Santa Rosa de Copan

Santa Rosa de Copán grew on tobacco from the eighteenth century and kept a colonial centre of cobbled streets, white walls and tiled roofs on a ridge at around eleven hundred metres. The Flor de Copán factory in town still rolls cigars and runs tours through curing, fermenting and rolling. The climate is cool, the cathedral sits on a large square, and the town is the natural base for the western highlands and the Lenca villages south of it.

Background

Santa Rosa de Copán is the capital of the department of Copán and lies at about 1,150 metres. No city in western Honduras is larger or more important; it had 61,800 people calculated for 2023, and the International Highway of the West, CA-4, runs north to San Pedro Sula and west to the border crossings at El Poy for El Salvador and Agua Caliente for Guatemala. Summer temperatures, from March to June, run from 25 to 29 °C, and winter ones from 13 to 15 °C. Its historic centre is a national monument, and the town sits between Copán Ruinas, Gracias and the Celaque National Park.

Source: Wikipedia, "Santa Rosa de Copán"

Highlights

• The colonial centre - cobbled streets and tiled roofs around the cathedral square.
• The cigar factory - Flor de Copan, with tours through the full process.
• The cathedral - the large church dominating the central plaza.
• The highland setting - a ridge town at eleven hundred metres with cool air.

When to go

November to April is the driest. The town is comfortable year-round at this altitude. Factory tours run on weekdays and are arranged ahead.

Good to know

The historic centre is small and a couple of hours covers it. The factory tour needs booking and does not run at weekends. The town is a base for the region rather than a sight in itself.

Nearby

Gracias and Celaque are southeast, Copan Ruinas is west, and Belen Gualcho is south.

Key facts