2893 HONDURAS - Sunrise in Roatán

Roatán (formerly known as Ruatan and Rattan) is an island in the Caribbean, the largest of the Bay Islands of Honduras, located between Útila and Guanaja. It is approximately 77km long, and less than 8km across at its widest point. The island rests on an exposed ancient coral reef, rising to about 270m above sea level. Most habitation is in the western half of the island. The most populous town is Coxen Hole, located in the southwest. The easternmost quarter of the island is separated by a channel through the mangroves that is 15m wide on average.

1147 HONDURAS - Maya Site of Copan (UNESCO WHS)

Discovered in 1570 by Diego García de Palacio, the ruins of Copán, one of the most important sites of the Mayan civilization (located now on western Honduras, near to the border with Guatemala) were not excavated until the 19th century. The first evidence of population in the Copan Valley dates back to 1500 B.C., but the first Maya-Cholan immigration from the Guatemalan Highlands is dated around 100 A.D. The Maya leader Yax Kuk Mo, coming from the area of Tikal (Petén), arrived in the Copan Valley in 427 A.D., and started a dynasty of 16 rulers that transformed Copan into one of the greatest Maya cities during the Classic Maya Period. The great period of Copán occurred during the Classical period, AD 300-900.