Review A Roatan Island, Honduras Vacation

Picture of Tegucigalpa Honduras, Recent Street Scene
From the air Roatan is a study in colors. The lush green vegetation that covers the island is in sharp contrast to the pure white of its beaches and the light shade of turquoise of the shallow waters contained by the reefs that surround it.  This first view of this vacation paradise is breath taking.  Once landing that initial impression remains for the duration of your trip.

Roatan is the largest of the Bay Islands, a group of four major islands off of the Caribbean coast of Honduras, and fast becoming the newest “undiscovered” vacation destination.

Archaeological evidence shows that Roatan and the other Bay Islands were inhabited prior to the arrival of the Europeans in the Sixteenth Century.  The natives may or may not have been related to the Mayans and had a simple society based on agriculture, fishing, and trade with the mainland.

Roatan and the remainder of the Bay Islands remain a district and separate part of Honduras, separated by more than water.  English is still the dominant language on Roatan, with Spanish often reserved for official Government usage.  Trade and family connections with other parts of the Carribean remain strong and have been reinforced in recent years by the arrival of many North Americans and Europeans who’ve either retired here and/or established businesses.

As in often the case the first tourists to “discover” Roatan were the back packers. They’re still there and most of the village of West End seems to cater to this group with its collection of simple cabins and inexpensive accommodations.  There are however all types of tourists coming to Roatan these days and accommodations available to suit all tastes and budgets.  Some of the larger properties are Anthony’s Key Resort at Sandy Bay and the 87 room Fantasy Island Dive and Beach Resort and/or the 26 room Coco View resort both located east of French Harbour.

Roatan is first and foremost a diver’s destination.  There are more than 100 dive sites in the waters around the island.  Most of the hotels and resorts on the island have facilities for divers and special dive packages available.  A walk down the main street in West End would convince most that almost all the business there are involved in this activity.  I went on several dives myself while Dixie explored the shopping district.  Great Dive sites.

There’s of course a reason for this.  Roatan is ringed by coral reefs that are part of the second largest coral reef system in the world.  This reef stretches northwards to Belize and Cozumel Mexico.  Two other well known scuba destinations. It is estimated that examples of 96% of the various types of marine life in the Caribbean can be found in the waters off of Roatan.  Combine this with numerous easily accessible wrecks, warm waters and excellent underwater visibility and you have a diver’s version of paradise.

One doesn’t have to be a diver to experience this. Many of the reefs, and even a few wrecks are easily accessible to snorkelers as well.

There is a great deal to do for the non diver here as well though.  The island’s rich fishing grounds offer more than enough challenge for the sport fisherman.  Many of those numerous bays and inlets have marinas with full facilities for sail and power boats.  Cruises including popular sunset cruises are also available.

For those with a slower pace there are also sea kayaks.  There is even a glass bottom boat and mini submarine tour for those who wish to see the reef and marine life up close but not get their feet, or anything else for that matter, wet.

On the land there is also plenty to do.  There are two zip line canopy tours on the island.  A third one with a white water rafting option is less than a twenty minute flight away on the mainland. Horseback riding and/or tours of the mangrove swamps can also be easily arranged.

The Roatan Marine Institute and Museum at Anthony’s Key offers a glimpse in the island’s past and the seas around the reef.  There is also a daily dolphin show here and the opportunity to swim and interact with these magnificent animals.

For those looking to relax there is more than one spa on the island.  A massage under the palm trees is often the perfect cure for whatever ails you, failing that there is just lazing on the beach preferably with a glass of the excellent local beer or rum in your hand.  There are plenty of beaches to choose from too, from isolated tiny strips to the large beaches at West Bay and West End where it seems almost everyone gathers to watch the spectacular sunsets.

Like the accommodations, there are restaurants to cover all tastes and budgets here.  Naturally sea food is king, with fresh lobster, shrimp, and crab at almost unbelievable prices.  However there are plenty of other options too especially in West End, Coxen Hole and French Harbour, including Steak places, Italian, Chinese and even a few fast food places.  For the record the German chef at the Roatan Dive and Yacht Club in French Harbour does a mean schnitzel, as well as fantastic gilled lobster.

For those doing it on their own there are plenty of grocery stores with good selections of local and imported products.  Eldons in French Harbour reputedly have the best selections and prices.

Coxen Hole is the largest town on the Roatan and the capital of the island.  The only ATMs on Roatan are located here, both of them, although there are also banks in French Harbour.  Most larger establishments will take major credit cards although often adding a service charge. Travellers cheques are also usually accepted Cash either Honduran Lempiras or US Dollars though is the most convenient method of payment.  The US Dollar is so well accepted that prices are often posted in it as well as Lempiras.  Change is usually given in the later though.

There are several Internet Cafes around Roatan including most in most hotels.  Prices are fairly reasonable, but connections are often slow and unreliable.

Getting around is fairly easy.  Roatan is only 30 miles/50 kilometres long and 2-4 miles/ 3-7 kilometres wide.  There is basically one main east west paved road that connects most points. Mini buses and collective taxis run along it at fairly regular intervals during the day and are fairly inexpensive.  After dark one is more or less restricted to taxis though which can be fairly expensive.  Roatan cab drivers don’t seem to have a good reputation both in regards to their driving skills and reports of ripping off tourists.

There are also several rent a car agencies on the island, mainly at the airport and/or in Coxen Hole or French Harbour.  Costs are not too prohibitive however once off the main roads, some to the smaller communities are connected by dirt roads that become hard to navigate in the rainy season.  For this reason, and the sometimes reckless behaviour of the taxi drivers, driving here is not for the faint of heart.

There are a few parts of the island such as West Bay and Oak Ridge that are more easily reached by water taxis.

Getting to Roatan is also fairly easy.  There is a regular ferry service with several trips a day from Coxen Hole to both La Ceiba on the mainland and the other Bay Islands.  There are also frequent domestic flights between La Ceiba and Coxen Hole. Flight time is less than twenty minutes in small twin engine turbo props.  The low cost and frequency of this service are such that many locals use it like they would a bus. 

At one time the ferry service was the only way to get to Roatan.  Since the increase in tourism on the island though that has all changed.  The airport’s runway has been expanded to allow jets. Several flights from mainland Honduras and other Central American countries arrive daily. In addition there is now regularly scheduled service to Miami and Dallas in the United States.  At the time of writing there were also two international charter flights a week, one from Milan Italy and the other from Toronto Canada.

Several cruise ship lines now include Roatan as a destination on Western Carribean itineraries. Most days of the week there is one or more berthed in Coxen Hole, which is developing industries to service them.  Literally hundreds of passengers spend the day either shopping in Coxen Hole or touring some of Roatan’s other attractions.  For those staying on the island who want to avoid crowds or line ups, it’s probably a good idea to check on which days a ship is in and plan where you want to go and/or do that day accordingly.

The tourist boom that is sweeping the island has hit the islands is evident everywhere.  After scuba operators and dive shops it seems the largest number of businesses is various realty companies offering residential and business properties.  Some even offer special real estate tours showing prospective investors what is available.  Most will tell you that Roatan is the “next big” Caymans, or Cancun, or Costa Rica as part of their sales pitch.

While the influx of tourists and does provide needed jobs and improvements to the local infrastructure, the trick will be to do so, without over developing the place and destroying the paradise that draws one there in the first place.  Come if your a diver as I think there are a lot of great dives to go on.