Honduras: Roatan

January 2026

Roatan came into vogue at as a cheap alternative to Costa Rica and Mexico. As it became established, prices increased, better infrastructure was built, and cruise ships started to call. Roatan is now "known" and no longer as inexpensive (as is often the case with places that become famous destinations).

If anyone travels to the Caribbean coast of Mexico, Belize, and Honduras, they will hear repeatedly that those countries hold the world's second largest barrier reef (the Mesoamerican Reef) stretching from Cozumel all the way to Honduras. Most of its islands are pancake flat, like the Bahamas. A few, however, sport verdant hills. One of those is Roatan.

Roatán is a coral island. Situated atop an exposed ancient coral reef, it rises to about 270 m above sea level. The easternmost quarter of the island is separated by a 15-meter-wide channel through the mangrove forest.

(Wikipedia)

On my short, cruise-ship visit, I wanted to focus on something that would show off the island's nature more than its beaches. I opted for a "mangrove tour" that allowed for a drive across the island and then a boat ride through its coastal forest. Both the bus and boat ride gave insights into the island and life there. As with most Caribbean islands, the economy is heavily tourist dependent and most items needed for daily living come from the mainland. Normal people on Roatan lead very simple lives.

Most interesting is that due to colonial history, residents of Roatan speak English as their native tongue and Spanish is only learned later in school. The majority of Bay Islanders are descendants of people who fled British rule in the Cayman Islands. Roatan and the neighboring islands served as a base for buccaneers during the Spanish Colonial period as well. The island has a comparatively long, and interesting history in the region.

Because of its roots as a budget destination, there are still reasonable hotels to be found, although the luxury brands are creeping in slowly. Roatan is unique for its green hills - outside of the Antilles, many Caribbean islands are flat, dry atolls, beautiful, but not very interesting. Of course, Roatan's beaches are made of white sand with Caribbean blue water. The presence of mangroves (at least half of the island) makes for a wide array of wildlife. On the tour I saw barracuda, spiny lobsters, sea urchins, and conch (as well as a variety of other fish). A glass-bottom boat really isn't needed - the water is that clear.

Definitely a "return to" kind of place for me, Roatan is reasonably safe in a region where tourists prefer to stay in the hotel zone. Bay Islanders are proud of the security of their islands and seem to guard it seriously. I hope to schedule some relax time there in the future.