Twisted Tanya Tours

Honduras is more than just another warm weather, tropical, banana republic destination, it is the richness of a good cup of freshly roasted coffee and the bright green wings of a toucan. It is friendly locals who have the time to chat and small villages like Copan where life leads a more leisurely, laid back pace.

Finca El Cisne

Finca El Cisne is an enormous 75-year-old hacienda in the heart of the coffee-growing highlands of Western Honduras. The community recently opened its gates to visitors interested in experiencing the traditional life of a working Honduran farm. Located just 14 miles from Copan, this coffee/cardamom plantation and cattle ranch is home to Casa Castejan, a serene retreat with five rooms for up to 15 people bordered on two sides by streams, just minutes away from soothing hot springs. A one-day tour offers tips on how a real cattle ranch is run, followed by a morning horseback ride and a farmhouse lunch. An overnight tour is a 24-hour experience of riding, a working hand-milking dairy, coffee, cardamom finca tour and dinner. A swim in the local hot springs prepares visitors for a long night of rest in the fincas hotel. Wake up to a hearty breakfast before returning to Copan. All tours are given in fluent Spanish, English or French.

The Macaw Mountain Bird Park and Nature Reserve is an innovative tropical bird reserve in Western Honduras that cares for rescued and endangered birds. North American conservationist Mandy Wagner began rescuing parrots and toucans out of devotion to these intelligent, social creatures and by the 1990s, her private collection had grown to more than 40 birds representing 15 species.

Macaw Mountain's nine-acre nature reserve, one of the last old growth forests close to Copan, includes an extraordinary forest including mahogany, Indio desnudo (gumbo limbo), Chico zapote, Spanish cedar and fig trees. Elevated wooden trails and decks offer spectacular viewing of the park's pristine river, year-round freshwater springs, huge boulders and sloping canyon walls. Native species and tropical ornamentals augment the natural botanical garden. The whisper of Blue Morpho butterflies is a soft counterpoint to noisy flights of wild parakeets. Because many tropical birds are endangered, close to extinction, or have limited habitats due to the encroachment of farming and/or logging of the tropical forests, Macaw Mountain is committed to making a lasting impression with educational materials that explain how it is possible to maintain healthy populations of tropical birds in their natural environment. Coffee and bright green wings; it's the Copan way.

Located in the western part of Honduras, Copan was home to a great Mayan Civilization which developed and flourished across 325,000 square kilometers covering parts of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and El Salvador. The Copan Ruins offer a step up and away from tourist traps and busy cities. Its cool mountain climate (average year round temperature is a downright springlike 78F), colonial architecture and friendly citizens make this one of the Maya region's most pleasant places to visit. Its strategic location makes the Ruins an excellent base for day trips to the surrounding area whic abounds in ecotourism, nature tourism and adventure possibilities.

Archaeologists have collected a treasure trove of information about the ancient Mayans in the Copan Valley during a century of research which continues today. Known as one of the most artistically advanced and elaborate of all Mayan cities, Copan was declared a World Heritage Site in 1980 by UNESCO. The magnificent site called "Las Sepulturas" can also be visited along with the main site. Visitors are welcome at two excellent collections of antiquities in the town-based Museum of Archaeology and the Museum of Maya Sculpture adjacent to the main site. There is also a wonderful Maya Childrens Museum in the village center (casa K inich), admission is free.

Visitors always enjoy their stay in the nearby colonial town of Copan Ruinas with its narrow, cobblestoned streets. With plenty of craft and souvenir shops on hand, travelers can relax and experience the rich, deep Mayan world. Visitors to the ruins can walk right up to the inscribed stone pillars called "stela" carved more than 1,000 years ago. The Eastern and Western Courts, the hieroglyphic staircase and the ball court are all must-see destinations within the main archeological site

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