Question 1

Isla Tropicale on Your Own

Accepted Answer

You can spend the whole day inside Isla Tropicale, but you are free to leave it, and a short walk out to the main road brings cheaper taxis. From there the island's paved road runs west to the resort beaches and east to Oak Ridge. Walk out to the road: Once you are out of the compound and on the main road, taxi fares drop by a third to a half. Wear shoes rather than sandals for the walk. Bargain first: There are hundreds of taxis on Roatán. Settle the fare before the ride starts, and if it seems high, try the next driver. East or west: West End and West Bay, at the western end of the island, have the main beach resorts and reef snorkeling. To the east, past French Harbour, the village of Oak Ridge is built partly on stilts at the water's edge. Getting back on time: All-aboard is usually about 30 minutes before sailing, and your ship posts the exact time. A ship will not wait for passengers touring on their own, and West Bay is at the far western tip, well away from Isla Tropicale, so leave plenty of time to get back. Watch the clock: Honduras is six hours behind UTC, which can differ from your ship's clock. Go by the time your ship gives. ID ashore: Have photo ID with you, plus a copy of your passport's photo page, and leave the passport itself somewhere safe, such as aboard the ship.

Question 2

Getting Around Roatan

Accepted Answer

Roatán's paved road runs from West Bay in the west through Coxen Hole and French Harbour to Oak Ridge and Punta Gorda, where it turns to dirt. Taxis are the usual way to get around from Isla Tropicale, and there are buses for the confident. Taxi fares are bargained, so agree the price before you set off. Buses run often between Coxen Hole and West End during the day, leaving from opposite the market in Coxen Hole, and less often to Oak Ridge by way of French Harbour. Driving to the far eastern end of the island is slow because of the roads, and it takes at least an hour by car from the West End to Camp Bay. Radio-dispatched taxis are the safer choice for short trips.

Question 3

What to Eat on Roatan

Accepted Answer

Seafood is plentiful on Roatán, and lobster is a favorite in the beach restaurants of the West End. Honduran everyday food, like the baleada, is easy to find too. A baleada is a thick flour tortilla filled with refried beans, cheese and a mild cream, a cheap, quick meal found all over Honduras. The Honduran plato típico is rice, beef, fried beans and fried plantains, sometimes with chimol, a fresh tomato salsa. Restaurants along the West End beach cost somewhat more than similar places on the mainland. Argentine-style steaks are also popular on the island.

Question 4

Culture on Roatan

Accepted Answer

Roatán's island people are more connected to the English-speaking Caribbean than to mainland Honduras, and many speak Bay Islands English, or Island Talk, as their first language. The Garifuna, who arrived in 1797, have their own language, music and villages. Much of the island's long-established population descends from settlers who came from the Cayman Islands in the 1830s and later, both former slaveholders and the formerly enslaved, after Britain abolished slavery. Punta Gorda, on the north coast, was founded by Garifuna people who stayed on Roatán after the British deported them from St. Vincent. Their community has remained there since. Garifuna language, music and dance were recognized by UNESCO in 2001 as part of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity. Spanish is the official language of Honduras and of its schools, and people who have moved from the mainland speak it as their first language. Oak Ridge, east of Isla Tropicale, has many brightly colored wooden houses on stilts along the shore.

Question 5

History of Roatan and the Bay Islands

Accepted Answer

Roatán's story runs from the Indigenous peoples of the Bay Islands through Spanish slave trading, pirate hideouts and British soldiers to Caribbean settlers who gave the island its English-speaking character. Its many names over the years included Ruatan and Rattan. First islanders: The first people of the Bay Islands may have been related to the Paya, the Maya, the Lenca or the Tolupan of the mainland. Columbus, 1502–1504: On his fourth voyage, Columbus visited the neighboring island of Guanaja. The Spanish soon began trading in the islands for slave labor, and diseases such as smallpox and measles devastated the people who remained. Pirates: Between about 1550 and 1700, English, French and Dutch pirates used the largely empty islands as bases for raiding Spanish treasure ships. Port Royal, at the island's eastern end, was founded by English pirates. A castaway, 1722: Philip Ashton, a fisherman captured by the pirate Edward Low, escaped while the pirates were taking on water at Roatán and spent the following year alone on the island. A British garrison, 1742–1749: During the War of the Austrian Succession, British soldiers held Roatán for seven years. The Garifuna, 1797: After defeating the Garifuna on St. Vincent, the British deported them to Roatán, landing about 2,500 survivors on April 12, 1797. Most moved on to Trujillo on the mainland, and the rest founded Punta Gorda. Settlers from the Caymans, 1830s: After the 1833 Slavery Abolition Act changed life in the Cayman Islands, former slaveholders and, in larger numbers, the formerly enslaved moved to Roatán, settling mainly along the western coasts.

Question 6

Traveling with Children

Accepted Answer

With children, the simplest day stays inside Isla Tropicale, on its beach, with no taxi needed. Families who want to see more can plan one outing by age, and should bring strong insect repellent whatever they do. Younger children: The private beach inside the cruise center is the easy choice, close to the ship. School age: There is an iguana farm near French Harbour, close to Isla Tropicale, and the Carambola Botanical Gardens are in Sandy Bay, toward the west. Teenagers: Roatán has several zip-line canopy tours. Reef snorkeling at West End means a swim of about 200 meters from shore, which suits strong swimmers who watch for motorboats. Bugs: Mosquitoes are most active at dawn and dusk. Sand fleas live along the coast, and their bites are not felt for hours, so put on repellent before the beach and again after swimming.

Question 7

Beaches on Roatan

Accepted Answer

The nearest beach is the private one inside Isla Tropicale, which suits a short, easy day. The main resort beaches, West Bay and West End, are at the western end of the island and need a taxi. West Bay, at the far western tip of Roatán, has several large resorts built along the beach. At West End, there is good snorkeling on the reef about a 200-meter swim from shore, for strong swimmers who watch for motorboats. Camp Bay, at the eastern end, is the largest beach in the Bay Islands, but it takes a long drive, partly on dirt and gravel road, to reach. Keep an eye on your things, especially on quiet, isolated beaches, since petty theft is a problem on the Bay Islands.

Roatan (Mahogany Bay, Honduras

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