ROATAN TRAVEL GUIDE

Your No Non-Sense Guide To Roatan!

Roatan Travel Tips and Everything You Want And Need To Know About Visiting Roatan

(Updated for 2024)

If you have a vacation to Roatan planned in the near future, you are in for an amazing time in paradise! It’s my pleasure to share with you this Roatan Travel Guide that will help you with your trip planning to my favorite travel destination in the world.

You’ve got questions, I’ve got answers.  This guide will include answers to many of the questions you may have as a first-time traveler to Roatan including:

• Money! Currency of Roatan and things you need to know to save you $$
• things to do in Roatan
• how to get around 
• transportation & taxis
• where to stay on the island
• where to shop on the island for groceries
• what to wear
• packing must haves!
• plus more bonus tips

For cruise ship visitors, this post will answer some of your questions too.

Plus, you will find links to previous blog posts I’ve created about Roatan which cover almost anything you would want to know.. Let’s get to it!

Currency and Using Cash In Roatan – You must know these things!

The currency in Roatan is the Honduran Lempira. However, the US Dollar is widely excepted practically everywhere in Roatan, so, there is no need to worry about exchanging money for the Honduran Lempira.

The exchange rate fluctuates but as of Feb 2024 the exchange rate was 24.5 Limperas to 1 US Dollar.

Here is what you need to know: 

Bring US dollars to Roatan. Some of the ATMs are compromised so it is not a good idea to use them.

-Bring only small bills, $20 and under are best. The reason for this is that banks in Honduras, including those in Roatan, will not accept large bills. That means that the businesses will not accept them either.  While some businesses will take larger bills, you don’t want to be caught in a situation where a business won’t accept them.

-Make sure your bills are crisp and new as possible. Businesses will not accept torn or overly wrinkled US dollars. I know this sounds ridiculous but its true. Why crispy bills? This is because the banks in Honduras will not accept them so the locals don’t want them. I did have a vendor refuse a $5 bill that looked too worn to them. So it does happen!

-Businesses will give you change in dollars and in some cases Lempiras. I found that 9 times out of 10, I got US dollars back for change.  You can ask before hand if they can give you back USD or Lempiras if you have a preference.

USING CREDIT CARDS on the island…

Do businesses take credit cards? Some businesses will take credit cards, but they may charge a fee to use them. Make sure to ask before you use the credit card if there are fees so you can make the choice if you want to use a card or cash. You will want to use cash in cases where they do not accept credit cards or the fee is too high.

The businesses will run your card in Limperas, not dollars. For this reason, I always use a credit card that does not charge me extra transaction fees and that will give me the best exchange rate.  Check with your bank beforehand if you are not sure what your card may charge for foreign transaction fees. 

I use Capital One Venture Card because there are no fees and its gives an excellent exchange rate. (No Capital One didn’t sponsor this. I really just find it to save me the most money.)

ATMS?

It’s best not to use an ATM in Roatan because some are compromised. If you must use an ATM, there is one at Eldon’s supermarket and its your safest bet.

There Are No Addresses In Roatan

There are no addresses in Roatan. Really!

The address to my vacation rental went something like this….

“Tell the taxi driver to go towards West End, take the first round about and exit to the first right. Then go past sundowners and look for a long fence of the right. To the left, look for a red house. Our address the the house next door, in between the blue and yellow house.”

That was the “address” and it was truly an adventure finding my apartment rental. Quite an experience! So make sure to get the best directions you can for anywhere you go.

If you are going to a hotel, most taxis will know all the hotels in town.

How to Get Around

Taxi and Water Taxi – If you are staying on the West End or in West Bay, you will not need a car. You can take a private taxi, a collectivo taxi or water taxi to get wherever you need to go.  Better yet, you can walk.

During my stay in Roatan (on the West End), I was in a car total of 2 times and that included my ride to and from the airport.  I walked and took a water taxi the rest of the time. I loved being able to walk to most places without a car.

Water Taxi’s in Roatan are readily available from West End and West Bay

Rent a Car – If you are staying outside of West Bay, West End or Sandy Bay, you may want to rent a car to be able to get around and explore rather than relying on a taxi.  Taxis become less reliable and harder to come by the farther you get from West End, not to mention expensive.  While restaurants and stores are easily reached by walking or a short taxi on the West End, this is not the case on any other part of the island.  

Airport Transportation – Private Taxis are readily available at the airport. They have set prices based on where and how far you need to go. For instance, a private taxi ride from the Airport to West End is around $20-25 US dollars. You do not need to tip drivers since the price includes tip. (This information was given to me by a local. If you feel the need to tip extra, please do!)

For my personal recommendation of a driver, I contact Leo! Because you are here on Little Birdie Travel, I share inside tips to my readers (and viewers of my Youtube channel).

