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One of the easiest beaches to access from the cruise dock is Mahogany Beach, part of Carnival Cruise Line's Caribbean holdings. There's a chairlift from the dock area to the beach. Tabyana Beach, popular for shore excursions, is a place to have lunch, shop, paddle kayaks and more. The beaches at West End and West Bay are just a 10-15 minute ride from the cruise docks. They're beautiful but they do get crowded when ships are in port.
For an immersion experience it's hard to do better than the dolphin programs offered by the Roatan Institute for Marine Sciences, located at Anthony's Key Resort on Sandy Bay. There are programs for all ages, from dolphin meet-and-greets to swimming with them or learning to be a trainer.
Arch's Iguana and Marine Park is one of the treasures on Roatan and provides safe haven for hundreds of iguanas. Once plentiful on the island, iguanas have been over-hunted for food and although protected are still a staple in Roatan cuisine. Efforts at this farm have helped to keep local iguanas off the endangered species list.
Gumbalinda Park in West Bay is part animal preserve, part gardens and part adventure park. It features a beach, cafe, shopping, canopy tour, zip line and activities for the whole family. If coming face to face with monkeys and parrots sounds good, this is your place.
Just off Roatan is the second largest barrier coral reef in the world, making scuba diving a huge draw here. The waters off Roatan's shores are teeming with marine life, and there are a variety of great dive sites for visitors to experience. Most ships that dock here offer scuba diving among the shore excursion options.
Some of the inns and resorts in West End have restaurants with beach and water views, making them a nice spot to grab a drink and lunch out of the sun but still close to the water.
Yaba Ding Ding in the town of Coxen's Hole is one of the places that sells art, crafts and apparel made on Roatan Island.
Cruise ships anchor on the south side of Roatan at one of two places:
In addition to land taxis there are also water taxis. One of the most popular for tourists is the one between West End and West Bay, where some of the island's most popular beaches lie. Most will take U.S. dollars.
Taxis are available outside the cruise port, but make sure you agree on the fare (and the currency) before entering the car, as most taxis do not have meters. The taxi fare should be about $10/person each way to get to West End and $15/person to West Bay from the cruise ship dock
Minibuses run in either direction from Coxen Hole. There aren’t many dedicated bus stops, instead just flag down the bus by waving at it. Pay the driver’s assistant when you board – about $1 on most routes.
Documents: U.S. and Canadian citizens need a valid passport.
Language: The official language of Roatan is Spanish however the most common language spoken is English.
Store hours: Most stores are open from 9 am to 5 pm Monday to Saturday, and are closed for lunch from approximately 12 noon to 1 pm. While there are some decent shops and some crafts to be found, most of what's available are outdoor stalls with relatively inexpensive items.
Tipping: You can bargain for almost everything in Roatan so be prepared!
Currency: The Honduran Lempira but U.S. dollars are widely accepted.
Safety: The U.S. Department of State has an active travel warning in place for mainland Honduras, where crime is unfortunately high. Roatan is considered much safer than mainland Honduras but precautions are important. Don't take expensive jewelry or lots of cash to shore with you. Book taxis at the ports and make sure they're licensed. Book tours through your ship or established, reputable tour operators only, don't wander around alone on deserted beaches and stay away from large crowds as pickpockets target them. The State Department warning says this: "The vast majority of cruise line passengers in Honduras experience no problems, but incidents of armed robbery and carjacking have been reported. Coxen Hole on the island of Roatan should be avoided after dark." See the full report.
How about you? Have you been to Roatan? Have any tips for visitors? We'd love to hear about your experience.
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