Isla de Roatán Favorites

Favorite thing: One of the best places for information on what to do in various ports is
Cruise Critic. The Cruise Critic Roatan forum board was very useful in planning shore excursions, whether the ones offered by the ship or independent, and there is also Roatan port information with hints on where to go, what to do, where the ships dock, where to eat and how to get around.

To find out how many other cruise ships will be in town along with you, check
Cruisett.com. The more ships in town, the more competition for independent guides and tours and the more crowded the main attractions will be.

Ships dock at either Mahogany Bay or Coxen Hole. The experience is quite different, Mahogany Bay is an isolated fabricated port, Coxen Hole lands you right in the middle of the largest city on the island.

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Favorite thing: There are many stores at Mahogany Bay, the port where you usually dock when you go to Isla Roatan. The Mahogany Bay Mall is likely the place you will shop. There are several stores there where you can buy postcards but not sure where you can buy stamps. You can ask the Information Booth which is located at the Mahogany Mall.

There are also several stores in Coxen Hole, the main city in Isla Roatan. I went to Jaba Ding Ding and it was a nice place to shop. You will enjoy shopping there. They sell many potteries, Honduran purses and bags, bracelets, silver jewelries, etc. To get there is to hop a cab at Mahogany Bay (the cab drivers are usually waiting in line at the Mahogany Mall) and tell the driver to go to Jaba Ding Ding. You can request the store owner to mail you your postcard. She sells stamps over there.

Fondest memory: My daughter and I went ziplining and riding the Magic chair. We had the best time of our lives! We also shop at Coxen Hole, visited a small zoo there while my husband and other daughter went snorkelling at the Mahogany Bay.

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Favorite thing: I think the people in Isla Roatan are genuinely very friendly. Most of them are very helpful. They are very laid back.

My observation is that they are just getting used to tourists. The new dock at the Isla Roatan was just developed by the Carnival Cruise Line and it was just recent that they started bringing tourists to the island.

The cab driver I hired as a tour guide was very honest and very friendly. He didn't scheme on me. He patiently waited for me and my daughter when we went window shopping and he also patiently waited for us at the Mayan Jungle Canopy.

A lot of the people here don't speak English so knowing the language Spanish is a plus.

Favorite thing: There is a gentleman who runs a small tour shop in West end. His shop is across the road from the Beach House restaurant, a few metres north of the main intersection. To the best of my recollection, his name is Jimmy. He can arrange virtually any tour for you on Roatan, taxis into town, water ferry, or just about anything else you need. His commissions or fees are very minimal. More importantly he is honest and reliable. A good man to meet just to talk to and a great guy to know when you have a problem.

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Favorite thing: Another interesting tropical plant we saw growing in Roatan was Breadfruit. The breadfruit is a large tree, and the first specimens were brought to the Caribbean from the Tahiti by Captain Bligh of "Mutiny on the Bounty" fame.

Breadfruit, a member of the fig family, is often eaten, but it has never become as popular in the West Indies as in the South Pacific. Still, breadfruit trees, usually grown as an ornamental, can be found throughout the Caribbean region.

All About the Breadfruit Tree

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Favorite thing: Cashews have been my favorite nut since I was a kid, but until I visited Roatan I had never seen them growing on a tree. Most people, like myself, only know of cashews that come in bags, salted and roasted, from the store.

It was interesting to see green cashews, which grow only in the tropics, in the front yard of a home in the Roatan countryside.

All About Cashews - from the Nut Factory

Favorite thing: One of the things that impressed me most favorably about Roatan was the courtesy and friendliness of the people we met there. From our experience, the people of Roatan treat tourists like honored guests.

I was amused by this sign in downtown Coxen Hole, and felt it was a perfect example of the Roatan spirit of hospitality. It reads:

THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT, REQUEST
FROM VISITORS AND RESIDENTS, THE
UNDERSTANDING FOR THE ACTUAL
CONDITION OF THE STREETS IN
COXEN HOLE: WHICH IS CAUSED BY
THE WORKS OF INSTALLATION OF THE
CITY SEWAGE SYSTEM, IN ORDER TO
PROCURE BETTER LIVING CONDITIONS.

WORKING FOR PROGRESS

Favorite thing: Many tourists to Roatan now arrive by cruiseship for one day only. If you plan to stay a while longer, you'll either be arriving via the mainland of Honduras or flying in.

Roatan can be reached directly or with connections by Continental, Delta, American and TACA airlines. Flights from Atlanta, Houston, Miami and New Orleans may take as little as 2 hours which is great when you have a limited amount of vacation time.

Atlantic Airlines, Islena Regional and SOSA regional airlines also provide service to Roatan.

Visitors from the USA, Canada, Italy & Spain do not need a Visa. Although Honduras does not require Visas for all tourists, check the Honduran consulate (www.hn/embajadash.html) for specific details for your country. Always have your valid passport available on arrival.