Luna Jaguar Hot Springs
Thermal pools in forest north of Copan, laid out with stone terraces and carvings in a Maya-styled bathing circuit.
Saved in this browser only - no account, nothing sent anywhere. See your map
Hot water comes out of the hillside north of Copán Ruinas at close to boiling and is cooled by mixing with a cold river, and the site has been built up as a bathing circuit: a suspension bridge over the river, then a series of stone pools at different temperatures set in forest, with carved replica Maya sculpture along the paths. It is a spa rather than a natural site, and it is honest about being one. Steam sits in the trees and the forest is thick.
What you actually see
- The graded pools - stone baths at descending temperatures down the hillside.
- The source - water emerging near boiling before it is mixed with the river.
- The carvings - replica Maya sculpture set along the circuit.
- The forest - dense vegetation and steam through the whole site.
When to go
November to April is the driest and best for the road. Evenings are the pleasantest time in hot water, and the site sometimes runs late. Weekends bring more people.
Honest expectations
The Maya-style carvings are modern replicas, not archaeology, and the site does not always make that clear. The road up is rough and transport is arranged in town. The hottest pools are genuinely hot and the source water is dangerous.
Nearby
Copan Ruinas is south, with Macaw Mountain on the same side of town.
What to pack for Luna Jaguar Hot Springs
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
