological park after Copán (Wikipedia, El Puente (Maya site)).

What's there

• The main pyramid - the largest restored structure, climbable for the valley view.
• The plazas - cleared ceremonial spaces between the excavated groups.
• The ball court - a smaller court in the core group.
• The site museum - finds and interpretation at the entrance.

When to go

November to April is the driest. Mornings are cooler for climbing the structures. The site is quiet at almost any time of year.

Good to know

The site is much smaller than Copan and has no carved monuments to compare with it; expectations should be set accordingly. There is very little shade among the structures. Public transport does not go to the gate.

Nearby

La Entrada is on the highway, and Copan Ruinas is about an hour west.

Key facts