On the outskirts of Copán Ruinas are a variety of excellent lodging options. On a pleasant hilltop setting overlooking town is Posada Real de Copán (tel. 651-4480/81/82, www.posadarealdecopan.com, info [at] posadarealdecopan [dot] com, $85 d), with 80 rooms equipped with purified tap water, air-conditioning, and cable TV, and with a swimming pool, two bars, and a restaurant.

You may hear about Hacienda San Lucas (tel. 651-4106, info [at] haciendasanlucas [dot] com, www.haciendasanlucas.com, $85 d) even before your arrival in town, as it has a well-earned reputation for excellent service. The fantastic accommodations are set on a renovated 100-year-old hacienda, the brainchild of Honduran Flavia Cueva. The lodge’s eight rooms, spread about the beautifully landscaped grounds, manage to be comfortable and yet stylishly rustic at the same time. At night, candles provide additional atmosphere. Enjoy a drink and watch the sunset over the Copán Valley before settling down to a delicious five-course dinner ($20) served in a gorgeous garden patio.

Another wonderful old farm-turned-chic-hotel can be found along the road to San Pedro Sula near the village of Santa Rita at Hacienda El Jaral (tel. 552-4457 or 552-5067, $50 d), where you can stay in cozy wooden cabins near a lagoon. The rooms have ceiling fan, TV, private hot-water bathroom, and hammocks on a small porch. Choose from activities including hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, or tubing on the Río Copán. Its owners also run a small shopping center, water park, and movie theater just down the road.