FAQs

Roatan is a safe tourist destination. We recommend you follow the same safety precautions as you would elsewhere.

In the rest of Honduras, however, it is a different matter. Roatan is an island and the situation here differs from the mainland. This is due to several factors. There is limited access to the island by boat or plane and each passenger must pass through security before boarding. The Honduran government is aware of how important tourism is for the island and so the security forces on the island have been significantly reinforced.

The number of foreigners living on the island has also increased, which puts pressure on the local government and raises the security. However, Roatan still suffers from the same issues as other tourist destinations, mainly petty thefts and attempts to cheat tourists changing currency. Unfortunately, juvenile delinquency is also an issue here.

The healthcare here holds a very high standard thanks to the newly opened clinic Cemesa, where there is an emergency room, surgery theatres, a ward for inpatients, computed tomography, radiology, and laboratories. There are also a large number of private emergency rooms providing high-quality medical care on the island.  Most doctors here speak good English.

There are some public clinics here too, but as we do not have any personal experience with these, we are not able to recommend them at the moment.

Roatan is a safe island and you do not commonly come across venomous or poisonous animals. In vary rare cases you may come across a scorpion. The sting is generally not dangerous for adults, but we recommend seeking medical attention in the case of a child or an ill or elderly person being stung.

It is equally uncommon to come across a snake as they stay away from the common places.

There are a number of stray dogs on the island.  They are usually neither dangerous nor aggressive. However, we still recommend that you avoid them and are careful around them, especially if you are accompanied by children, as they may inadvertently cause an unwanted reaction.

Find the shortest route and other advice about travelling to the island in the section ‘Getting to Roatan’.

If you are travelling via the USA, you will need an ESTA travel authorization. For US or EU citizens staying in Honduras, a three-month tourist visa will be issued upon arrival. 

 If you are not a citizen of either the US or the EU, we recommend that you turn to your foreign ministry to find out what regulations apply to you. 

See the section ‘Getting to Roatan’ for more information.

Honduran currency is called Honduran lempira. It uses the abbreviation Lps and the international currency code is HNL. USD 1 is worth approximately HNL 24.

Almost all restaurants, shops and petrol stations accept international credit cards. Withdrawals from cash machines are usually limited to HNL 4,000 a day.

The official language is Spanish but most inhabitants also speak good English. You can almost always find someone who is able to communicate or who can translate for you. The locals tend to use their hands a lot when speaking, and we once had the man in front of us in the line at the pharmacy help us translate.

There are several car-rental companies on the island. We recommend that you reserve a car in advance, especially during the peak season. When you pick up your car, make sure you carefully check what state it is in and take a photo documenting it. The prices depend on the size of the car and how long you rent it for. Prices start at about 50 USD a day. Please contact reception for a more precise offer.

We have not yet had the Honduran police ask for any other driving licence than your national one. But we de recommend you to check the current regulations.

Roatan is an island with a very stable climate. You can visit it almost all year round. However, the season with the highest amount of downpour is from mid-October to mid-December. The main season, with temperatures around 28-30 degrees Celsius, starts in January and ends in April. The weather is mild during this period and there is not much downpour or fluctuations. The weather is nice up until August when the temperature increases and can be up to 32 degrees Celsius.

Easter is the absolute peak season and most hotels on the island are fully-booked during this period.

The weather forecasts provided by various radars and mobile apps should be taken with a pinch of salt. They are reliable about 50 percent of the time. Sometimes the forecast is for a clear sky and yet there is a storm. Other times, the forecast will often show rain for days on end and it only actually rains for half an hour.

Roatan is two hours behind Miami, seven or eight hours behind Central Europe depending on whether its summer or winter time.

You currently do not need any vaccinations to enter Honduras (2019). However, we recommend that carefully check the regulations when entering from a Central or South American country, where you may need to be vaccinated against yellow fever.

We live here permanently and have not felt the need for any vaccinations. This is only our opinion and not a recommendation. Contact your doctor or travel medicine centre for more information.

Most necessary items are readily available on the island. However, we do recommend that you bring any medications, special infant formula or ecological nappies as the quality of those available may not meet your expectations Medications can be bought freely at the pharmacy and there are no regulations. But the fact of the matter is that there is no guarantee as to whether they are what they claim to be. We therefore recommend that you bring enough of your medication with you when come.

Vegetarian food is easy enough to come by. Vegans can find a large selection of plant-based milk, and a couple of vegan cheeses and margarines in the supermarket Eldons.

The food on the island is heavily based on fish and seafood. Yet it is often possible to make agreements ahead of time for vegetarian and, if it is technologically possible, also for vegan variations of the food.

Tortillas, rice and beans, various exotic fruits and smoothies are part of the traditional food, which is an interesting foundation for a well-rounded diet.

If you would prefer vegetarian or vegan cuisine, please let us know in advance, when making your reservation so that we can stock up on some suitable ingredients before you arrive.