Río Copán, Lower, Middle, & Upper Parts, and Río Gila, Honduras (click here for the Honduras table of rivers)

river photo

Class: IV, II, IV / III-; Flow: 100-1,000 cfs; Average Gradient: 6, 4, 27 / 6 m/km; Portages: wood; Length: 10,10,7.5 /12 km; Time: up to 6 hours

Season: June to December; rafts? no; Highlights: something for everyone (even non-paddlers); Crux move: choosing the right something

Put-In: Santa Rita (638 m) or El Mirador bridge (680 m) or above / Pueblo Viejo (711 m); Take-Out: Copán Ruinas (583 m) or above

Description: (click here for general notes about my descriptions)

The Río Copán (also known as the Río Amarillo) has a famous name due to the world class tourist attraction of the Mayan ruins here. While the ruins are much more impressive than the whitewater in these parts, the Río Copán still can provide a nice diversion for paddlers who are passing through.

A full description is in the Mayan Whitewater El Salvador, Honduras, & Nicaragua guidebook.

Descent History: Germans Udo Witteman (Omega Tours founder), Andi Krause, Meike Haberer and Victor Klaus were likely the first to run the Lower Río Copán, in 1992 on their first trip to Honduras in 1992. I checked out the Upper in August 2006 with 125 cfs, and the Río Gila in September 2019 with 100 cfs.