THE BORDER CROSSING At EL FLORIDO, GUATEMALA, IS OPEN 24 HOURS.
A letter sent to King Philip II in 1576, by Diego García de Palacios announced in Europe the first news about the archaeological ruins of Copán. García de Palacios wrote that “On the road ( from Guatemala) to the city of San Pedro, in the first town within the province of Honduras, called Copan, there are certain ruins and vestiges of a large population, and of magnificent buildings, of such skill and splendor, that it seems that they could never have been built by the natives ... “. The words of García de Palacios attracted the attention of some adventurers, however it was until 1839 that John Lloyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood made the now classic exploratory trip to Copan. Thanks to this event, famous archaeologists began to arrive, starting a cycle of research that continues to date and has been present more than a hundred years. The enigmatic and magical town of Copan Ruinas, located in the vicinity of the Mayan ruins in the mountainous west of Honduras, was founded as a result of the arrival of the first researchers at the end of the 19th century. It is registered as its foundation on January 1st, 1893. Currently, along with researchers, more than 100,000 visitors arrive annually to appreciate the greatness of the dynasty initiated by King K’inich Yax k’uk ‘Mo (Great Sun , first Quetzal-macaw). Copán Ruinas is the most important cultural destination in Honduras. Its grandeur is admired throughout Central America and it is for this reason that most of the Central American countries offer multiple excursions to this emblematic place.