ROATAN

Over the Christmas/New Year holidays, I went on two cruises--each a week long, back-to-back--

 

--and I took photos exactly twice: first when the ship docked in Roatan, an island off the coast of Honduras; and then during our stop in Belize. We'll discuss Belize another time.

Now, let's discuss Roatan.

Roatan is basically a big mountain in the ocean, surrounded by some little wisps of beach.

Besides snorkeling and diving, the big activity on the island is zooming through the forest on ziplines.  I can barely ride an escalator without passing out, so I did NOT elect to hang from a wire and slide down to the beach.  But from the top of the mountain, the view is nice.

So here's the deal with Roatan: the island is very poor, but that is the case with many tropical destinations that rely on tourism for income. With that said, the people are open to interacting with visitors, which is generous of them.

...and when it's a nice day, why not bathe in the front yard?

Roatan is virtually untouched by corporate behemoth hotels and restaurants, so the island is very laid-back.  Of course, away from the watchful eyes of tour guides, it can be a little dicey; typical common-sense guidelines should be followed, including at the very busy cruise port where petty crime happens. Allow me to give you some pointers:

1) If you come in on cruise ship, at the port you will be accosted by hooligans hawking overpriced cabs, scooters, and what-not.  As there isn't a significant tourist-friendly infrastructure on the island, engage their services at your own peril.  (The cruise-sponsored excursions are more expensive, but they may be less stressful.)

2) Prostitution is legal in Honduras. So, if you are walking around alone, be aware of people being particularly friendly to you.

3) If you choose to walk around on your own, when you leave the port be sure to walk to the right, into town.  Don't walk to the left.  It's all residential, and you will look like you don't know what you're doing.  Cabs are registered with the local government; negotiate the price for the ride before you get into the cab. And if the cab stops to let someone else in, shared ride routes are common. Unfortunately.

4) There isn't much to see/buy "in town." Instead, take a cab to a little village called West End, which has bars, owned by ex-patriots/stoners. They get busy at night.  During the day it's sleepy but cute.

5) There are various beaches around the island; the most touristy is West Bay.  Although the touristy beaches are more crowded, they are often sprayed for"no see-ums" (aka sand fleas), which will make your life more pleasant.  (Unfortunately bug spray kills the coral reefs, which are very important to Roatan's economy.) If you find a romantic secluded beach, and don't see anyone laying on the sand, don't you be the first person to run out there and lay down.

 

PART 2: Best beaches and sites in Roatan

 

 

 

Comments

[Tom Edwards]

This is a great island - my partner went in june and are going back this weekend - snorkeling is great and the reef in most places are just off the beach. The people are polite and the expats are welcoming - where the cruise ships come in I don't know much about but Weet Bay and West End are great - hit Sundowners for a cocktail and swim out to the sail boat and swing off the mast into the water - wear bug spray - any island or beach has the no seeums-

[Jeff]

Ugh...I would have just stayed on the boat.

[erik]

omg, what are sand fleas?? now i have something else to be paranoid about!