Leo has a van that seats 10- 14 people (depending on how much luggage you have). He does airport pick ups and tours around Roatan also. He has always been reliable for me on multiple trips in Roatan.  Although he can transport large groups, if you are traveling with just a few people, that’s fine too. Leo does not go to the cruise ship area for any tours, so if visiting Roatan by cruise ship for the day, Leo would not be the best fit for you.

• To contact Leo, message via Whatsapp +504 8800-4741 (Yes, most people in Roatan use the app Whatsapp so get used to that!)

Please note: the prices I mentioned in this section about private taxis is referring to prices from the airport only. 

TAXIS IN ROATAN

To travel in a private taxi locally within Roatan, taxis can be less expensive based on where you are going. For instance, a short taxi ride can be as little as $5 bucks if going a very short distance in Roatan. The price depends on the distance!

In contrast, it can cost near $10 one-way to get from Sandy Bay to West End. (based on the time of writing this Guide in 2022/23)

If in doubt, always price different taxi drivers to see what they tell you.  I honestly haven’t had any taxi try to rip me off in Roatan (very happy about that), but hey, it never hurts to compare prices to make sure you are getting the best rate.

The most inexpensive way to get around Roatan is by the collectivo taxi rather than a private taxi. If you are not familiar with that term, it basically means you share a taxi with strangers. Think of the idea of a bus that has multiple stops and can have multiple passengers. Well, the collectivo taxi works the same way. Hail down a taxi even if you see another passenger in it! The taxis will pick you up along their route. There is pretty much just one main road that goes from West to East so most likely if you see a taxi, its going in your desired direction! 

The price could be from $3 and up per person. You’ll see many Collectivo taxis on the West side of Roatan (Sandy Bay, West End, etc.)  Just note, not many taxis go to the far East End since most of the tourist activity is on the West.

Have question about this? Want to consult with me and discuss your travel to Roatan? I am now booking 1-on-1 Travel Chat session to help answer all your questions about Roatan. While I never proclaim to know EVERYTHING, I share what I know and my perspective to help you during our travel chat.  Can book in 30 min increments. Contact me via the website contact section if interested!

Grocery Stores For Food and Supplies 

The main grocery store on the island is Eldons in Coxen Hole which is close to the airport. You can ask your taxi driver to stop at the store on the way from the airport to pick up groceries for the week. Most taxi drivers will not charge you extra to stop at Eldons, but just make sure to ask to make sure there are no surprises.

Eldons has a large variety of food and goods, pretty much everything you would need. You will even find imported products from the USA, but they will be more expensive. Shop for local produce such as local grown fruits and vegetables for a better deal. Why travel to another country to eat the same thing you can get at home?

Local Fruit Stands – Shop at local fruit stands to support the local people of Roatan and Honduras. Plus, the flavor of the fruit is so much sweeter and tastier than that you get at home. The mangos and pineapples in season are out of this world!  The prices should also be better than that you get at the Eldons grocery store for most items. You’ll find the local fruit stands on the sides of the road, one of which is by Eldons supermarket off the main road and West End also has local fruit stands.  

On the West End, there is a grocery store called Woody’s. It is not as big as Eldons but they have basic items like water, fruit, groceries, sunscreen, local beer etc. It is similar to 7-11.  There are quite a few other smaller stores on the West End that you can walk to for snacks, water and a few other necessities.

Woody’s groceries in West End Roatan Honduras.

Many new stores have opened up on the main street in West End and West Bay, so its fairly easy to find a place to buy water, beer, snacks, and other basics.

Where To Stay & Accommodations

In this section, I will help you figure out where on the island you may want to stay and give you a few recommendations of places to book your stay in Roatan.

First, let’s discuss what part of the island may be best for you.

West End or West Bay

The West side of the island is the most popular side of the island where you will find the most tourists. On the Westside, you have West Bay or West End.

West End – If your style of travel is to be where you can walk to restaurants, beaches, and get around without a car, West End is a great area to stay. In West End, you can walk to the beach, various restaurants, bars, shops and all you need is nearby. It has a beachy, carefree, laid back vibe. 

There is also a great snorkel spot in West End (if you know how to find it) where you can snorkel easily right from shore. I share how to find this snorkel spot in this video here.

West End has many apartments, Airbnbs, vacation homes and boutique hotels to choose from.  You won’t find any mega resorts here.

West Bay, is also a popular area to stay and there are lots of resorts in the area so it has a bit more of a touristy feel than the West End. The West Bay beach is gorgeous with all the water activities you can think of, but it also has lots of people and can get crowded, especially on cruise ship port days and high season.  For this reason, West Bay is not my vibe personally.

Below is a picture of West Bay Beach in front of the resorts.

