This was a fun surprise on our vacation. The park was much larger than we thought and had more to…read moresee than the website seemed to imply. I believe we spent a little over 2 hours total with our private tour. There are many structures including a main temple and a ball court. There is also a path through preserved forested area up the hillside looking over where the river meets the ocean. Definitely worth the hike up there, especially since gusts of wind greet you. I suggest going early in the morning to beat the heat and rush. We did a tour with Mario who was wonderful and very knowledgeable. The site is run by INAH. It was $6 (US) per person to get in and a tour guide was extra. Non-Spanish speakers: the museum only has wording in Spanish. The signs on the campus have both English and Spanish but I still suggest a guide for more information.

Come to Copalita for the nice walking trails, not for the opportunity to see ancient ruins up…read moreclose. I've been to several of these parks in Mexico, and this is the first time the ruins have been roped off and only visible from a distance. Some of them were active dig sites, so it was understandable that visitors couldn't walk up to them, but others made no sense. There was good information at each site, and stone had been laid on the trails, making them easily walkable. Also: we saw a troop of coati mundis! It was a serious highlight. They are so cute!