Services
On this page you will find information about the following services:
- Hotels
- Restaurants
- Spanish lessons
- Banking and exchange
- Communication
- Getting around town
- Other services
Hotels
La Posada de Juan Bed & Breakfast (US$30 double, tel +504 662-0254, email laposadadejuan@hotmail.com) is my personal favorite, located ½ block east of the Universidad Católica in a recently renovated home. With only five rooms, reservations are recommended.
The Hotel Rosario (US$10 double), two blocks northeast of the central plaza, is an economical choice. The best of the cheap places is the Hospedaje Calle Real ($3 double), ½ block east of Pizza Pizza on Calle Centenario.
Restaurants
Hungry? Santa Rosa de Copán's restaurants have made the town an informal R&R center for Peace Corps volunteers. There are steak houses, international cuisine, Chinese food, and -- of course -- hearty Honduran fare. Pizza Pizza, four blocks east of the central plaza in a charming colonial house and courtyard, doubles as a traveler's information center and book exchange.
Spanish Lessons
Santa Rosa is an ideal location in which to study Spanish. Unlike better known venues such as Antigua, Santa Rosa is not overrun with English speaking travelers, so you will have continual opportunities to practice what you are learning. Likewise, you will be pleasantly surprised by the lower cost of living here while studying.
Nuria Henriquez, professor of languages at the Universidad Pedagógica Nacional, comes highly recommended by her students. Professor Henriquez offers both classes and individual tutorials to students of all levels. Contact her at nhenriqueza@hotmail.com.
Banking and Exchange
Banco Atlántida (facing the bus terminal) and Banco de Occidente (on the southeast side of the central plaza) both have automatic teller machines (ATMs) that accept Visa cards. Both banks change U.S. currency and American Express travelers cheques to Honduran lempiras, and provide cash advances on Visa cards. As elsewhere in Central America, you will find ATMs to be considerably faster than waiting in the sometimes long lines in the bank. Consider using ATMs for most of your banking and exchange needs.
Pricier businesses in town will accept Visa cards. A rare few will accept U.S. currency and fewer still American Express travelers cheques, but at less favorable rates than the bank or ATM. Credit cards other than Visa, travelers cheques other than American Express, and foreign currency other than U.S. dollars are rarely accepted anywhere in Honduras.
General advice on money matters in Honduras can be found in our frequently asked questions.
Communication
The post office, Honducor, faces the central plaza. It is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. A letter or post card typically requires two weeks for delivery to the U.S. and three weeks for Europe.
The telephone company, Hondutel, is next door to the post office. Long distance calls can be placed daily; a three minute call to the U.S. costs US$4. Faxes can be sent Monday through Friday.
Better, however, is to use email or Internet phone calls from any of Santa Rosa´s many cybercafés. Most charge less than US$1 per hour.
Getting Around Santa Rosa
Taxis are plentiful and cheap. They have a fixed fare of US$0.75 per person within the city. It is customary for the taxi driver to pick up other passengers on the way to your destination. There are two taxi stands in town: one in front of the central plaza, and one at the bus station. Most passengers, however, simply hail a taxi on the street. It is not customary to tip taxi drivers.
The city bus, marked urbanos, takes a circular route around the town. Its stately pace makes it a poor choice for getting anywhere fast, but it is a colorful way to see the town.
Elsewhere on this site is information on transportation to Santa Rosa and a map of Santa Rosa.
Other Services
- English speaking doctor: Dr. Sohel Rajabian, Clinica Médica Las Gemas, ½ block north of Hotel Elvir, tel +504 662-1428.
- Immigration Service: one block north of central plaza. Tourist visas may be renewed here with much less trouble than in larger cities.