In comparison between West Bay and West End, I found that West End felt more relaxed and had fewer crowds. West Bay was just too crowded for my personal travel taste. On the other hand, I know some travelers who love mingling with other visitors and being in the midst of all the action and West Bay is great for that.

Get a quick tour of West Bay in the video below:

East End / North Shore

East End, also known as the North Shore, is gorgeous and you can choose a rental home there for your own slice of heaven! There are some beautiful resorts also available if that’s more your style.  If you’re looking to be away from any crowds, to unplug and relax and explore more off the beaten path, East End is the place to be.

Who is the East End for? The East End/North Shore is for someone who loves exploring off the beaten path, loves quiet and relaxation and being farther away from the more popular tourist areas such as West End. There are some amazing hidden gems on the East End that not as many tourists get to experience.  For instance, you are closer to beaches like Camp Bay where you can pretty much have a slice of paradise all to yourself and all you will hear are the sound of the soft Caribbean waves.

Where To Stay On East End? Renting a vacation home or staying a resort are both good options, its just depends on what type of experience you are looking for.

If you choose a house rental on the East End/North Shore, you will need a car to get around to give you freedom to explore the island. This part of the island is not known for its walkability to restaurants. Taxis are harder to come by and can be expensive.  So if love walkability and do not like driving, the West End would be better option. 

There are some beautiful all-inclusive resorts on the East End located on beautiful beaches. If you like being off the beaten path, but still like concierge support and amenities, a resort could be a good option.  Resorts may help schedule tours or even include them in your vacation package. 

One thing to note about the East End, the reef is not as close to shore as it is in the West End. While its reached on a very short 5 minute boat ride, sometimes snorkeling from the shore is not always an option. If this is important to you, do your research about the location of your vacation home rental or resort before booking.  I mention this because I love being able to snorkel daily on vacation without having to pay for a tour every single time. For that reason, accessibility to the reef is something important to me when it comes to choosing an accommodation.  This may not matter to everyone, but some like me, it could help you make a decision of where to stay.

Sandy Bay

Sandy Bay is about a 10 minute car ride from the “West End” with some amazing vacation rentals or Boutique Hotels. 

Its a happy medium between the West End and East End. It feels quiet and secluded, but its still close enough to the action of the West End where there are various bars and restaurants. My favorite hotel happens to be in Sandy Bay called Puerta Azul. After staying there, I’m completely spoiled and can’t stay anywhere else when in Roatan. They have an amazing long pier that stretches out over the water. At the end, you can swim, snorkel to the reef, or relax in the hammocks over the water.

(This section is being updated with recommendations of places to stay. Please stay tuned.)

Where to Go For Diving 

There are so many dive shops all over the island. Many people travel to Roatan to dive or get diving certified because of Roatan’s beautiful reef and ideal water conditions year-round.

If you are staying in the West End, there are dozens of dive shops so you can easily find a dive shop once you get there.  You can also look at reviews of shops on Google, etc. One place I can recommend is Jackson Dive Shop on the West End. What I like about this place is that they only take small groups up to 4 people per dive master. Its also locally owned and such cool, down to earth people. They know the island well and the dive masters have thousands of dives under their belt. (I was not paid to work with this company, they don’t even know I am recommending them on this guide! But if you choose them, tell them Kiki says hello!)

On the East End, I recommend Subway Watersports located at the Turquoise Bay Resort. You do not need to be a guest at the hotel to take a dive with the dive shop. They have well maintained large boats. I took one dive there and my instructor was Osmond. He was very attentive the whole dive and an excellent dive master. I also got a pick up from the dock of my vacation rental. VIP service! What’s not to love.

Snorkel Tips – Where to find tours, water conditions, etc.

Snorkeling in Roatan is some of the best in the world. There aren’t many places that you get this type of easy access to the reef. No long boat rides required!

You can snorkel from many of the beaches right from shore, no tour boat needed. The reef is so close to shore that you can see some spectacular coral and abundant life without going far. Even if you swim in the shallow water, you most likely will see fish swimming right by your feet, literally!

Here is a tip if you do want to get a boat ride to see more of the reef:

The dive shops have boats that take their divers out up to 3 times a day. They allow snorkelers to come with them for $15-20. They take you to the main snorkel/dive spots and you will also be with trained professionals for a piece of mind.  This is a good way to save some money if you are an experienced snorkeler.

The water conditions are the best I have seen anywhere with calm waters, little waves, warm temperatures and excellent visibility.  Not always perfect, sometimes mother nature does her thing, but in general, the water here is clear and calm.

This is just one of the many reasons I love to visit Roatan. 

To give you an example, the video I made below shows you were to snorkel from the beach at Half Moon Bay in West End.  Watch it and you will see exactly what you can expect if you visit the beach and want to snorkel.

