You probably only first heard about Roatán Island recently, which is because the small tourism boom going on there is less than a decade old. The island has long been known for excellent scuba diving and snorkeling, but since cruise ships started coming the whole place is changing quickly. At least for now, it’s mostly dirt paths and beach shacks, though maybe not forever.
Overall, Roatán Island is still a good budget destination compared to most Caribbean islands. There are no 5-star resorts (yet) so most shops, restaurants, and activity companies keep their prices fairly competitive. It’s all similar to Ambergris Caye in Belize, which is less than 200 kilometers away.
There are some really wonderful sandy beaches here (unlike in most of Belize), but still it’s the scuba diving and other water activities that are the main draw. Prices of dives and training are still quite low for the Caribbean, in spite of the excellent reef nearby.
| Population | 25,000 |
| Area | 25,000 |
| Timezone | UTC-6 |
| Currency | Honduras Lempira |
| Airports | Juan Manuel Gálvez International Airport (RTB) |
Food and drinks come in all price ranges on the island, with most of the more expensive places clustered in the West End and West Bay area. Still, you can find cheap eats and ice cold bottles of beer if you look around, and rum is very cheap as well.
| Budget breakfast | Several small shacks open for breakfast and have good budget options. | $5.49 - $9.36 |
| Budget lunch | Meals from the shacks and other take out places are good value for lunch. | $6.92 - $10.58 |
| Budget dinner | A meal at a sit-down restaurant can range widely, but there are cheap options here. | $10.58 - $17.09 |
| Bottle of beer in a bar | If you look for happy hour deals you can get local lager cheaply at a few places. | $2.64 - $3.66 |
| Month | High F | Low F | PRECIP (inches) |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 81 | 72 | 8.3 |
| February | 82 | 73 | 6.0 |
| March | 83 | 74 | 4.7 |
| April | 85 | 76 | 3.3 |
| May | 86 | 78 | 2.0 |
| June | 86 | 78 | 2.7 |
| July | 86 | 78 | 4.2 |
| August | 86 | 78 | 4.1 |
| September | 87 | 79 | 6.3 |
| October | 87 | 79 | 10.7 |
| November | 84 | 73 | 13.9 |
| December | 84 | 75 | 13.7 |
Being a tropical island, Roatán does get more rain than most mainland areas in Central America. The wettest months are November through early January, but at least it’s always warm and steady. Trade winds can help make it feel cooler than you’d expect.
| 21 Mar | 5:52am | 6:00pm |
| 21 Jun | 5:22am | 6:20pm |
| 21 Sep | 5:38am | 5:46pm |
| 21 Dec | 6:08am | 5:26pm |
Hotels on Roatán Island have a high season starting just before Christmas and going through August. The low season is September through mid December, excluding major holidays.
| Rating | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
 | 20.00 - 40.00 |
| 31.00 - 58.00 |
| 52.00 - 127.00 |
| 155.00 - 198.00 |
| - |
| Type | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
| Hostel | 9.84 - 12.00 |