How to get from Copan Ruinas to La Ceiba
Many tourists traveling along Central America enter Honduras via the El Florido border between Guatemala and Honduras. The border is very close to the lovely town of Copan Ruinas and the World famous Mayan Archaeological site of Copan. After spending a few days visiting Copan, (For more information on Copan Ruinas visit www.letsgocopan.com & www.honduras.travel) travelers are ready to continue their journey through Honduras, and are usually looking for information on how to get from Copan Ruinas to La Ceiba.
Although La Ceiba is not necessarily on the travel plans of most tourists in Honduras, it is an obligated trip to continue on to the Bay Islands of Utila or Roatan, since the ferry that interconnects mainland Honduras with the Bay Islands departs from La Ceiba. This means that travelers are always looking for useful, updated information on how to get from Copan Ruinas to La Ceiba.
If you are driving your own car, the route is quite easy, however you will have to keep yourself alert to avoid the potholes on the roads, especially between Copan Ruinas and San Pedro Sula. You will take the only road leading east out of Copan Ruinas and continue on until the junction town of La Entrada, Copan, where you will merge into highway CA7 that connects San Pedro Sula to the Aguacaliente border in Guatemala and the El Poy Border with El Salvador. The distance between Copan Ruinas and La Entrada is 60 km, and it will take you approximately one hour to travel this distance. From La Entrada, you are 104 km from San Pedro Sula. The trickiest part of figuring out how to get from Copan Ruinas to La Ceiba if you are driving your own car is maneuvering around San Pedro Sula to get on the next road, which is higway CA13 leading East towards El Progreso, Tela and La Ceiba. Follow the signs to the airport or any of the above mentioned cities, and you will catch the loop known as Segundo Anillo Periferico, that will take you directly from the entrance to San Pedro Sula to the exit, without really dealing with driving through the city. From San Pedro Sula, the distance to La Ceiba is exactly 200 km.
If you are not driving your car, and are looking for an option on how to get from Copan Ruinas to La Ceiba by bus, your best option by far is Hedman Alas, the premier bus company in Honduras, who has two daily departures from Copan Ruinas to San Pedro Sula with interconnecting service continuing to La Ceiba. For schedules and prices, check out www.hedmanalas.com. You can even purchase your tickets online, so preplanning your trip is actually a piece of cake! One big advantage of using Hedman Alas is that you will be secluded in their safe terminal throughout your stay, so if you are nervous about traveling to San Pedro Sula because of the reputation that the press has given the city, this is a great option!
If you are a bit more adventuresome and on a budget, and know that the city does not really live up to its reputation, another option on how to get from Copan Ruinas to La Ceiba is using Casasola Express out of Copan Ruinas. Despite the fact that company caters to locals, they offer good, reasonable, fast and comfortable service between Copan Ruinas and San Pedro Sula. They have five daily departures from Copan Ruinas to San Pedro and vice-versa. Although they do not have a web page, you can check their facebook page out at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Casasola-Express/114872635201738. Casasola Express has an “interline” agreement with another company called Diana Express, http://transportedianaexpress.jimdo.com/. Both companies have great connecting schedules, and you can actually pre purchase your ticket all the way from Copan Ruinas to La Ceiba in Copan Ruinas through Casasola Express with just a brief stopover in San Pedro Sula.
Now that you know how to get from Copan Ruinas to La Ceiba, you should also know that most travelers make the mistake of completely bypassing La Ceiba en route to the Bay Islands. This is not only a mistake; it is a great shame that they miss out on some of the most accessible, tropical rain forests in Central America. The crown jewel of La Ceiba is the Cangrejal River Valley, an area located less than 7 miles from downtown or the Port facility in La Ceiba, where you will find not one, but two national parks: Pico Bonito and Nombre de Dios National Parks both have the Cangrejal River as their official boundary, both have magnificent trails into the tropical forests with beautiful secluded waterfalls and crystal clear creeks waiting to be discovered and enjoyed by you. Some of the best white water rafting in Central America is also available here for you to enjoy. Do yourself a favor and spend a couple of days in the Cangrejal River Valley. Your only regret might be that you do not have time to spend a couple of more days there! La Villa de Soledad B&B is one of several eco lodge accommodations in the area. For a complete list of facilities in the area, check out www.cangrejalriver.com