What To Do In Roatan

I wrote about things to do in Roatan in detail in previous posts such as this one, “7 Awesome Things To Do In Roatan”  You will find them helpful.

You may also enjoy this video below on my Youtube Channel:

What To Wear

It is hot and humid in Roatan so bring light clothing such as shorts, tank tops, sandals. Everyone dresses like they are going to the beach everyday which is one of the things I love about Roatan! It is very relaxed. 

If you are going in the rainy season, bring a light rain jacket, poncho and something to keep you dry and warm in case it cools down in the evenings.

To reduce bug bites at dusk, dawn and evening, you can pack very lightweight long sleeve pants and shirts to help with preventing bug bites.  It’s very warm so keep it light. Roatan has mosquitos and even worse are the sand fleas if you happen to attract them. They tend to be worse at dawn and dusk. I know no one looks forward to wearing pants or long sleeve shirts in hot weather, but if you are a bug magnet, you just may trade in your fashion sense for pants!

What To Pack – Here is a list of essentials to pack to Roatan.

*Disclosure: This post includes Amazon affiliate links which means at no cost to you, I will receive a small commission if you purchase through any of the links.

Essentials To Pack To Roatan:

Bug Repellent – Sand Fleas are something to prepare for more so than any other island I’ve ever been to. Mosquitos and Sand Fleas can really put a damper on your vacation so you will need bug spray everyday. What works for me is a natural bug repellent  I make myself which includes essential oils to repel bugs and shea butter (helps with the sand fleas from biting). Most commercial bug sprays have many toxic chemicals in them so I choose not to use it. To learn how to make my DIY Bug Repellent Recipe, click here.

Sunscreen – Waterproof sunscreen is ideal if you plan on being in the water. Sunscreen’s that are natural and chemical free is best and they provide a lot of protection! Also, make sure it is Reef Safe since the chemicals in many sunscreens contribute to bleaching the coral. Lets keep the reef safe for generations to come by making small contributions to use reef safe sunscreen and body products.

-I suggest Thinksport SPF 50 Sunscreen which is Reefsafe and chemical free. It provides a physical barrier on your skin and I love this one because it blends it well on the skin. No white film! You can find it on amazon here http://amzn.to/2w6w3pt.

-For the face, I also Mychelle’s Face Sunscreen for vacation and everyday use too. After trying many sunscreens, this is my go-to product everyday. (Buy it here on Amazon)

Snorkel Gear – Bringing your own snorkel gear to Roatan will allow you to snorkel on your own from the beach and save you money! Renting snorkel gear can get very expensive and if you are like me, you will want to snorkel everyday since Roatan has the most amazing reef just off shore. I recommend the Tribord Easybreath Full Face Snorkel Mask. (You can also read my review of the mask here.)

Waterproof & Underwater Camera – You’ll regret not bringing one once you snorkel and see how many beautiful things there are to see. Capture those moments. GoPros are always a safe bet like this one.  There are some budget friendly underwater action cams such as one like this by Akaso. Not always as good quality, but it a better deal.

Hat – Or buy one when you get there.

UVA/UVB Sunglasses – I Like Costas which have good UVA/UVB protection. If you love your eyes, protect them.

Water Resistant Sandals – Sandals that can wet, dry quickly and are comfortable for walking. Having a great pair of sandals that can be multi-purposed are well worth the investment.  Chacos, Crocs and Teva have great sandals for that I use for walking shoes and I get them wet at the beach all the time without them being sticky or stinky afterwards!

Benadryl – Even if you do not have any known allergies, bring this in case you have a reaction to bug bites or food.

Medications – Tylenol, Sinus meds, Ibuprophen and any other prescriptions you may need.

Small First Aid Kit

Dry Bag – A dry bag will keep things dry in case it gets wet on a boat, kayak, etc.

Coconut Oil – I suggest coconut oil to help sooth your skin after being in the sun. Some people also use Aloe Vera which can also be very beneficial to assisting with sunburn. 

Mini Flashlights– Roatan has occasional blackouts or time periods where the electricity is turned off for “maintenance and repairs.” So, it is helpful to have a flashlight to light up the street paths and to see your way through your vacation home. I like carrying a mini flashlight with me at night too incase I need to see the roads better while walking.

Did you find anything missing from this guide? Please let me know in the comments below what you would like added. I want to make this guide as helpful as possible!

Want to hear more about Roatan?

I will be updating this guide and adding new Roatan posts to the blog. If you would like to get notified when there is new exciting information added, sign up to get special updates to your inbox below. Have a wonderful time in Roatan and make sure to come back to tell us what a great time you had!

Gumbaliba Park – Nature Park