Roatan FAQ
Safety in Roatan:
Is Roatan safe? Like anywhere in the world Roatan has crime, but very rarely does it affect tourists. There are tourist police who are there to protect tourists and different private groups have formed on the island to prevent crime. The island is insulated from the crime problems in the mainland of Honduras. Local areas can be explored safely through a Roatan island tour which would go through the West End, West Bay, Sandy Bay, Flowers Bay, Coxen Hole, French Harbour and then renowned mangroves of Oakridge and Punta Gorda to see the Garifuna people.
The Best Restaurants in Roatan:
The best restaurants in Roatan are Tongs Thai restaurant in the West End with its specialty: Chicken Pad Thai. Pinapple grill is located in French Harbour and is the best steak house on the island . Vintage Pearl is a fine dining restaurant in West Bay and are known for their wines and surf and turf. Finally Gios in Flowers Bay is known as the best sea food restaurant in Roatan with King Crab as their specialty. For cheap quick food try the Rotisserie chicken place in West End.
The Best Bars in Roatan:
The best bars on the island are located in the West End. Blue Marlin is packed Thursday nights for karoke, Sundowners is a popular bar for happy hour every day with strong cheap drinks and Nova is the busiest dance club in the West End on Friday nights. The bars in the West End close at 12 pm on weekdays and 2 am on weekends. The best beer in Roatan is Salva Vida and the best cocktail is the Monkey La La
Flights to Roatan:
Flights bring tourists to Roatan from Canada direct through Sunwing & Air Transat. Americans can fly to Roatan through United Airlines from Houston & Delta connecting in Atlanta. Roatan airport (RTB or Juan Manuel Gálvez International Airpor) is a small international airport so you should be at the airport about 2 hours before your flight.
Money in Roatan:
The money in Roatan is the Honduras Lempira. The exchange rate is 20 Lempira = $1 USD. There are many ATMS on the island but they dispense Lempiras and have withdrawal limits so it is easier to bring cash with you. USD is widely accepted on the island.
The weather in Roatan:
The weather in Roatan is typically sunny with low winds, but Roatan has a 3 month rainy season from October to December. The most accurate weather service in Roatan is www.windfinder.com . Hurricane season in Roatan is June, July, August and September but the island is so far south that it is not typically hit by hurricanes. The best time to visit Roatan is Feb, March, April, July, August.
Cruise Ship Excursions in Roatan:
Given the limited time cruise ship guests have in Roatan, the best tours to take are an island tour of Roatan, spend the day the beach in West Bay snorkeling, Zipline through the jungle and swim with dolphins.
Roatan Hotels and Resorts:
Tourism is primarily located in the West End, West Bay and Sandy Bay with the largest resorts in West Bay being Mayan Princess, Henry Morgan, Paradise Resorts, Infinity Bay, Fosters, Las Rocas and West Bay Lodge. Other large resorts in Roatan are Pristine Bay, Clarion Suites, Anthonys Key and Barefoot Cay, Mayoka Lodge, Key Hole Bay.
For high end clientele in Roatan the most luxurious places are Infinity Bay which typically hosts the presidents of Honduras, Barefoot Cay which typically hosts mega yachts and celebrities like Michael Douglas. For Private villas try Mayoka Lodge and Pristine Bay.
Getting from Roatan to Guanaja:
Getting from Roatan to Guanaja is more difficult, private boats run less frequently so you would have to charter a boat or take a private flight. Contact us for more details!
