ABOUT HACIENDA SAN LUCAS - in their own words:

Welcome to Hacienda San Lucas:
Nestled in the hills above the tranquil Copán Valley, Hacienda San Lucas is a 100-year old family-owned retreat uniquely situated directly above the world-renowned Maya ruins of Copán.

Hacienda San Lucas is a 100-year old property that was converted into an eco-lodge in 2000. Owned for many years by the Cueva family, the hacienda is situated on 300 acres of pristine tropical forest in Western Honduras, and overlooks the renowned Maya Ruins of Copan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The hacienda was lovingly restored by hand to its original design using only local materials, techniques and labor.

In contrast to other Central American countries, Honduras is just beginning to perceive sustainable ecotourism as a viable and substantial benefit to the national economy. Hacienda San Lucas has played a major role in this burgeoning awareness.

San Lucas was created and is successfully managed without external incentives or support. In fact, from its inception, San Lucas was treated by many Hondurans with substantial skepticism or indifference. Thus, the pioneering success of Hacienda San Lucas sends a powerful signal to the region that sustainable ecotourism works. San Lucas now serves as a role model for positive change.

Our Mission:
The mission of Hacienda San Lucas is to provide our guests a unique and unforgettable experience based on a spiritual commitment to share our family's patrimony of an authentic rural hacienda that is helping the development of neighboring communities. This responsibility includes the care and preservation of the nature and archaeology, as well as personal attention to each visitor, so that our guests feel like personal friends of our family.

The History of San Lucas:
The Copan valley is filled with archeological footprints of the ancient Maya. The San Lucas property is home to the ruin Los Sapos ("the Toads"), which a recent Harvard University study deemed an important ceremonial site for the ancient Maya. To this day, the local folk tradition believes that Los Sapos holds special powers related to birthing and fertility (the toad is a fertility symbol in Maya tradition, and this region is home to 12 species of toads). There are also numerous unexcavated ruins throughout the property, which have been protected by the family from looters for many years.

Due to the environmental threats of deforestation and erosion, the Cueva family planted over 4,600 native trees, with the dual purpose of stemming erosion caused by slash and burn agriculture, and to provide sanctuary for local wildlife. They have also worked to educate the indigenous farmers about the value of forests. One innovative program paid local farmers in bushels of corn to plant trees (instead of corn) on deforested land.

From the beginning, the Cuevas communicated with local village elders to ensure that San Lucas would benefit their communities and sustain their culture, as long as they respected the archeology and sustained the forests. Toward that end the family implemented a number of programs, including training local men and women to give tours, to make crafts to sell to tourists (such as stone carvings and corn husk dolls), and by utilizing local recipes in the restaurant.

Flavia Cueva, the owner, manager, chef, and spiritual force behind San Lucas, is also very involved in the local community, organizing tourism safety programs and hospitality classes. She actively supports the local Rotary Club & Copan Pinta (a children's charity), was a cofounder of Paramedics for Children, is Vice President of the Copan Ruinas Chamber of Commerce, and is a vocal proponent of sustainable development and cultural preservation in municipal meetings.

San Lucas Expansion: After just fours of operation, and the amazing encouragementand response to the spirit of San Lucas by so many special visitors from all over the world, it was evident to our family that the time had come for San Lucas to grow.

Construction began in February 2005 on six new rooms, an expanded kitchen, and landscaping carefully designed to preserve the authenticity of the original structure. We used the same local materials and textures as before and great thought was given to integrating the new buildings into the existing landscape. Special attention was given to the design based on the analysis of an archaeologist from the Institute of History and Anthropology, who worked for several months to ensure that the proposed design would not desecrate or destroy any buried Maya structures.

As before, the construction was completed without electricity or heavy modern machinery. Our guests in 2005 witnessed the careful application of age-old construction methods. On November 19, 2005, our family officially blessed the expanded San Lucas by celebrating a mass in San Lucas with over 100 family and close friends who have supported and encouraged us from the start.

As San Lucas continues to flourish, the notion of sustainable ecotourism commands increasing respect in Honduras. Hacienda San Lucas, a labor of love for the Cueva family, has succeeded beyond hope in a culture that does not yet value ecotourism. It is a unique beacon of light in the region, a much-needed role model for sustainable development that preserves the unique culture and the beautiful land, and serves the people who live there.

ACCOMMODATIONS:
Spending the night in a candlelit San Lucas room is a truly enchanting, unforgettable experience.

Hacienda San LucasFollowing our recent expansion, we are now pleased to offer eight distinctive rooms with private bath, hot water, solar lighting, and ceiling fans.

Whether you're a first time visitor or one of our many returning guests, the tranquility of San Lucas at night will wash over you like a lazy dream.

ACTIVITIES:
There's always something fun, exciting, or relaxing to do at San Lucas:

• Horseback riding tours, to and from the town of Copan, along the river, or up into the hills to tour villages or the San Rafael organic coffee finca.
• Hike our nature trails to spectacular views of the Copan Valley, the ruins, and the town of Copan
• Just relax. Lie in a hammock and read a book, paint the stunning nature and views, play with our dogs, or simply meditate.
• Visit the on-site ruin Los Sapos, the mysterious Mayan ceremonial site whose true purpose still confounds archeologists.
• For nature lovers, enjoy our fantastic birdwatching, and the exotic butterflies, in our exuberant, lush tropical forest. The Copan region is a birdwatcher's paradise, with nearly 390 species identified to date (view bird list of recent guest). The tranquil oasis of San Lucas attracts a stunning diversity of birds. Our region boasts several renowned English-speaking guides, as well. So contact us to arrange a memorable birding experience. And please visit the Macaw Mountain Bird Park & Nature Reserve, just a 15 minute drive from the hacienda.
• Learn Spanish. Often our visitors are so entranced by the tranquility of the Copan Valley that they look for an excuse to stay a little longer. Well, why not study Spanish for a week? Ixbalanque Spanish School is an excellent language school located in downtown Copan Ruinas.

CUISINE:
Come and enjoy our authentic country cuisine prepared before your eyes in our rustic, open kitchen. Join our Maya Chortí staff rolling tortillas or wrapping tamales. Our five-course candlelight dinners are accompanied by unique South American wines. And our hearty country breakfasts are the stuff of legend in the Copan valley.