Serving as the capital of Copan, Santa Rosa de Copan is the largest city in western Honduras and an important hub for tobacco and coffee farming. It was founded in the early 20th century and centres around a beautifully preserved historic core that has been declared a Honduran national monument.
Things to do in Santa Rosa Copan
Stroll through the cobblestone streets of Santa Rosa de Copan to admire its beautifully preserved Neoclassical buildings. Don’t miss the whitewashed Santa Rosa de Copan Cathedral, which was constructed at the turn of the 19th century in an elegant Baroque style. Adjacent to the cathedral is Parque Central "La Libertad”, a lively square where you can watch the world go by.
If you’re interested in Santa Rosa de Copan’s cigar-making history, visit La Flor de Copan for a behind-the-scenes tour. Watch as the tobacco is stuffed and hand-rolled before being placed into a mould to create a uniform shape. After your visit, you can purchase Flor de Copan, Don Melo and Casa Copan cigars in a variety of sizes at the outlet store.
Today, coffee has taken over from cigars as Santa Rosa de Copan’s most important industry, with several processing plants open to visitors. Join a guided tour to learn how coffee beans are transformed into their roasted form, ready to be ground and extracted. At Beneficio Santa Rosa, you can sample the finished product at the on-site cafe or purchase roasted beans to take home with you.
Getting around Santa Rosa Copan
Santa Rosa de Copan is around 3.5 hours’ drive from San Pedro Sula and Ramón Villeda Morales International Airport, which has flights to destinations across the Americas and Europe. Long-distance buses connect to Santa Rosa de Copan while local services travel throughout the city.